Dossier
Climate, nature and energy
In 2030, 70% of Dutch energy must be renewable, as agreed in the Climate Agreement. That is why investments in wind and solar energy on land and at sea are substantial. Wageningen University & Research is investigating the opportunities for integrating wind turbines and solar panels into the landscape in a nature-friendly manner. We are also looking at the impact of (the extraction of) both renewable and fossil fuels on the ecosystem and how ecological effects can be mitigated.
Solar energy
To achieve the objectives of the Climate Agreement, the Dutch government is investing heavily in solar energy, among other things. This is reflected in a large increase in solar parks, in particular on agricultural land, often aimed at maximising energy yield. To do this in a sustainable and nature-inclusive way, Wageningen University & Research has developed the Solar Research Programme.
News
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Joint Energy Research: WUR Member of the Netherlands Energy Research Alliance
- WUR is a full member of the Netherlands Energy Research Alliance (NERA), where energy research from multiple Dutch universities, as well as research institutes such as TNO, NWO, and AMOLF, converge. This marks a new step in joint energy research, for which an important foundation was laid in 2017 with the establishment of the Wageningen Energy Alliance. -
Wageningen World: Can’t we make the energy transition look nicer?
- Energy efficiency is the big priority when developing solar and wind farms. Nature, multifunctionality and integration into the landscape are hardly taken into account. And that is diminishing support among local residents, warn Wageningen landscape experts and the Nature and Environment Federation. -
Greatest peaks in solar yield on cloudy days
- Solar energy is not just generated on sunny days. It is the cloudy days that show spikes in the yield of solar arrays of up to 20 per cent higher than when skies are clear. This is the outcome of a sub-study conducted by Wageningen University & Research, grid operator Liander and other parties, on the impact of solar energy on the power grid.
Projects
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Solar at sea
- This project aims at tracking the composition and functioning of epifauna species that develop on floating solar panels at an offshore location in time and space. After installation, fouling samples will be collected regularly from the underside of the floaters. The results will be publicly published as a scientific article. -
Nature-inclusive energy transition
- The energy transition does not only revolutionize the organisation of our energy supply, but the decentralization of facilities also offers great chances for the improvement of biodiversity and achieving of nature goals. But where do the main knowledge gaps lie, and how can those be addressed? How can existing and new knowledge contribute to the nature-inclusive design of wind and solar systems, that promote biodiversity as much as possible? Which tools or instruments can be developed to support this process? -
Energy gardens in the Netherlands: sustainable energy production, nature, landscape, recreation and education
- Sustainable energy production can be a valuable addition to landscapes and nature, as the Dutch Nature and Environment Federations (Natuur en Milieufederaties) and Wageningen University & Research aim to show with the Energy Garden project. In these energy gardens, large-scale renewable energy production will go hand-in-hand with nature development, recreation and education. This approach makes it possible to address multiple interests while working towards the National climate goals (Nationale Klimaatakkoord, 2019).
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Wind energy
The large-scale development of offshore wind farms in the North Sea has far-reaching consequences for both nature and spatial planning, and therefore for all North Sea users. There are still many knowledge gaps for the government, wind energy sector, nature conservation organisations and the fishing and aquaculture sectors.
Researchers from Wageningen University & Research are also developing knowledge and techniques for minimising effects on nature in onshore wind turbines. This protects foraging areas of vulnerable birds and bats, and prevents economic damage for wind energy suppliers.
News
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Joint Energy Research: WUR Member of the Netherlands Energy Research Alliance
- WUR is a full member of the Netherlands Energy Research Alliance (NERA), where energy research from multiple Dutch universities, as well as research institutes such as TNO, NWO, and AMOLF, converge. This marks a new step in joint energy research, for which an important foundation was laid in 2017 with the establishment of the Wageningen Energy Alliance. -
Datalogging to map the effects of wind farms on seabirds
- The construction of wind farms is taking off in the North Sea. This leaves a smaller area for seabirds in which to search for food, as they tend to avoid wind farms. Scientists at Wageningen University & Research are developing a computer model to get a picture of what the loss of foraging area means for the survival of seabirds during the winter. -
How can we make wind energy safe for marine animals and birds?
- Wind turbines on the North Sea are to become the Netherlands’ key energy source. This development is not without risks for the animals that live in and above the water. ‘Everything we do on the North Sea has ecological impact’, Josien Steenbergen of Wageningen Marine Research underscores. ‘It is up to us, to do it as responsibly as possible.’ -
Artificial intelligence will help map birds and marine mammals in wind farms
- The increased height of wind turbines makes it more difficult to monitor the presence of birds and marine mammals in offshore wind farms using planes with human observers. Aircrafts mounted with high definitions cameras offer a solution, as these counts can be carried out from a higher altitude. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically analyze these images is being investigated by a research consortium. This may solve the bottleneck of the labor-intensive manual and therefore costly image analysis. -
Adding it all up
- Research on the impacts of offshore wind is usually sector-specific, thus ignoring potential cumulative effects in combination with other pressures, such as fisheries or contaminants. In addition, the total effect may well be greater than the sum of its parts. Therefore, researchers and decision-makers had better take a more integrated perspective, argues Gerjan Piet. -
Ecological impact of wind farms on porpoises and seals
- Seals and porpoises are very sensitive to underwater sounds. To what extent are they affected by offshore wind farms? Researchers at Wageningen Marine Research are investigating this using field observations and computer models, as well as satellite transmitters. -
Loss of bird habitat: a complex ecological puzzle
- Wind farms on land are known to pose a danger to birds. But what about offshore wind? Floor Soudijn makes computer models that aim to answer that question. The issue is more complicated than you might think, but there are some important insights that Soudijn is able to share. -
Seaweed underneath the wind turbines
- Wind farm waters are unsuitable for fishing, shipping or recreation. Yet these areas may have other interesting uses, say researchers. Seaweed cultivation is one example. How does this work, and what are the challenges? -
Electromagnetic fields around wind farm power cables
- The North Sea accommodates an increasing number of subsea cables that bring ashore the electricity produced by offshore wind farms. These cables generate electromagnetic fields. How does this affect sharks and other marine animals? Wageningen Marine Research is investigating this, both in the field and with experimental set-ups in a lab. -
Fish behaviour around artificial reefs
- Artificial reefs have the potential to increase biodiversity in offshore wind farms. They provide shelter to a range of marine life, such as fish and lobsters. Wageningen Marine Research is assessing the impact of artificial reefs, using cameras and acoustics.
Projects
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BENSO
- The BENSO project will develop and implement methods and techniques for the improvement of biodiversity in offshore wind farms. The project focuses on scour protection: boulders that protect the seabed around wind turbine piles against erosion. Scour protection can be designed to benefit certain animal species, such as fish, crabs and lobsters. -
Costs and Biodiversity of Nature-Inclusive Energy (KOBINE)
- The aim of this project is to quantify the nature gain (biodiversity) of various nature-inclusive designs in nature restoration projects in offshore wind farms (or test areas outside), in relation to their construction and maintenance costs. The research will take place in the Borssele wind farm area and at the North Sea Farm. -
Nature-inclusive energy transition
- The energy transition does not only revolutionize the organisation of our energy supply, but the decentralization of facilities also offers great chances for the improvement of biodiversity and achieving of nature goals. But where do the main knowledge gaps lie, and how can those be addressed? How can existing and new knowledge contribute to the nature-inclusive design of wind and solar systems, that promote biodiversity as much as possible? Which tools or instruments can be developed to support this process? -
JustRES- Towards social and spatial justice in the Regional Energy Strategies of Overijssel
- The JustRES project delivers practical knowledge for socially and spatially justified distribution of costs and benefits of renewable energy in Overijssel. We investigate governance arrangements and forms of participation in renewable energy projects in the Netherlands. Stakeholders help designing how decisions about siting and management of renewable energy will be made. -
Telemetry research Nathusius' pipistrelle
- Migrating species such as Nathusius' pipistrelle pass wind turbines during their migration from summer to winter areas and vice versa. An advanced telemetry network allows bats to be tracked along their route, giving us insight into their migration patterns as well as their behaviour in wind farms. -
Energy gardens in the Netherlands: sustainable energy production, nature, landscape, recreation and education
- Sustainable energy production can be a valuable addition to landscapes and nature, as the Dutch Nature and Environment Federations (Natuur en Milieufederaties) and Wageningen University & Research aim to show with the Energy Garden project. In these energy gardens, large-scale renewable energy production will go hand-in-hand with nature development, recreation and education. This approach makes it possible to address multiple interests while working towards the National climate goals (Nationale Klimaatakkoord, 2019). -
Scour protection design for biodiversity enhancement in North Sea Offshore Wind Farms
- The BENSO project will develop and implement methods and techniques for biodiversity enhancement within offshore wind farms. The project focuses on the scour protection layer, which consists of rocks and surrounds the base of offshore wind turbines. Scour protection layers can be designed in such a way that certain species will profit, such as fish, crabs and lobsters. -
Eco-friendly reef restoration pilots in offshore wind farms
- Offshore wind energy is becoming increasingly important in our energy transition. The costs of offshore wind energy are not only influenced by environmental factors (e.g. distance to coast, water depth, seabed structure) and technical development, but also by ecological conditions. The Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality intends to use the development of offshore wind farms to strengthen the North Sea ecosystem by enhancement of ecological functioning in offshore wind farms to improve the status of policy-relevant species. This is part of the North Sea 2050 Spatial Planning Agenda (Min I&M and Min EZ, 2014) and is being operationalized trough permit-obligations. This has resulted in Wind Farm Site Decisions (WFSD) for recently permitted wind farms. -
PhD D Oudes - Exploring Alternative Futures for Entity Energy Landscapes
- The aim of this PhD research is to develop an environmental design framework for landscapes with renewable energy generation as primary function, here referred to as ‘entity energy landscapes’. Entity energy landscapes are characterized by a vast spatial expanse and visual dominance of energy technologies. They consist of a single or multiple types of technologies such as wind turbines, solar panels, biomass facilities, energy transport and storage facilities. -
The adequacy of Arctic marine data
- This project is part of the EMODnet Sea Basin Checkpoints, in which the quality of the current observation monitoring data at the level of the regional sea-basins are assessed. The objective of this project is to examine the current status of Arctic data and analyse how they can be optimized by using the data in case studies called ‘challenges’.
Publications
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Offshore oil and gas
Offshore oil and gas extraction: what effect does it have on the nature of coast & sea? And what to do with discarded oil and gas platforms? Wageningen University & Research investigates ecological effects, but also opportunities for new nature around oil and gas platforms at sea.
News
Projects
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BENSO
- The BENSO project will develop and implement methods and techniques for the improvement of biodiversity in offshore wind farms. The project focuses on scour protection: boulders that protect the seabed around wind turbine piles against erosion. Scour protection can be designed to benefit certain animal species, such as fish, crabs and lobsters. -
Artificial Structures and the functioning of the North Sea EcoSyStem (ASSESS)
- The presence of artificial structures (harbours, platforms and energy installations) in soft sediment environments changes the biodiversity, food-web complexity and resilience of communities. Data available on how this impacts the North Sea ecosystem carrying capacity are limited. The aim of the ASSESS project is to quantify these long-term changes, by assessing the food-web and ecological functioning of >20 year old artificial structures and surrounding seabeds. We will generate new data from field research and experiments and develop novel ecosystem models. This will allow better assessment of cumulative effects on the carrying capacity of the North Sea. -
Scour protection design for biodiversity enhancement in North Sea Offshore Wind Farms
- The BENSO project will develop and implement methods and techniques for biodiversity enhancement within offshore wind farms. The project focuses on the scour protection layer, which consists of rocks and surrounds the base of offshore wind turbines. Scour protection layers can be designed in such a way that certain species will profit, such as fish, crabs and lobsters. -
The seafloor before and after drilling activities
- Offshore drilling activities can impact several environmental compartments, and in particular the seafloor. After placing a drilling rig and a drilling well, drilling can commence. Drilling muds are applied and cuttings are produced in this process. Wageningen Marine Research studied whether the composition of seafloor life has changed after drilling activities on the North Sea. -
Assessing ecological impacts at the population level for oil spill response in the Arctic
- When ecological impacts of an oil spill are assessed, worst case (conservative) assumptions are commonly made. For example, it is often assumed that when exposed above a specific oil concentration all individuals will die. What are the consequences of such assumptions for estimated impacts and the evaluation of potential response options? -
The adequacy of Arctic marine data
- This project is part of the EMODnet Sea Basin Checkpoints, in which the quality of the current observation monitoring data at the level of the regional sea-basins are assessed. The objective of this project is to examine the current status of Arctic data and analyse how they can be optimized by using the data in case studies called ‘challenges’. -
A hypothetical oil spill in the North Sea
- Is there enough information of sufficient quality to assess the consequences of an oil spill on the North Sea? Wageningen Marine Research assessed an hypothetical oil spill scenario within 72 hours in order to subject available information to a stress test. -
SOMOS: Technical Standards for Safe Production of Food and Feed from marine plants and Safe Use of Ocean Space
- Somos, a study into safety at sea is taking off as part of a partnership between Lloyd’s Register Foundation, Wageningen University & Research and TNO. Half a million pounds is the amount scientists have at their disposal to investigate safety aspects of combined activities at sea. The focus in SOMOS is on renewable energy production in combination with seaweed, used not only food but also feed, bio-chemicals, energy and other valuable products. The grant is awarded by the UK-based Lloyd’s Register Foundation, which wants to contribute to the enhancement of resilient marine resources for tomorrow’s world population. -
Developing benefit-sharing standards in the Arctic: Toward coexistence of oil and gas companies and traditional indigenous communities
- Arctic indigenous communities do not necessarily benefit from oil and gas extraction as it threatens their traditional livelihoods of hunting, fishing and reindeer herding. Most transnational corporations (TNCs) in the Arctic oil and gas sector have declared their commitment to benefit-sharing standards that protect indigenous rights to land and access to traditional resources, but the local implementation of these standards is highly variable. -
Management of produced water discharges based on environmental risk
- Produced waste water is in some cases discharged from offshore oil and gas platforms. New OSPAR regulations demand management of those discharges based on environmental risk. Wageningen Marine Research provided a practical implementation for the operators.
