NERC Workshop: Update on Technology and Tools to De-Risk and Streamline Development - Special Session on Marine Renewable Energy

Sponsored by the National Environmental Research Council (NERC)
Held at Ocean Business
Southampton, UK
April 16, 2015 @ 12:00-18:00 BST

Summary
Exploitation of wave, wind and tidal resources for energy generation requires a good understanding of the resources, and it has been necessary to adapt and develop existing technologies to achieve this at different scales. Equally, it is essential to characterise environmental receptors across all wildlife groups and to capture adequate baseline information for Environmental Impact Assessment and post deployment monitoring. This session will review the contribution of the NERC – DEFRA funded research and knowledge exchange programmes to development of novel technology, tools and methods, and consider the needs for the industry going forward.

Speaker Presentation Materials

12:00-13:00 Networking - buffet lunch provided

13:00-14:30

15min talks:

Main Research Programme: Introduced by Annie Linley (10mins) (Presentation)

  • Paul Bell & David McCann - Application of X band radar for resource assessment: case studies from the European Marine Energy Centre and the Inner Sound, Pentland Firth (Title Slide);
  • Benjamin Williamson & Beth Scott - Development of the FLOWBEC (Flow-and-Benthic-Ecology-4D) seabed platform - monitoring wildlife interactions around tidal turbines (Presentation);
  • Ben Wilson & Steven Benjamins - RESPONSE Project: Impacts of operational noise on harbour porpoises - use of playback experiments and passive acoustic arrays (Title Slide);
  • Dave Thompson & Gordon Hastie - RESPONSE Project: Use of a tidally energetic site be seals and behavioural responses to tidal turbine noise (Title Slide).

Q&A (20mins)
14:30-14:45 Programme break: a short film will be shown

14:45-15:45

15min talks:
  • Helen Smith - Maximising energy extraction at wave and tidal energy sites whilst optimising environmental benefit (Presentation);
  • Dave Sims & Steve Cotterell - Development of telemetry for understanding fish movements around offshore windfarms (Presentation);
  • Matt Witt & Brendan Godley - Baited video and other methods for monitoring post deployment impacts on fisheries at energy farms (Presentation).

Q&A (15 mins)
15:45-16:15 Coffee break

16:15-17:30

15min talks:

Knowledge Exchange programme: introduced by Annie Linley (10mins)

  • Steve Simpson & Rick Bruintjes - Fish responses to impulsive noise - experiments at the National Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC) dry dock (Amended Presentation);
  • Liz Masden & Aonghais Cook - Review and update of Collision Risk Models for predicting potential collisions of birds with turbine blades (Presentation);
  • Lynda Rodwell - Interactions between fisheries and renewable energy development - new tools for assessing socio-economic impact (Presentation);
  • Annie Linley - Innovation and translation to support offshore renewable energy in future feedback from research end users (Presentation).

Final Question & Answer Session

 

A video recording of the webinar has been posted below:
Note: Only the title slide is available for some presentations at the presenter's request.