The BeWild project, led by Fugro, has completed the world’s first fully remote ecology survey at CrossWind’s Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind farm, marking a significant shift in marine ecosystem monitoring.
The innovative approach enables more efficient and less disruptive monitoring, which is crucial for protecting marine life and the sustainable growth of offshore wind energy.
Together, the BeWild partners integrated computer vision and environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling into Fugro’s Blue Volta electric remotely operated vehicle (eROV).
This system was deployed from its Blue Essence uncrewed surface vessel (USV), with both USV and eROV controlled from Fugro’s remote operations centre in Aberdeen.
The survey marks the first of four research and development assessments at CrossWind under the BeWild project, supported by a Mission-driven Research, Development and Innovation (MOOI) subsidy from the Dutch Enterprise Agency (RVO).
“This survey provides a glimpse into the future of offshore ecology monitoring. By delivering high-quality data remotely, we’re not only reducing operational costs and environmental impact, but also enabling our clients to gain unprecedented insights into the health and biodiversity of their offshore assets. We’re incredibly excited about the potential this technology holds for the sustainable development of offshore wind energy,” said Dan Smith, BeWild Manager.
“At CrossWind, we are excited to combine remote asset inspections with ecological monitoring of our nature inclusive scour protection measures. By combining the two, we can be more efficient with our resources offshore, ultimately making it safer for people. We look forward to seeing the results of these surveys,” added Pauline Roos, CrossWind’s Marine Ecologist.
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