RWE Launches Ecosystem-Based Monitoring at Kaskasi Offshore Wind Farm with Marine Science Experts

RWE Launches Ecosystem-Based Monitoring at Kaskasi Offshore Wind Farm with Marine Science Experts

(IN BRIEF) RWE has partnered with leading marine scientists to launch the SeaMe project at its Kaskasi offshore wind farm, aiming to monitor biodiversity through an ecosystem-based approach. This three-year initiative employs advanced monitoring tools like AI-driven drones, underwater vehicles, and environmental DNA sampling to study marine life comprehensively while minimizing carbon impact. Collaborating with institutions such as the Helmholtz Institute and the Alfred Wegener Institute, RWE will focus on tracking under-monitored species and ecosystem changes. Findings from SeaMe will be shared publicly, enhancing knowledge of offshore wind impacts and supporting environmentally friendly energy development.

(PRESS RELEASE) ESSEN, 30-Oct-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — RWE has initiated the SeaMe project at its Kaskasi offshore wind farm to advance biodiversity monitoring through an ecosystem-based approach in collaboration with leading marine scientists. This three-year initiative, aimed at understanding the environmental impact of offshore wind farms, deploys state-of-the-art technologies, including drones and autonomous underwater vehicles equipped with AI-based cameras, alongside environmental DNA sampling. Through these techniques, RWE seeks to create a comprehensive and less invasive framework for monitoring marine ecosystems while lowering the carbon footprint of such operations.

CEO of RWE Offshore Wind, Sven Utermöhlen, emphasized the company’s commitment to sustainable energy, highlighting that the SeaMe project aligns with RWE’s ambitious environmental goals and dedication to minimizing impacts on marine life. By integrating all data collected, SeaMe aims to deliver insights into often-overlooked ecosystem components, such as phytoplankton and zooplankton, along with critical physical parameters like temperature and salinity that influence species distribution.

The SeaMe project is a collaboration with renowned institutions, including the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg, the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, BioConsult SH, Danish company DHI A/S, and the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence. These partners will contribute their expertise in marine science, and findings from the project will be accessible to the public through an online platform.

Tests are being conducted at the Kaskasi wind farm, located 35 kilometers off Heligoland. The 342 MW facility supplies green energy to approximately 400,000 German households and serves as an operational base for the SeaMe project, with RWE teams on Heligoland overseeing both the wind farm’s operations and the research efforts.

RWE is leading the way to a green energy world. With its investment and growth strategy Growing Green, RWE is contributing significantly to the success of the energy transition and the decarbonisation of the energy system. Around 20,000 employees work for the company in almost 30 countries worldwide. RWE is already one of the leading companies in the field of renewable energy. Between 2024 and 2030, RWE will invest 55 billion euros worldwide in offshore and onshore wind, solar energy, batteries, flexible generation, and hydrogen projects. By the end of the decade, the company’s green portfolio will grow to more than 65 gigawatts of generation capacity, which will be perfectly complemented by global energy trading. RWE is decarbonising its business in line with the 1.5-degree reduction pathway and will phase out coal by 2030. RWE will be net-zero by 2040. Fully in line with the company’s purpose – Our energy for a sustainable life.

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Media Contact:

Sarah Knauber
Press spokesperson
RWE Offshore Wind GmbH
Mob: +49 162 25 444 89
Email:sarah.knauber@rwe.com

Regina Wolter
Finance / Industrial customer business
Tel: +49 (0) 201 5179-5024

SOURCE: RWE