The LAB-UPC to study the environmental impact from marine renewables

In Europe and beyond, there are ambitious plans to install an increasing number of marine renewable energy devices (MREDs). The construction and operation of MRED’s will lead to the emission of electromagnetic fields, subsea noise and vibrations into the marine environment. Yet the resulting impact on marine life is only partially understood. This information gap poses questions about the effect of the implementation of MRED’s on the marine environment.

This study will address the information gap by means of a large scale investigation including a review of the environmental impacts of marine renewable energy devices; in-depth analyses of studies on the environmental impacts of noise, vibrations and electromagnetic emissions covering the entire lifespan of marine renewable energy devices; and analysis of the norms and standards related to noise, vibrations and electromagnetic emissions from marine renewable energy systems.

Led by DHI, and in collaboration with Cranfield University (UK), the consortium assembles a high profile team of nine institutions from six EU member states expert in marine sciences and marine noise pollution to carry out this work:

-Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), UK
-Totalförsvarets forskningsinstitut (FOI), Sweden
-Scottish Association of Marine Science (SAMS), UK
-Deutsches Wind Energie Institut (DEWI), Germany
-Management Unit of the Mathematical Model of the North Sea (MUMM), Belgium
-Laboratori d'Aplicacions Bioacústiques (LAB-UPC, IP Michel André), Spain
-Quiet Oceans (QO), France

The MarVEN project: Environmental Impacts of Noise, Vibrations and Electromagnetic Emissions from Marine Renewables commenced in December 2013 and will continue till June 2015. The study shall lead to the preparation of a programme for further R&D with justified priorities and thus will feed directly into the upcoming EC research priorities.

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