Case Study: Marine environmental data monitoring for nature-friendly offshore wind

Released in conjunction with OCEaN's conference on speeding up nature positive offshore energy infrastructure that took place on 19 October 2022, this case study shines a spotlight on the Belgian Offshore Wind Monitoring Programme and how selected aspects of this programme can benefit nature-friendly ORE expansion.
10/19/22

The Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) process allocates space for traditional and emerging human activities at sea. Data forms the foundation of Maritime Spatial Plans (MSPs) and is crucial for their revision and adaptation based on new scientific knowledge. Since MSP is key to identify areas for offshore renewable energy (ORE) and the connecting electricity grid, marine environmental data is essential for a nature-friendly deployment and to achieve conservation and restoration targets as well as Good Environmental Status in all European seas.

Member States (MS) utilise different environmental data collection and management schemes. In the MSP context, they are responsible for using the best available data and deciding how to share necessary information across marine regions. The Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN) identifies innovative models and initiatives which allow for better environmental data collection and management for ORE, with the aim of inspiring their replication by MS. One such positive example is the Belgian Offshore Wind Monitoring Programme, WinMon.be. This post-decision monitoring programme for the construction and operation phases of ORE projects after the permit-granting, has been running since 2005, coordinated and executed by the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) and commissioned by the Belgian Federal Government.

Below you can download OCEaN's case study on the Belgian Offshore Wind Monitoring Programme below and read how selected aspects of this programme can benefit nature-friendly ORE expansion. This case study was released in October 2022 in conjunction with 10 Recommendations on how to improve Maritime Spatial Planning at OCEaN's conference with RGI and WindEurope on speeding up nature positive offshore energy infrastructure.

Case Study on marine environmental data monitoring for nature-friendly offshore wind

10 Recommendations on how to improve Maritime Spatial Planning

Learn more about the Conference - Speeding up Nature Positive Offshore Energy Infrastructure Deployment

Read OCEaN, RGI and WindEurope's Joint Press Release from the Conference

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