Papers from Natuur & Milieu: Sustainable Decommissioning of Offshore Wind Farms

With the support of the VELUX consortium, OCEaN Member Natuur & Milieu has published two papers discussing what happens after the end of life of offshore wind farms and the dilemma between full decommissioning, nature conservation, circularity and how to make this a focal point in government and industry policy.

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About the publication

Offshore wind farms don’t only pose risks to nature that need to be avoided and mitigated, but also offer opportunities. Following Natuur & Milieu’s work on nature enhancement in offshore wind farms and with the support of the VELUX consortium, where RGI is a coordinating partner, they wanted to discuss what happens after the end of life of offshore wind farms. They recognised the importance in addressing the dilemma between full decommissioning, nature conservation and circularity and how to make this a focal point in government and industry policy.

Natuur & Milieu have therefore published two papers on the topic based on expert interviews and workshops. The first paper discusses the dilemmas and environmental challenges related to offshore wind farm decommissioning. It formulates starting points for a decision-making framework for the choice to possibly enable partial decommissioning of current offshore wind farms. The second takes a further look into the future at offshore wind farms which have yet to be built. It discusses the importance of lifetime extension and standardisation of turbines and its foundations in order to reduce the need for decommissioning.

Check out the two papers below to learn more about decommissioning, steps to reduce their environmental impact, and recommendations for policymakers. A summary of both papers is also available.