Work has commenced on a collaborative marine research project aimed at identifying design innovations and best practices in monitoring and mitigating underwater noise associated with floating offshore wind developments.
Specialists from the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s Floating Offshore Wind Centre of Excellence (FOW CoE) will collaborate with project partners Equinor, JASCO Applied Sciences, Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), and Xi Engineering, with ORE Catapult serving as project lead. The project has been jointly funded by The Crown Estate and the Floating Offshore Wind Centre of Excellence.
Underwater noise is a critical consideration of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process for floating offshore wind developments. While the industry has gathered data banks relating to noise emissions associated with bottom-fixed offshore wind turbines, fewer sources exist for floating offshore wind.
The FLOWN-MIT programme has been developed to enhance understanding of environmental impacts while advocating for a consistent, evidence-based approach to monitoring and mitigating potential risks. Its work is expected to be completed in Spring 2026.
