Fugro and Spoor, a software company that helps renewable energy projects reduce their environmental impact, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop a new bird-monitoring solution for offshore renewable energy projects. The solution that uses artificial intelligence (AI) is to help protect bird populations.
In addition, the system is to support the growth of renewable energy by making environmental assessments more affordable, cleaner, and safer.
The solution uses video cameras installed on Fugro’s Seawatch Wind Lidar and other metocean buoys to record bird activity at wind farm locations. Spoor’s advanced computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) software then analyse these recordings to quickly and accurately identify bird species.
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High-quality video year-round
Traditional bird-monitoring methods require good weather and aircraft or vessel surveys, which are costly, have a high carbon footprint, and pose safety risks to field staff. Fugro and Spoor’s system overcomes these challenges by using buoy-mounted cameras that capture high-quality video year-round, even in harsh sea conditions. This approach provides a more reliable and cost-effective way to conduct legally required environmental impact assessments for offshore wind farms.
Jørn Erik Norangshol, Fugro’s Regional Service Line Director, Metocean Science for Europe and Africa: ‘We’re excited to be unlocking insights by connecting Spoor’s advanced computer vision software with our world-leading Seawatch buoy technology to create a reliable bird-monitoring platform that can withstand tough offshore conditions. This innovative partnership will streamline bird-monitoring at wind farms and support the development of offshore projects.’
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Tested at Hywind
The launch of this new bird-monitoring solution was successfully tested at Hywind Tampen offshore wind farm in the Norwegian North Sea.
Picture (top): Seawatch-based bird identification and tracking at Hywind Tampen offshore wind farm (image by Spoor and Fugro).
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