A contribution of one per cent of all global investments in offshore wind projects by 2050 is sufficient for large-scale restoration of marine nature. That was revealed by an international study led by The Rich North Sea programme (De Rijke Noordzee) and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ).
Offshore wind farms not only deliver clean energy, but can also play a vital role in restoring vulnerable ecosystems both above and below the waterline. This includes seabed habitats, coral reefs, seagrass meadows and coastal wetlands: ecosystems that are critical for biodiversity, fish populations, and climate resilience.
The study was conducted by a diverse team of international scientists and was published in the scientific journal Bioscience on 7 July. The research comes at a critical time: around the world, key global nature goals are slipping out of reach due to a lack of funding and political will. Including the UN target to restore thirty per cent of degraded ecosystems by 2030.
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‘Embed smart biodiversity requirements’
The researchers found that dedicating just one per cent of the global offshore wind investments from now till 2050 could fund the restoration of millions of square kilometres of marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds and oyster reefs.
‘Offshore wind has a unique opportunity to not only support the energy transition, but also become the first marine industry to make a net-positive contribution to large-scale ecosystem restoration,’ says lead author Christiaan van Sluis (The Rich North Sea). ‘By embedding smart biodiversity requirements in offshore wind licensing and tendering procedures now, we can reverse biodiversity loss with just a fraction of the total investment.’
Nature restoration pays off
Restoring marine ecosystems not only benefits plants and animals, but also people. Healthy seas and coastal habitats absorb carbon, protect shorelines, and support fish populations. According to the study, every dollar invested in ecosystem restoration can return USD 2 to USD 12 in societal benefits. This is especially relevant as the offshore wind sector is set to grow exponentially, from 56 GW in 2021 to an estimated 2000 GW by 2050.
‘If we structurally integrate marine restoration into this expansion, we can actually meet our biodiversity targets,’ says Van Sluis.
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Embedding restoration in policy
The authors urge governments to make marine restoration a standard requirement in offshore wind policy. This includes mandating that a fixed percentage of project investments be allocated to marine biodiversity, through licensing conditions or non-price criteria in tendering. With the sector expanding rapidly, nature restoration should be structurally integrated into policy.
The Netherlands, Denmark, and the United Kingdom already have centralised tendering systems that are well-suited to include biodiversity criteria. An internationally coordinated and legally embedded approach would enable economies of scale, fair competition, and prevent marine ecosystems from falling victim to price-driven decision making.
‘At Van Oord, nature-inclusive design and construction is a key theme. Including non-price criteria in tenders has worked well in several Dutch projects. The time is right to scale up marine restoration in the global rollout of offshore wind,’ says Karen Vennik, Commercial Director Offshore Energy and Ocean Health at Van Oord.
The Rich North Sea and NIOZ
The study was carried out under the Rich North Sea programme, an initiative by the two NGOs Natuur & Milieu (Nature & Environment) and the North Sea Foundation. The programme investigates how offshore wind development can go hand-in-hand with marine nature enhancement. Along the Dutch coast, The Rich North Sea collaborates with energy companies, wind farm owners and scientists to advance biodiversity in offshore wind farms. The programme is supported by the Dutch Postcode Lottery.
The Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) is the national oceanographic research centre of the Netherlands. NIOZ aims to advance fundamental understanding of marine systems, how they change, their role in climate and biodiversity, and how they can offer sustainable solutions for society.
Picture by NIOZ.
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