Can NERC s Marine Renewable Energy Programmes deliver IMPACT? Seminar at Bath Univ by Dr. Annie Linley

Transcription

1 Can NERC s Marine Renewable Energy Programmes deliver IMPACT? Seminar at Bath Univ by Dr. Annie Linley

2 Background : UK Offshore Valuation* exploitation of just 5% of the practical renewable resource could meet current UK electricity demand unlock the electricity equivalent of 1 billion barrels of oil a year (= North Sea oil & gas production). CO2 reductions of 1.1 billion tonnes by 2050 create 145,000 new UK jobs *Public Sector Research Institute rpt available at : hore_valuation_full.pdf

3 Research councils - new pressure to deliver science with impact... Dept of BIS definitions : creating new businesses improving performance of existing business attracting global R&D investment delivering highly skilled people improving public policy and services

4 NERC s strategic approach to supporting MRE sector... Engagement - identify potential research end users across policy, business, SNCBs etc Workshop Sept 2010 research needs and issues mapping* TWO programmes emerged : NERC wave and tidal research programme four projects funded targetting highest priority issues MREKE programme** to facilitate uptake of NERC funded research to deliver increased impact See MREKNI* - Marine Renewable Energy Knowledge Needs and Issues **Marine Renewable Energy KE Programme (MREKE) outsourced to NOC

5 So what strategic priorities emerged? R&D to de-risk consenting and meet needs of developers, regulators and their advisors; Technology innovation and testing to reduce costs of site characterisation / post deployment monitoring

6 Wave and tidal research programme drill down to the specific questions Collision risk individual to population scale impacts Displacement of animals from feeding / breeding areas, and Displacement of fisheries with knock on socioeconomic impacts Design out potential negative impacts FOUR RESEARCH PROJECTS FUNDED...

7 Project (1) FLOWBEC - Flow, Water column & Benthic Ecology 4D Direct effects of devices on flow conditions i.e. waves, currents and turbulence; Hydrodynamic habitat preferences of fish, birds & mammals. Impact on benthic communities at development sites Contact Dr Paul Bell : psb@noc.ac.uk

8 FLOWBEC (cont) X band radar NB : Portable and simple to install (normally) except Ness of Duncansby! outputs are instantaneous radar derived current vectors and novel analysis of sea surface roughness which highlights turbulence zones associated with rough bathymetry. Bell, P.S. Marine Radar at Coastal Sites, Presented at workshop on Sensing Ocean with Marine Radar 2 (SOMaR-2) in Lerici, Italy, 6th June Contact Dr Paul Bell : psb@noc.ac.uk

9 Project (2) RESPONSE - do device operations influence habitat use & behaviour? Observe fine-scale habitat use at tide and wave sites how are animals utilising space? Thanks to Bernie McConnell, SMRU Observations of seals and harbour porpoises during controlled device sound playbacks Contact : Dr Dave Thompson dt2@st-and.ac.uk Swimming tracks of two adult female harbour seals during June to August Both animals spent almost the entire breeding season within the boundaries of Fall of Warness, EMEC

10 Approach : Playback of simplified device noise; shore-based observations and PAM with C-pods Anticipated outputs: implications for arrays of devices and mitigation options also how does perceived risk of negative impacts affect project development Contact Dr Ben Wilson : ben.wilson@sams.ac.uk High spec UW speaker C-pods

11 Problem with different survey methods / protocols? Scott, BE, Langton, R, Philpott, E, and Waggitt, JJ. (2014) Seabirds and marine renewables: are we asking the right questions? In Marine Renewable Energy and Society. Ed. by M. A. Shields. Springer, Dordrecht Contact Dr. Beth Scott : b.e.scott@abdn.ac.uk

12 Project (3) QBEX- Quantifying Benefits and impacts of fishing EXclusion zones Quantify changes in distribution and abundance of commercial species such as skate, turbot, lobster Determine and value any spillover effect and assess the socio-economic implications Anticipated outcomes : If the spillover effect is measurable, potentially changes mitigation options for fisheries Contact : Prof David Sims dws@plymouth.ac.uk

13 Project (4) EBAO - Optimising array design for energy extraction & environmental benefit Stakeholder workshop to identify impact parameters likely to contribute developmental constraints physical impact between technology and mammals, local energy deficits knock on impacts for nutrient transport, acoustic pollution. Anticipated outcomes : model to facilitate design process to maximise energy production whilst integrating environmental aspects Contact : Prof Ian Bryden ian.bryden@uhi.ac.uk

14 MREKE programme NERC funded this in parallel with main research programme...?? (2) End user engagement + Matchmaking (3) Egs. of projects / Modus operandi (1) BIS definitions of IMPACT

15 MREKEP : Research end-user engagement Insurers SNCB s Investors Energy Companies Technology developers Regulators Planners NGOs Policy makers MRE Knowledge Needs and Issues Input ideas, needs & issues ORELG MEG ORRSG ORRSG ORJIP MREKEP ESRC NERC EPSRC TSB IEA OES ANNEX IV ICES WORKING GROUPS

16 APPLICATION : testing ADDs to expand mammal mitigation options PROBLEM : 3/4 R3 offshore wind projects at risk because of underwater noise impacts of piling ORJIP* project to: Review and test acoustic deterrent devices (ADDs) for multiple mammal spp. Produce a protocol for their use, agreed with industry, advisors, regulators, NGOs Pingers used to avoid by-catch and in aquaculture as seal scarers Anticipated outcomes will help to reduce restrictions on construction schedules at R3 sites

17 Application : Collision risk models review & update THE PROBLEM : large numbers of migrating / foraging birds in, around or transiting offshore windfarms need to improve collision risk modelled outcomes for EIAs; NERC funded KE project : to review all current options with experts on CRMs to update codes and input parameters Contact : elizabeth.masden@uhi.ac.uk (collaborators: Vattenfall, Dong, regulators and their advisors)

18 Adaptation : X band radar development process For further info Contact : David.McCann@noc.ac.uk (i) proof of concept (ii) site based demo 2 x small grants (iii) workshop to disseminate methods (or service or software?) Internship with Industry (iv) - Site development costs reduced; - Income for HEI / NERC centre; - Employment for PDRA ISSUES : Constant search for funds! SOLUTION : Need dedicated translational science funding pot

19 Adaptation : Development of PCoD* model Stage 1 2a 2b Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 MREKEP FUNDS / INPUTS Stage 1: NERC SUNR grant to develop PCoD concept Stage 2a : Workshop CCW / JNCC / MREKE Stage 2b : Development of 5 stage research plan Stage 3 : Sensitivity analysis / expert elicitation Stage 4 : DECC / TCE / MS / JNCC / CCW funded proposal (~ 80K) TBC April 2013 Stage 5: Dissemination of interim approach (Oct 31 st, 2013) Stage 6 : ORJIP project novel UK strategically important science seeking funding ISSUES : NERC not credited with impact - handover part way through translational activity SOLUTION : need NERC translational funding to lever end user contributions *Modelling tool to assist regulators in assessing population level consequences of disturbance for marine mammals eg. during construction offshore windfarms Contact : Prof John Harwood : jh7@st-andrews.ac.uk Stage 6

20 Innovation : AUVs for baseline environmental characterisation / monitoring... AUVs with multi beam / photography already in use WiP to adapt for PAM and field test eg. E Coast Scotland Challenges software development, potential multi trophic monitoring; power restricted range - docking stations?

21 Innovation : developing technologies on NaREC Offshore Anemometry Hub NOAH Platform key features : Nortek AWAC 600 Doppler Current Profiler with Optical Backscatter KAON Marine Mammal Acoustic Detector Swiss Birdscan MT1 Avian RADAR system Furuno Vessel RADAR with AIS Anabat Bat Detector SeaCAM Scour Camera system Campbell Scientific Weather System Contact : simon.laing@ncl.ac.uk

22 So...can a strategic approach deliver science with IMPACT? Feedback on NERC programmes is so far encouraging but needs: continuous engagement with coal face of industry - to maintain dialogue re issues / challenges etc., funding for collaborative R&D (at least ~10% budget) to deliver significant impact, predictable schedule of useful funding calls ie. KTP / CASE etc. (not just placements / exchanges etc.) major push to develop cross - disciplinary post grad training - to connect engineers, socio-economists to environment

23 Bristol Channel : A Balanced Technology Approach Contact: Johnny Gowdy jgowdy@regensw.co.uk deploy a mix of technologies developed incrementally, within an appropriate governance structure, based on holistic economic environmental and energy analysis, WHY SHOULD WE DO THIS? would stimulate both south west and welsh economies long term strategic approach to environmental protection deliver renewable energy to the region!

24 MREKE programme - Future activities : Strategic wave and tidal R&D programme focussed on the first arrays (workshop Nov 13 th ) Input to RCEP strategic research and training priorities (ongoing via Energy Strategy Fellow Prof. Jim Skea) Facilitating internships / CASE students with industry / business / regulators to progress R&D priorities TSB call / Horizon 2020 upcoming Contact Dr. Annie Linley : anli@noc.ac.uk for details of current internship call