RWE has initiated the SeaMe (Sustainable Ecosystem Approach in Monitoring the Marine Environment) project at the Kaskasi offshore wind farm off Germany’s coast.
The goal is to deepen understanding of offshore wind farms’ impacts on the marine ecosystem using scientific methods and CO₂-reducing, AI-based monitoring technology. Located 35 km off Heligoland, Kaskasi wind farm has a capacity of 342 MW, enough to power 400,000 German homes.
Sven Utermohlen, CEO of RWE Offshore Wind, emphasized the company’s dedication to harmonizing wind farm operations with nature, aiming to set ambitious sustainability standards while expanding renewable energy.
The project advances biodiversity monitoring by focusing on smaller, often overlooked components, such as phytoplankton and zooplankton. This approach, integrating factors like temperature, salinity, and oxygen levels, allows RWE to consider the ecosystem as a whole.
SeaMe uses innovative, less invasive monitoring technologies. Drones with AI-based cameras will monitor birds and mammals, and an autonomous underwater vehicle with AI fish video monitoring will replace traditional net sampling, reducing environmental impact.
RWE collaborates with partners, including the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity, the Alfred Wegener Institute, BioConsult SH, DHI A/S, and the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence.