Equinor, operator of Hywind Scotland, is collaborating with Scottish Government Directorate Marine Scotland to better understand how fishers can safely operate around and within floating offshore wind farms. In a survey undertaken at Hywind Scotland in 2022, Marine Scotland tested three kinds of fishing gear; creels, fishtraps and jigging lines. Whilst not all of these fishing methods are used commercially around Hywind Scotland itself, the purpose is to demonstrate how methods used globally can interact with floating offshore wind farms.
Equinor is funding a research project around Hywind Tampen, the world’s largest floating wind farm under construction, to map fish stocks, as well as measure physical parameters such as noise in the area where the offshore wind farm will be established. The research project is led by the Institute of Marine Research, and will increase the knowledge base on environmental impacts from offshore wind farms and how development of wind farms can happen in good cooperation with the fishing industry.
Equinor has also installed a bird radar system at Hywind Tampen’s first turbine to monitor bird behaviour in the area. The bird radar is part of a larger study to investigate how bird life is affected by offshore wind, supporting by the Norwegian Research Council.