Coexistence is essential

DNV report: demand for ocean space will grow fivefold by 2050

The collaboration between ocean industries will need to intensify for the rapid buildout of o shore wind and aquaculture to coexist sustainably with other industries and the ecosystem.

According to DNV’s Spatial Competition Forecast, the amount of ocean space occupied by installations will grow fivefold by 2050. This will be driven by o shore wind, which will account for 80% of stationary infrastructure at sea by midcentury, followed by aquaculture (13%), and oil & gas (5%).

Spatial completion index

Whilst ocean space is plentiful, industrial activity will be located primarily close to shore which will heighten the need for ocean coexistence. To enable stakeholders to gauge the demand for ocean space DNV has developed the Spatial Competition Index. According to this index, the North Sea is the area in Europe which will see greatest competition due to the large number of shipping lanes and ports, as well as the strong presences of the fishing, aquaculture, oil & gas, and wind industries. Installations for o shore energy and food production will cover 23% of the area between 2 to 50km from shore in water depths less than 50m.

242,000km2

Greater China’s emergence as the powerhouse of the blue economy is reflected in o shore construction. It will account for a third of all global infrastructure built at sea by 2050, mainly due to the sharp increase in o shore wind, which will make up 13% of the region’s electricity production. The Indian subcontinent sees the strongest growth in area covered by stationary infrastructure, as the region experiences fast o shore wind development requiring vast areas, whereas historically, o shore oil & gas, and marine aquaculture are negligible in this region. Globally, the area occupied by fixed o shore wind will grow from about 9,000km2 today to about 242,000km2 by mid-century. Floating o shore wind will grow from a low 15km2 today to more than 33,000km2 by 2050. Compared with bottom-grounded installations, floating o shore wind can potentially ease some of the tensions between o shore wind and fisheries, as it takes renewable energy production out of the way of the fishing fleet operating on shallow banks.

Tread carefully

“The ocean is crucial for the production of sustainable food and energy, but at the same time we must tread carefully as many ocean ecosystems are already under huge stress”, says Bente Pretlove, Ocean Space Programme Director at DNV. “This report underscores the urgent need to balance protection, productivity, and social development objectives for a sustainable blue economy. Those developers that are most adept at early stakeholder engagement, spatial e ciency, flexible coexistence, and pursuit of sustainability are likely to be most competitive. Coexistence is essential for the sustainable growth of the Blue Economy.” DNV’s Spatial Competition Forecast builds on the findings of the previously published Ocean’s Future to 2050. The results are based on what DNV forecasts to be the most likely energy mix in 2050 and not what is required to reach net zero. To limit global warming to two degrees the amount of o shore wind in Europe, for example, would need to double.

MARCO toolbox

The Norwegian coast will also experience pressure on space with the expansion of o shore wind and aquaculture in coexistence with maritime tra c, fishing vessels and oil and gas infrastructure. To facilitate collaboration between industries and enable stakeholders to find synergies, resolve conflicts and safeguard ocean health, DNV has recently received a grant of USD 820,000 from The Research Council of Norway to develop the MARine CO-existence scenario building (MARCO) toolbox. The project aims to establish a common knowledge basis among ocean stakeholders by introducing new ways of generating scenarios for co-existence in marine spatial planning and development projects in the ocean industries. The Utsira Nord o shore wind licensing area in Norway will act as one of the case studies. The partners include o shore wind developer Mainstream Renewable Power, SalMar Aker Ocean, the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, and the Norwegian Fishermen’s Association. i. dnv.com

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Mathieu Feisthauer has entered Strohm as Business Development Manager Europe. Mr Feisthauer brings a wide breadth of experience following nearly two decades operating within the maritime sector. He previously held a leadership position with a non-profit organisation, developing and scaling technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic.

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