Renewable

May 5 (Renewables Now) - Danish clean energy group Ørsted A/S (CPH:ORSTED) will trial growing corals on offshore wind turbine foundations this summer in Taiwan to support biodiversity which is jeopardised by climate change.

The company explained that survival of tropical coral reef ecosystems is threatened by global warming and increasing sea surface temperatures. According to it, the planned growth of offshore wind energy to combat climate change could also incorporate means to enhance ocean biodiversity.

Ørsted started work on its ReCoral project in 2018. Together with Taiwanese partners it is now preparing to conduct an offshore proof-of-concept at the Greater Changhua offshore wind farms in Taiwan. Tests will start in June and take place at four separate wind turbine foundations. The Danish group recently generated first power at the 900-MW Greater Changhua 1 & 2a offshore wind project.

Depending on the results of the trial, Ørsted will look into the potential for scaling up the initiative and ultimately using coral larvae generated at offshore wind farms to restore near-shore reef systems at risk.

Ørsted has the ambition to achieve a net-positive impact on biodiversity at all the new energy projects it brings live from 2030 at the latest.

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