Abstract
Station-keeping technologies are significant drivers for the safe operation of offshore floating wind and key components for reducing the cost of energy generation. The sustainable potential of synthetic mooring line technology compared to traditional systems (chains) are related to their mechanical properties, easier installation and the reduced use of scarce primary raw materials.
These technical and economic aspects need to be weighed against any ecological impacts associated with this type of infrastructure. Mooring lines can act as artificial reefs, providing new habitats for benthic species and impacting the structure and biodiversity of local communities. In this work, the environmental impact of new fibre ropes for use in station keeping technologies for floating offshore wind farms will be investigated. An experimental field set-up is used to quantify and compare the marine communities colonising multilayered polymer mooring ropes (new mooring technology) and stainless-steel chains (traditional mooring system). The short-term colonisation patterns and diversity of micro- and macro-organisms, in addition to biomass accumulation on each material type is assessed by a combination of traditional visual assessment and molecular analyses.
Information provided by these studies will increase our knowledge on the environmental impact of synthetic mooring lines and further advance the development of new station keeping technologies for floating offshore wind structures.