Codling Wind Park Biodiversity Strategy 2024
Codling Wind Park is one of the most important climate action projects in Ireland. The project is committed to powering a renewable energy transition to help Ireland secure its own supply of clean energy and to have a positive and lasting impact on this and future generations.
Codling Wind Park’s Biodiversity Strategy has been implemented on a voluntary basis to demonstrate the project’s ambition to support national biodiversity policy objectives. These voluntary initiatives are in addition to and entirely distinct from any mitigation or monitoring measures described within the project’s planning application.
Our Objectives
Codling Wind Park recognises the connection between the climate and biodiversity crises that are both impacting the planet. Codling has an ambition to protect, and where possible, enhance biodiversity within the project area and on a broader scale. To realise this ambition, the following objectives have been identified:
Objective 1: To become the industry leader within the Irish Offshore Wind sector on biodiversity and environmental enhancement initiatives.
Objective 2: To establish collaborative relationships with industry experts on initiatives that lead to positive biodiversity outcomes; and
Objective 3: To contribute to the innovation and advancement of nature inclusive design solutions for offshore wind.
Our Approach
The Biodiversity Strategy focuses on two central themes:
Restoration and Enhancement; and
Nature Inclusive Design.
Restoration and Enhancement
We have partnered with University College Dublin (UCD) to carry out research on;
- The potential for restoration of native oysters and seagrass beds along the Irish coast; and
- The types of eco-engineering approaches that can be used to increase habitat complexity that benefits a wide range of intertidal and subtidal marine species (such as algae, molluscs, cnidarians, shrimp, crabs and fish)
Outputs from the research project will advance knowledge on the viability of native oyster reefs, seagrass beds and scaled up eco-engineering approaches and their potential roles in protecting our coastlines by promoting biodiversity, improving water quality, enhancing coastal resilience and mitigating climate change impacts.
We have committed to completing a lobster hatchery feasibility study, due to an increase in suitable habitat for lobster’s post construction.
- A lobster hatchery would involve raising and releasing young lobsters back into the Irish Sea to increase sustainable fishing opportunities in the area.
- In addition to the benefits for the fishing industry (i.e. provision of an additional sustainable fishery to target), the lobster hatchery proposal would have a positive outcome for biodiversity in the region.
Nature Inclusive Design
Nature inclusive design ensures that the environment is at the forefront of the engineering design process and promotes the use of design solutions which will result in a positive biodiversity outcome by enhancing habitats or native species.
The project team is investigating how nature inclusive solutions, that are compliant with the planning application could be integrated into the project, and how we can contribute to the advancement of the industry in this area. We are doing this through:
- Investigating Nature Inclusive Scour Protection Solutions
- When installing key project infrastructure offshore there is the potential to use certain solutions which in addition to performing their important engineering function can also enhance biodiversity.
- We are exploring a number of emerging biodiversity enhancing scour protection solutions in development which have proven benefits in supporting the ocean’s health by creating artificial reef systems.
- Utilising existing research and data from University College Dublin
- The partnership with UCD will provide further data for consideration of potential nature inclusive design options on the project and will inform options for future ORE projects in Ireland.
- Existing research and expertise will be combined with new baseline data on biodiversity to inform suitable eco-engineering solutions compliant with the project’s planning consent if granted.
Due to the early stage of project development, this strategy should be considered a live document and the project team will, working in collaboration with key stakeholders and industry partners, build upon proposal outlined and investigate further initiatives should the project be awarded the necessary planning consents.
