BioFREE: Biofouling of Renewable Energy Environments (Marine)

As part of ongoing UK commitments to produce electricity from renewable energy sources, Orkney waters have been targeted for large-scale deployment of marine energy devices. Success of the marine renewable energy (MRE) industry is dependent upon maximising energy capture and minimising down-time. Device performance and sensor accuracy are negatively impacted by the growth of fouling organisms, leading to reduced efficiency and reliability; anti-fouling strategies are costly and time consuming. Biofouling also reduces accuracy of data buoys and sensors used to assess the hydrodynamic resource and device performance.

While biofouling has been a recognised problem for centuries, deployment of MRE devices creates several unique issues; a paucity of published studies exists concerning biofouling in this sector. Additional concerns exist over the role that MRE infrastructure may play as 'stepping-stones' promoting the spread of nuisance species. With a general trend towards stricter environmental controls, it is essential that the MRE industry demonstrate commitments that minimise disturbance and promote positive impacts. Given small margins for MRE, there are potentially substantive benefits from tackling biofouling in terms of investor confidence.

BioFREE is a multi-disciplinary project that partners HWU with EMEC to address these issues by detailed characterisation of the biofouling communities from multiple habitats used by the MRE sector, and monitoring benthic impacts following deployment and decommissioning. Studies will utilise surveys, settlement panels, and video imagery methodologies, and include data collected by global partners. Surveys will be conducted in high-energy environments that presently lack sufficient scientific study and will include experimental testing of anti-fouling coatings in habitats targeted by the MRE sector. As part of an industry-led initiative to identify and promote positive impacts, surveys on moorings will examine habitat provisioning for commercially valuable species potentially benefiting from device deployments, as well as monitoring benthic recovery rate following decommissioning.

Site-specific assessment of foulants and their timings is necessary to tailor effective local solutions to improve energy capture. Assessment of biofouling in habitats not previously exploited for human use is necessary to inform the MRE sector of concerns and provide anti-fouling strategies.These findings will allow recommendations for test centres and developers to minimise the impacts of fouling, chiefly through selective scheduling of deployments and maintenance, in different habitats, to times when the settlement of fouling organisms will be minimal or their removal will be least costly. BioFREE will gather biofouling and ecological data during EMEC operations with additional partners participating in the completion of several key objectives.

Working with test centres around the globe, BioFREE will create a workable SOP designed to facilitate data collection using practical and effective methods. The lead role of EMEC as representative of MRE developers in the sector will allow promotion of project outputs within the MRE industry and beyond. Dissemination of BioFREE findings will include production of training materials and technical reports, delivered through webinars and presentations, to the MRE industry and scientific community. As commitment to generating electricity from renewable sources increases, understanding the effects of biofouling to this industry will become increasingly important. Multi-disciplinary studies combining biological with engineering and hydrodynamic expertise will help achieve maximum capture of energy from renewable sources while ensuring minimum ecological impacts following deployment.