BioFREE: Biofouling of Renewable Energy Environments (Marine)
Lead Research Organisation:
Heriot-Watt University
Department Name: Sch of Energy, Geosci, Infrast & Society
Abstract
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.
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.
People |
ORCID iD |
Andrew Want (Principal Investigator / Fellow) |
Publications
Loxton J
(2017)
Setting an agenda for biofouling research for the marine renewable energy industry
in International Journal of Marine Energy
Want A
(2021)
A new range-extending record of the invasive sea squirt Styela clava in the north of Scotland
in Marine Biodiversity Records
Taormina B
(2018)
A review of potential impacts of submarine power cables on the marine environment: Knowledge gaps, recommendations and future directions
in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
Description | Proven success of BioFREE monitoring and testing system which can now be used to provide detailed characterisation anywhere and at any chosen deployment; Fouling is highly specific to location; Fouling varies depending on substrate type; Fouling assemblages are highly predictable based on hydrodynamic conditions and deployment depth; Evidence gathered has provided examples of profound levels of fouling occurring over a relatively short period of time, depending on seasonality and succession; No evidence of Invasive Non-native species at high energy test sites in Orkney; Anti-fouling coatings may be most effective at preventing fouling in high current flow conditions; Orientation of the substrate may be an important means to better understand how of hydrodynamic conditions favoured certain key foulants; Sensor functioning (critical in assessments of resource and device performance) may be compromised by fouling; Marked seasonality of fouling helps determine periods of greatest fouling risk from key organisms; Scheduling deployment and maintenance operations in a targeted manner may be an effective means to minimise fouling impacts. |
Exploitation Route | Strong collaborations continue with international partners; Continued studies with the European Marine Energy Centre; Reports and publications have and will continue to be shared on this area; Findings are being used to provide guidance on policy regarding installation and decommissioning of offshore energy infrastructure. |
Sectors | Aerospace Defence and Marine Energy Environment Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology |
URL | https://www.glofouling.imo.org/webinar-past/3 |
Description | Providing guidance to marine renewable energy sector; Providing guidance to antifouling and anticorrosion coating manufacturers Member of advisory forum on Marine Renewable Energy as part of the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology in Scotland Member of IMO-GESAMP 44 Working Group on Biofouling Management |
First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
Sector | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Energy,Environment,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
Impact Types | Societal Economic Policy & public services |
Description | Conservation Evidence Advisory Panel: Enhancing Biodiversity of Marine Artificial Structures |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Impact | Enhancing the biodiversity of marine artificial structures is of increasing interest, with both policy push and industry desire to incorporate biodiversity-friendly infrastructure into marine and coastal developments. As part of the Ecostructure project, and following methods developed by the Conservation Evidence project, we summarised the documented evidence for the effectiveness of conservation actions that can be taken to enhance the biodiversity of marine artificial structures. The 'synopsis of evidence' provides a summary of 43 actions that can be taken and is based on 176 studies from across the globe reporting their effects. Following the launch event, the synopsis will be freely available to explore on the Conservation Evidence website and to download as a PDF. This resource will allow practitioners to make evidence-based decisions on the best eco-engineering and other management options available for their marine infrastructure biodiversity objectives |
Description | GESAMP 44 Working Group on Biofouling Management |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
URL | http://www.gesamp.org/work/groups/wg-44-biofouling-management |
Description | Marine Alliance for Science and Technology in Scotland - Marine Energy Forum |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
URL | https://www.masts.ac.uk/research/research-forums/marine-energy-forum/#:~:text=The%20principal%20focu... |
Description | BioFREE equipment support |
Amount | £14,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | INTERREG IIIC North |
Sector | Public |
Country | France |
Start | 04/2018 |
End | 05/2019 |
Description | Netbuoy Biofouling |
Amount | £28,477 (GBP) |
Organisation | Wave Energy Scotland |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2020 |
End | 08/2021 |
Description | SuperGen ORE Early Career Researcher (ECR) Research Fund |
Amount | £5,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2021 |
End | 05/2022 |
Description | The Impact of Marine Growth on Dynamic Subsea Power Cables used in Offshore Renewable Energy: NERC Discipline Hopping |
Amount | £2,500 (GBP) |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 02/2022 |
End | 02/2022 |
Description | WEP+ |
Amount | £200,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | European Union |
Department | Ocean Energy ERA-NET Cofund |
Sector | Public |
Country | European Union (EU) |
Start | 02/2019 |
End | 08/2020 |
Description | Impacts of Marine Growth on Dynamic Subsea Cables |
Organisation | University of Exeter |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | On site meetings and development of a larger scale proposal and review manuscript, |
Collaborator Contribution | The University of Exeter (Penryn campus) have supported the application for funding a pilot study on the impacts of marine growth on dynamic subsea cables. They have contributed to the proof-reading of the original submission. This collaboration continues following the successful proposal. Currently, this collaboration has included modelling of biological data with engineering parameters to produce predictions of cable performances; contributions to a presentation and poster at the SuperGen ORE Annual Assembly; abstract submission for PRIMaRE conference; and, contribution towards a larger funding proposal and review paper. |
Impact | Presentation at SuperGen ORE Annual Assembly: Dynamic Subsea Power Cables in Offshore Renewable Energy - the Impact of Marine Growth Poster at SuperGen ORE Annual Assembly: The Impacts of Marine Growth on Dynamic Subsea Cables |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | ANZPAC Glofouling Conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentation of research findings. A significant contribution of presented data were collected during the BioFREE project. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.imarest.org/events/category/categories/imarest-supported-event/4th-anzpac-workshop-on-bi... |
Description | BioFREE (Biofouling in Renewable Energy Environments) - OES-Environmental Webinar Series |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | The BioFREE (Biofouling in Renewable Energy Environments) project has commenced data collection from biofouling monitoring systems deployed across international marine renewable energy (MRE) test centres. This webinar will discuss current environmental research efforts in relation to tackling biofouling. Presenters from European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), Heriot-Watt University-International Centre for Island Technology, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Whitford Ltd will focus discussion on both micro- and macrofouling as well as industry perspectives on antifouling and anticorrosion coatings |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://tethys.pnnl.gov/events/biofree-biofouling-renewable-energy-environments |
Description | Biofouling on offshore renewable energy structures |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Webinar, hosted by the IMO Glofouling pro ject. Provided the latest information on the development of the marine renewable energy sector and the study of marine growth on these devices and infrastructure, |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.glofouling.imo.org/webinar-past/22 |
Description | MARESEDU Conference: Seasonal and Successional Studies of Biofouling in the Offshore Renewable Energy Sector |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentation of latest data analysis from research unto the ecological and engineering impacts of biofouling, This Russian-based conference was attended by a broad range of international stakeholders. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |