Offshore wind farms

The purpose of the call is to create and/or compile knowledge to enable well-founded decisions on offshore wind farms. The overall goal is to provide society with tools to increase energy supply relatively quickly while minimising negative impacts on the blue economy, marine ecosystems and ecosystem services provided by the oceans. More knowledge is needed to safely implement the proposed large-scale expansion of offshore wind power.

The call will support research that contributes to increasing knowledge in areas necessary for environmental assessments, and for the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management’s government assignments to prepare a proposal for amended maritime spatial plans where a major expansion of offshore wind power is included. Results from the research are also expected to contribute to other relevant authorities and industries that stand to gain from scientific data. We seek to achieve collaboration with groups that are affected by, or represent environments that may be affected by, offshore wind power.

Target groups are administrators and investigators at the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency; other central authorities; county administrative boards and municipalities; trade organisations for affected industries; non-governmental interest organisations; the public; the Government Offices; the Climate Policy Council; international working groups, and authorities in neighbouring countries.

The oceans can help to create conditions for the energy transition required to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and Sweden’s energy and climate policy. The national maritime spatial plans and the work in marine environmental management shall contribute to sustainable blue growth, but also support the work to achieve good environmental status in the EU’s marine areas. According to the Directive of maritime spatial planning, sustainable development, sustainable use of marine resources, and sustainable growth in the maritime sectors should be promoted while applying an ecosystems approach. They also contribute to several of the national environmental quality objectives adopted by the Swedish Parliament.

The previous government commissioned the Swedish Energy Agency, together with other relevant authorities, to identify suitable areas to increase offshore electricity production by 90 TWh/year. Sweden’s total electricity production was 166 TWh in 2021. The forecast is that the electrification of Sweden’s industry and vehicle fleet will lead to a doubling of energy demand (Swedish Energy Agency 2022, Myndighetsgemensam uppföljning av samhällets elektrifiering).

An important aspect of the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management’s government assignment is to ensure coexistence between energy production from offshore wind farms on the one hand and commercial fishing, outdoor life, nature conservation, and all parts of the blue economy on the other. Promoting this coexistence is also a stated objective in both the EU’s Maritime Spatial Planning Directive and Sweden’s Maritime Spatial Planning Ordinance (SFS 2015:400).

Environmental adaptation of energy production can make a positive contribution to the possibility of achieving the Maritime Strategy Framework Directive’s objective of good environmental status and the environmental quality objectives Balanced Marine Environment, Flourishing Coastal Areas and Archipelagos, Flourishing Lakes and Streams, A Rich Diversity of Plant and Animal Life, and Reduced Climate Impact. As regards the generational goal, the call area is linked to the indent --The proportion of renewable energy is increasing and energy use is efficient with minimal impact on the environment.

The development of energy production to cover the more than doubled demand for electricity in Sweden over the next 20-25 years is a prioritized political area. Therefore, the Swedish Energy Agency and the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management have received a government assignment regarding large-scale establishment of offshore wind farms. The research needs that have been identified are important components for the realisation of this goal.

Project applications should aim to increase knowledge about how and where offshore wind power can be geographically located and how wind farms and wind turbines can be designed. This knowledge is needed to minimize impact on species and ecosystems in and around the marine environment, enable coexistence with other interests and minimize friction with society and its stakeholders. Projects that have a holistic perspective and preferably include several of the areas below will be prioritized.

Coexistence. It is important with further understanding of the coexistence between wind farms, other human activities and preservation of the natural environment. Knowledge is needed on:

• the development of methods to include stakeholders and local communities in the planning of future wind farms
• coexistence between offshore wind power and, for example, commercial fishing, recreational fishing, aquaculture, and shipping
• indirect impacts of floating wind farms on other marine activities
• appropriate protection measures and management models that can contribute to and facilitate coexistence between offshore wind energy and the conservation of natural environments and biodiversity.

Impact on living organisms. The location of wind farms in the marine landscape can affect many organisms through individual impact factors and through cumulative effects. There is a need to:

• estimate the pressures from different activities associated with offshore wind power, including how these vary in time and space, in different types of environments, and the effect of these pressures on species, populations and habitats in the seas around Sweden, for example 
  
  - effects on harbor porpoises, shellfish, migrating fish, fish spawning grounds and their distribution and population dynamics
  
  - the overall impact of offshore wind farms on migratory birds and bats
• investigate how offshore wind power together with other factors affect a population (cumulative effects)
• map marine food webs and ecosystem structure and dynamics within and adjacent to wind farms, including spill-over effects to neighboring areas
• investigate the pressures on the marine environment caused by floating wind turbines, and how these differ from bottom-fixed foundations.

It is important that the relevance for the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management is clearly described in the application. We welcome both subject-specific as well as interdisciplinary research projects. We encourage new research collaborations and interactions with actors outside the academy.  

The main applicant must hold a PhD and conduct research at a university, college, research institute, or government agency carrying out research as part of their mandate. The main applicant must be affiliated with a Swedish organization with a Swedish corporate identity number. ("organisationsnummer").  If the main and co-applicants have granted research funding from the the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency within earlier calls, any due final report should have been submitted and approved to be considered for funding within this call. 

The application will not be considered if the maximum funding is exceeded.  

Granted researchers are expected to participate in the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s annual research conference and yearly status meetings and to allocate resources for communication with the funders and other stakeholders.

• Deadline for application: Thursday, 14 September 2023, 14:00 C.E.T 
• Funding decision:  January 2024
• Project start: March 2027

Analyst Bengt Fjällborg
010-698 60 60
bengt.fjallborg@havochvatten.se

Senior Research Officer Patrik Lindenfors
010-698 18 56
patrik.lindenfors@naturvardsverket.se

Analyst Emma Sernland
010-698 62 70
emma.sernland@havochvatten.se

Senior Research Officer Kerstin Jansbo
010-698 14 56
kerstin.jansbo@naturvardsverket.se