Discover the people behind FLOATFARM in our interview series!
Meet Vincent Faure from France Energies Marines with 5 questions and answers about the project goals, challenges and expected impact.
Could you briefly present your organization and its role within FLOATFARM?
France Energies Marines is an offshore wind energy research and innovation centre with a recognised industrial, economic and societal impact in France and internationally. Its mission is to remove the obstacles facing the offshore wind energy sector. The fifth specific objectives of the FLOATFARM is to reduce the negative environmental impact of FOWT substructures, mooring and cabling at both local and regional scale on marine flora and fauna and improve social perception for FOW. We are leading the WP5, dedicated to these subjects, with a strong focus on noise generation by FOW and its environmental impacts.
Could you explain the work done by FEM since the start of the project ?
Since the beginning of the project, FEM has primarily managed the coordination of Work Package 5 and has participated in project management alongside other members of the executive board. The first task of WP5 is to significantly advance the development of acoustic models that define the acoustic footprint of a floating wind turbine and its noise propagation in the marine environment. This important and challenging task is being carried out by our partner, BlueOasis, since the beginning of the project. Meanwhile, FEM researchers are starting to define future scenarios that will be simulated using our trophic modeling tools. We are also beginning discussions with our partners on the future integration of these acoustic models with our trophic models.
What are some anticipated milestones or achievements for WP5 in the coming months?
By the end of the year, a key milestone is to finalize the acoustic noise models. These models will enable noise characterization and the creation of noise maps for any floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT).
What are some of the unique environmental and sociological challenges adressed in FLOATFARM?
FLOATFARM aims to significantly advance acoustic and ecosystem modeling tools to evaluate marine noise characteristics and their impacts on marine species and ecosystem functioning. Coupling these types of models is a truly innovative challenge. For the first time, the influence of platform architecture will be tested within these tools, allowing for the optimization of platforms to reduce marine noise pollution and its impacts on the marine ecosystem.
The marine renewable energy sector also faces non-technological challenges. FLOATFARM will investigate the social perception and acceptability of FOWT on a European scale, focusing on the comparison between fixed and floating offshore wind farms.
In what ways are you assessing and incorporating social perceptions and community acceptance of FOW technologies into your work?
FLOATFARM involves a SSH team who bring a territorial perspective to the issues of social perceptions and community acceptance of FOW technologies. Our work entails investigating the citizen engagement practices and deliberative processes used in a series of OWF case studies in EU, including three case studies: the Windfloat Atlantic project in Portugal, the Mediterranean call of tender for FOW in France (AO6), and a German case study on fixed OWF. This assessment aims to provide a precise overview of policy measures and other non-political actions taken to enhance engagement processes and social perception for both fixed and floating OWF, firstly at the scale of each operating territory (local and national), and secondly on a broader scale, comparing EU countries. In addition, a quantitative method based on a survey will be implemented to evaluate the perception of several categories of actors (industrial sectors, public stakeholders, etc..) on the FOW development. The survey, carried out on our three case studies, will enable to identify social and societal barriers that can vary according to the type of technology (fixed, floating), focusing on those that are specific to FOW and those that are shared with bottom-fixed OW. A guide will be produced on best practices for citizen engagement highlighting the key issues related to social perception and what can be learned for FOWT new technologies.
