Aquaculture and offshore wind: A review of co-location design challenges

Abstract

Clean energy and food production are global priorities, and expanding into offshore regions could drive the growth of wind energy and aquaculture. Both sectors are rapidly advancing, and co-locating aquaculture within offshore wind farms offers synergistic advantages. This paper reviews recent developments in both offshore industries, as well as advances in research on their co-location. Additionally, key research gaps are identified in the topics of hydro and morphodynamic interactions stemming from the proximity of structures of both fields. Previous studies on the wake effect from offshore aquaculture reported current velocity reductions up to 90 % in the top layer, formation of an undercurrent with a 15% increase in flow velocity in lower water layers, and 30% wave height reduction. These effects can reduce hydrodynamic loading, increase operational time windows, and influence the scour development in nearby wind turbines. Moreover, several challenges and opportunities are discussed regarding operational and environmental conflicts, such as the risk of collision between aquaculture cages and wind turbines, the attraction of marine mammals and birds by aquaculture systems, the opportunity for shared infrastructure and maintenance schedules, and the importance of marine spatial planning tools.