Monthly Archives: April 2021

In todays Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

Last week, we wrote about how the Netherlands 24-year-old Irene Vorrink offshore wind farm is being decommissioned. But thats not on the cards for Egmond aan Zee (pictured, foreground), the Netherlands first large-scale offshore wind farm, because, at a middle-aged 15 years old, it still has more power to give. So Noordzeewind, its owner, is going to refurbish it.

The 108 MW Egmond aan Zee was initially erected as a demonstration project in 2006. Noordzeewind was originally a joint venture between Swedish power company Vattenfall and oil giant Shell, until Shell became the sole owner of NoordzeeWind just last month.

Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas first installed Egmond aan Zees 36 V90-3 MW turbines around 10-18km (6-11miles) off the North Sea coastand serviced them from 2006 to 2016, and again in 2020. NoordzeeWind is bringing Vestas back to provide maintenance, turbine troubleshooting, and replace components as needed for the rest of the wind farms life.

NoordzeeWind also just hired European multinational energy asset management company OutSmart to independently operate the wind farm. OutSmarts managing director Femmy Wervers said:

We will do the day-to-day operations of this project. It is our responsibility to ensure HSSE, legal and regulatory compliance, smooth operation of the wind farm, reacting timely on failures, and to ensure contract compliance and coordination with third parties.

Electreks Take: As we sit on the cusp of a global offshore wind farm boom, its informative to see how countries that are experienced in wind power manage different life stages of their offshore wind farms. Theyre expected to have a life span of around 25 years. Those planning new projects can learn by watching the management of older projects as they lay out road maps for future offshore wind farms.

BlackRock Real Assets, the worlds largest asset manager, has closed Global Renewable Power III (GRP III), a $4.8 billion renewable power investment fund. GRP III was nearly triple the size of Global Renewable Power Fund II (GRP II), which closed at $1.7 billion in July 2017.

GRP III is the third in BlackRocks Global Renewable Power fund series and the fifth fund overall that invests primarily in clean energy globally.

GRP III amassed commitments from more than 100 institutional investors, up from 67 for GRP II, according to a BlackRock news release.

PVBuzz reports:

The Fund has actively begun investing capital and to date has already completed three investments in Europe, Asia, and North America. These investments include onshore wind in Europe, solar in Asia, and distributed solar generation in the US, each project playing a vital role in the regions road to net zero.

And Pensions & Investments points out that GRP III will also invest in supporting infrastructure, including energy storage, distribution, and electrified transport.

Jim Barry, chief investment officer of BlackRock Alternative Investors and global head of BlackRock Real Assets, said:

GRP III invests in the sustainable infrastructure of the future. As the world strives toward net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the transition will have dramatic impacts not only for public equities but for private markets as well, creating significant opportunities for front-footed investors.

Photo: Tristan Surtel/Wikimedia Commons

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EGEB: The Netherlands first large-scale offshore wind farm is getting a revamp - Electrek.co

Tokyo Gas Co. will install 19 offshore wind turbines near the eastern Japan coast from 2024 as the government moves toward its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, the gas and power utility company has said.

The wind turbines will be located in waters near the coast of Ibaraki Prefecture and generate a maximum of 159.6 megawatts, enough renewable energy to supply 70,000 households annually, the company said. The projects start date has yet to be decided.

The 680-hectare wind farm, to be built close to the coast up to 1.6 kilometers from Kashima Port, is also funded by Wind Power Group Co., based in Ibaraki Prefecture, and Vena Energy Holdings Ltd., a renewable energy company in Singapore.

We aim to lead the growth of renewable energy, which will contribute to the realization of a sustainable society, Tokyo Gas President Takashi Uchida said in a press release.

Uchida said his company is committed to a stable power supply by balancing output fluctuation in power generated by renewable energy with gas-fired power generation, its core business.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has said going green will be a key driver of growth for Japan, the worlds third-largest economy and fifth-biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, vowing to build offshore wind farms and invest in technologies to produce hydrogen fuel using renewable energy.

The government has set a goal of raising its offshore wind power generation to up to 45 gigawatts in 2040 from a mere 20,000 kilowatts at present.

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Tokyo Gas to install 19 offshore wind turbines in carbon-free push - The Japan Times

A new memorandum of understanding creates a framework to negotiate participation of Maine labor in the construction of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine.

New England Aqua Ventus LLC, or NEAV, and the Maine Building and Construction Trades Council, on behalf of itself and its affiliated local unions, yesterday announced they reached agreement on the memorandum.

NEAV is developing an offshore wind demonstration project near Monhegan with floating platform technology developed by the University of Maine.

The memorandum creates a framework that will lead to future negotiations of a project labor agreement and includes initiatives to bring new workers into the skilled trades to work on offshore wind, according to a news release.

NEAV and the council agreed to work together to develop training and workforce development programs.

One initiative is to use pre-apprenticeship programs like Helmets to Hard Hats and Building Futures to recruit and train veterans and local disadvantaged young adults for employment on offshore wind projects.

The goal is to provide hundreds of union construction jobs. NEAV also said it was committed to building a supply chain in Maine for offshore wind and maximizing the involvement of Maine-based organizations in all aspects of the project.

COURTESY / UNIVERSITY OF MAINE

A new memorandum creates a framework to negotiate participation of Maine labor in the construction of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine.

NEAV is a partnership between UMaine, Diamond Offshore Wind and RWE Renewables.

Diamond is a subsidiary of the Mitsubishi Corp. and RWE said it'sthe world's second-largest company in offshore wind energy.

The two companies are part of a consortium led by the Governors Energy Office to develop an array of up to 12 wind-energy turbinesoff Maines southern coast.

The project labor agreement is part of our commitment to doing everything we can to use Maine workers and content in our development, construction and operation activities, Chris Wissemann, Diamonds CEO, said in the release.

The Monhegan demonstration project is expected to produce more than $125 million in total economic activity and create hundreds of Maine-based jobs during the construction period. If approved, construction would likely take place in 2022-23.

The signing of the memorandum is the first step toward building a new green energy economy thatprovides a ladder to good carbon-free careers in the trades right here in Maine, said John Napolitano, president of the Maine Building and Construction Trades Council. Project labor agreements have been used for generations between building trades unions and contractors toensure the job is done on time and within budget while drawing on a ready pool of skilled, professional union trades people.

The agreement is also expected to give veterans, youth and minoritiesopportunities to learn the trades and to provide an anchor for in-state work. Mainebuilding trades workers often have to travel outside the state for work, he added.

Dan Burgess, director of the Governors Energy Office, said Maines clean energy economy is creating good-paying jobs around the state.

With wind and solar among the fastest growing employment fields in the country, agreements like this underscore the economic potential for Maine workers in the clean energy economy, as well the workforce development opportunities that are needed to meet this demand, Burgess said.

The Monhegan project will consist of a single semisubmersible concrete floating platform, developed by UMaine, that will support a commercial 10- to 12-megawatt wind turbine and will be deployed in a state-designated area 2 miles south of Monhegan Island and 14 miles from the Maine coast.

The purpose of the project is to further evaluate the floating technology, monitor environmental factors and develop best practices for offshore wind to coexist with traditional marine activities in the Gulf of Maine. It is expected to supply clean, renewable electricity to the Maine grid.

But the project has stirred controversy. Last month, fishermen in nearly 100 boats from the midcoast gathered in waters near Monhegan to protest the pace of development of offshore wind energy infrastructure, and potential impact on commercial fisheries.

Originally posted here:

Trades Council says Maine's offshore wind industry could create hundreds of construction jobs - Mainebiz

The Interior Department on Friday bolstered offshore wind energy by revoking a legal opinion issued during the Trump administration that gave more weight to fishing concerns about that kind of energy development.

Robert Anderson, the Interior Departments principal deputy solicitor, issued an opinion that reversed the Trump-era solicitor Daniel Jorjanis December opinion that the department should err on the side of less interference rather than more interference in fishing when it comes to offshore wind activities

Anderson, in his new legal opinion, said instead that the Interior secretary should seek to strike a rational balance between various interests.

At issue is a section of the law that aims for "prevention of interference with reasonable uses" of the ocean.

Jorjani's interpretation followedanother memo that similarly interpreted the same section of the law.

Jorjani argued that this memo's interpretation of the law was too narrow and only preventing interference with the legal right to fish.

But Anderson argued that Jorjanis opinion failed to note that the law also says that the interference with reasonable uses is followed by the phrase (as determined by the Secretary), which he argued gives the secretary discretion to decide.

The difference in opinions comes as the Biden administration seeks to boost renewable energy as part of its transition to net-zero emissions. The Interior Department has recently moved closer to approving a major offshore wind project.

President BidenJoe BidenBiden eyes bigger US role in global vaccination efforts Trump says GOP will take White House in 2024 in prepared speech Kemp: Pulling All-Star game out of Atlanta will hurt business owners of color MORE recently said hell nominated Anderson to be Interiors top lawyer.

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Interior bolsters offshore wind by revoking Trump-era legal opinion | TheHill - The Hill

Wednesdays announcement that Maine organized labor and the developer of a pilot offshore wind farm are partnering to train and hire construction workers took place against a backdrop of rising tensions between two marine-related job creators.

One, the fishing sector, is a longtime symbol of Maines independent work ethic and an economic mainstay in many coastal communities. The other, offshore wind, is part of a fast-evolving clean-energy industry thats taking shape along the Eastern Seaboard.

The interests of these two water-dependent activities are colliding. At issue is access to the ocean and to what degree floating turbine platforms, subsea anchoring systems and buried cables can coexist with boats that haul lobster traps and drag for groundfish and scallops.

The job projections for offshore wind are tantalizing. New England Aqua Ventus, the developer of a demonstration floating wind turbine planned for construction next year off Monhegan Island, said building a single floating platform will create hundreds of union-wage jobs. Full-scale commercial wind farms with multiple turbines could require thousands of skilled workers, the company says.

Fishing interests say such projections are overblown. A study done last year by Georgetown Economic Services for the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance said some of the skilled jobs would need to come from overseas, along with specialized, foreign-flagged vessels, for the industry to rapidly expand.

Whatever the projections, many Maine business interests see room for both industries. Some have formed a new advocacy group, the Gulf of Maine Sustainability Alliance. Its internet home page reads: Lets lead the way in floating offshore wind. A new Maine industry in harmony with all ocean users.

The groups advisory council includes Dana Connors, president of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce; Jack Parker, president of Reed & Reed, which has helped build many land-based wind farms; Rep. Genevieve McDonald, D-Stonington, a fishing captain who also serves on the Maine Lobster Advisory Council, and Grant Provost, business agent for Ironworkers Local 7.

Gov. Janet Mills, whos counting on offshore wind to help Maine meet aggressive climate mitigation goals, is trying to navigate a course through choppy waters. Last fall, she announced plans build the nations first offshore wind farm dedicated to research, with up to a dozen floating turbines at least 20 miles from the coast. She asked the fishing industry to be part of the process, to help design floating arrays that minimize impact with traditional harvesting.

The proposal wasnt widely embraced. In January, in a bid to quell opposition from fishing interests, Mills proposed a 10-year moratorium on wind projects in state waters.

But many fishermen arent placated.Some marine businesses have recently begun circulating a sticker that depicts a map of Maine and a red lobster holding a wind turbine in its claw.

CRUSH Mills, the sticker reads.

In a blog post last month on the Maine Coast Fishermens Association website, Dustin Delano, a vice president of the Maine Lobstermens Association, began his column by expressing what he saw to be at stake.

In recent weeks, many fishermen along the Maine coast have discovered a new fear to add to their lengthy list of stressors that they will be replaced by 700-plus foot wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine, Delano wrote.

That sense that fishing jobs would be blown away by wind energy led to charges, countercharges and confrontations in late March between lobstermen and a survey vessel marking the route for the undersea cable that would connect the Monhegan test turbine to the mainland.

Tensions eased only after Maine Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher, acting on direction from Mills, asked captains who fish along the survey route to haul their gear or face having it moved out of the way by the Marine Patrol.

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Deal on offshore wind jobs highlights tensions with Maine fishermen - Press Herald

08 April 2021

Holland & Knight

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As outlined in a previous Holland & Knight alert on thissubject, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) earlier this yearfor the first time expressly found that the Jones Act applies totransportation of merchandise from a U.S. port to a location on theU.S. outer continental shelf (OCS) for the purpose of thedevelopment and production of wind energy. (See "CBP Expressly Applies Jones Act to Offshore WindProjects on Outer Continental Shelf," Feb. 2, 2021,concerning HQ H309186 ruling on Jan. 27, 2021). That rulingfollowed an amendment to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act(OCSLA) and ended a long-standing ambiguity over whether OCSLAextended the Jones Act to installations and other devices attachedto the OCS for the purpose of exploring for, developing orproducing non-mineral energy resources, such as offshorewind.

In a second ruling, dated Feb. 4, 2021, CBP again addressed theapplication of U.S. coastwise laws on proposed offshore windconstruction activities on the OCS. See HQ H316313. That ruling provided significantguidance on permissible uses of foreign-flag vessels in connectionwith offshore wind activities, including important guidance oninstallation tools and items treated as "vesselequipment" and permissible categorization of installationpersonnel as vessel crew, not passengers.

In the third and most recent ruling, CBP significantly modifiedits first ruling. See HQ H317289, March 25, 2021. The first rulingspecifically addressed scour protection how and when U.S.coastwise qualified, and non-U.S. coastwise qualified vessels,could permissibly transport and deposit on the OCS "scourprotection material" ultimately used to protect turbinefoundations. In the first of seven scenarios presented to CBP, thescour protection material would be laden at a U.S. port anddeposited on a "pristine" location on the OCS. CBPconcluded without discussion or citation to a substantialbody of prior rulings concerning what constitutes OCS coastwisepoints, including rulings to the effect that a "pristine"seabed does not constitute a point that the"pristine" seabed where scour would be deposited would bea coastwise point.

CBP reversed that ruling in the instant modification, concludingthat "at that time of first delivery, there is no coastwisepoint, and hence, no transportation of merchandise from onecoastwise point to another. As a result, the Scour Vessel maytransport the scour protection material to the installationlocation when that location is the pristine seabed, withoutviolating 46 U.S.C. 55102."

First, the three rulings taken together indicate CBP'swillingness to reach back to a substantial body of priorinterpretative principles largely developed in connection with oiland gas activities. It has been unclear how CBP would apply some ofthose principles moving forward, as highlighted in Holland &Knight's Feb. 2 alert, and these rulings provide some guidancein that regard.

Second, CBP's Jan. 27 and March 25 rulings indicate thatdespite looking to existing analogous principles, CBP is willing toset new precedent for offshore wind activities. For example,although CBP revoked part of its initial Jan. 27 ruling findingthat a "pristine" OCS seabed was a coastwise point, indoing so in its most recent March 25 ruling CBP offered a new andrather broad interpretation of what will now constitute a"coastwise point."

Finally, the fact that CBP is actively issuing rulings in thespace is in and of itself an important, if not critical, trend. Thepolitical dynamic regarding renewable energy and offshore wind hasclearly turned the President's plan to promote 30 gigawatts ofoffshore wind by 2030 being just one recent example. Anythingclose to the level of activity needed to achieve such goals willrequire virtually every permutation of available U.S. coastwisequalified vessels and permissible foreign-flag vessels.CBP's active participation in the industry is a necessary andwelcome trend.

The content of this article is intended to provide a generalguide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be soughtabout your specific circumstances.

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CBP's Most Recent Offshore Wind Jones Act Ruling Signals A Trend - Energy and Natural Resources - United States - Mondaq News Alerts

German engineering group Siemens Energy aims for a slice of the $2.3 trillion U.S. President Joe Biden plans to spend on infrastructure, including power grids and renewables, as the company targets higher sales in its biggest market.

Biden last week set out his plans for a transformation of the U.S. economy with massive spending on low carbon technology as well as more traditional infrastructure.

For Siemens Energy, the United States accounts for $7 billion in revenues, or about a fifth of its total, but it sees great potential for growth, especially in offshorewind.

"We see great opportunities forwindenergy, onshore but above all in the area of offshore," Tim Oliver Holt, who is in charge of Siemens Energy's U.S. business, told Reuters. He also pointed to transmission systems as a growth market.

To better capture growth in the world's top economy, Siemens Energy, which was spun off from Siemens AG last year, is considering whether to set up local production for offshorewindturbines on the U.S. East Coast, an area central to a plan announced last week to deploy 30 gigawatts by 2030.

Siemens Energy owns 67% in Siemens Gamesa, the world's largest maker of offshorewindturbines, which so far only caters for onshore clients in the United States via two production sites.

"Of course one could build a factory for the offshorewindmarket in the U.S.A. But you could also deliver and install by ship from Europe. You have to weigh up what makes more sense," the 51-year-old said.

While the company is aware of possible requirements for local production and to set up factories in every federal U.S. state, Holt said that was "not worth it", even though transporting giant turbines is difficult and costly.

Siemens Gamesa is currently producing offshorewindturbines in Europe.

TEXAS TRAUMA

Biden's infrastructure plan, which still needs to become law, includes $100 billion for upgrading and modernizing the country's strained power grids, for which Siemens Energy could provide transmission systems and other components.

Siemens Energy is already looking at Texas, whose energy grid was hit by a cold spell in February, affecting several local utilities, including Germany's RWE, and hundreds of thousands of homes.

"In Texas we are sounding out how to better utilize systems in case of a crisis, such as the cold snap," Holt said.

Many systems in Texas had been ill-prepared for the winter, causing vital components, including pumps, to freeze, problems Holts said Siemens Energy could address.

"You can start there," he said.

($1 = 0.8413 euros)

(Reporting by Christoph Steitz and Tom Kaeckenhoff; editing by Kirsti Knolle and Barbara Lewis)

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Siemens Energy Eyes Offshore Wind Opportunities in U.S. - Offshore Engineer

Offshore equipment company OEG Offshore (OEG) has this week acquired Norfolkbased Pegasus Welfare Solutions (PWS), a company that developed the world's first offshore wind turbine toilet, for an undisclosed sum.

Aberdeenbased OEG, which provides the offshore market with DNV certified containers, baskets, skips, workshops, and offshore tanks, said the acquisition strengthened its offering for the renewables sector with PWS range of offshore workforce welfare solutions. As part of the deal, PWS founder Dan Greeves has joined OEG as Head of Renewables.

"Engineer Greeves invention of the worlds first offshore wind turbine intower toilet was hailed as an industry gamechanger when it was released last year, winning a first order by Swedish energy group Vattenfall for a unit for every turbine on its Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm, renowned for its firsts and industry innovation," OEG said.

Vattenfall in January said that every turbine on Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm will be installed with a loo, saying that this was more than a convenience as turbine toilets deliver better safety for technicians by cutting ladder climbs to vessels and vastly increases productivity.

"Greeves, former Head of International Development for James Fisher Marine Services, will now drive PWS patented product portfolio across OEG worldwide and further develop OEGs products into the offshore wind sector, while seeking out new renewables opportunities and acquisitions in the UK and internationally," OEG said.

Elephant in the (very narrow) room

OEG Chief Executive Officer John Heiton said Norfolkbased PWS was a perfect fit as OEG reshaped its portfolio in line with the energy transition and expanded its global footprint.

Dan has developed patented products that have addressed the elephant in the room in offshore wind and deliver real results for developers by improving safety and productivity, as well as addressing the important diversity issue in the sector," Heiton said.

Its stable of patented products have massive worldwide potential. We intend to develop this business across Europe and into Asia and the Americas as offshore wind continues to develop as a sector," he said.

PWS multiunit rental systems are used in offshore wind construction but also have huge scope in offshore oil and gas decommissioning projects and other sectors, such as humanitarian crises and military uses, Heiton said.Credit: Vattenfall

Webinar: Where it all started

Back when announcing the deal to deploy PWS toilets on all of its Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm turbines, Vattenfall shared a story on how Greeves came up with the in-turbine loo solution, after an offshore health and safety professional questioned the lack of offshore loos at an industry webinar.

"Dan said he took a webinar question: Why has no one tackled this before? asked by Jack Kiely, HSE specialist offshore for Vattenfall, as a challenge," the wind farm developer shared.

Currently, no offshore turbine has toilet facilities. Within 119 days of Jacks comment, I had secured the worldwide patent for the worlds first retro-fit in-tower toilet that not only delivering workforce welfare, but offers clients other major benefits," Greeves said, according to Vattenfall.

An in-tower toilet dramatically improves safety by eliminating the number of 11-16metre ladder climbs to use the toilet on a vessel, it improves productivity by saving technicians an average of 1.4 hours a day on vessel loo visits.

The number one cause of incidents and accidents in the G+ report this year is the transfer of people between a vessel and the asset," he said.

The in-tower unit is a permanent offshore version of patented multi-unit toilets used in the construction stages of offshore wind also created and manufactured by PWS.

How does it work?

According to information on PWS' website, each in-turbine toilet unit comes with its own rigging and certification. The cubicle can be carried and installed by two technicians within an hour, according to Vattenfall.

In-Tower units can be mobilized offshore by crew transfer vessels or an SOV. They are designed to be lifted by a turbine or vessel crane.

Once installed, the In-Tower unit operates using a cassette system. The technician takes a cassette to site, installs it into the unit, and retracts it at the end of the day to take back to base for cleaning.

"This sealed cassette system ensures technicians have no risk of contact with waste and no waste is stored on the asset," PWS says on its website. Furthermore, PWS offers a service contract to empty and recharge the cassette units at the base facility. Schedules are created based on use.

The wind farm

As previously said, the first PWS loos will be installed at Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm - also known as the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre, located off the coast of Aberdeen in Scotland.

According to Vattenfall, innovative next generation technology has been deployed at the wind farm, installing 11 x 8.8MW turbines, paired with suction bucket jacket foundations, an industry first. First power was generated in July 2018 and the operations and maintenance (O&M) team is based at Aberdeen Harbour in Scotland.

The EOWDC has been awarded up to 40million of funding from the European Union and is supported by Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG).

Read more from the original source:

OEG Offshore Buys Firm That Invented Offshore Wind Turbine Toilets - Offshore Engineer

A tidal wave of interest is building in farming the seas. Its part of a global rush to exploit oceanic resources thats been dubbed the "blue acceleration."

Optimistic projections say that smart mariculture fish farming at sea could increase ocean fish and shellfish production by 21 million to 44 million metric tons by 2050, a 36 to 74 percent jump from current yields. Other estimates suggest that an ocean aquaculture area the size of Lake Michigan might produce the same amount of seafood as all of the worlds wild-caught fisheries combined.

Our work as interdisciplinary researchers studying aquatic food systems shows that these claims exaggerate maricultures true potential, and that increasing mariculture in a sustainable way is fraught with challenges.

We see freshwater fish farms as a better way to help fight hunger and bolster food security. In our view, governments, funders and scientists should focus on improving aquaculture on land to help meet the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals.

Ocean aquaculture advocates often cite limited supplies of wild-caught fish and call for cultivating them to feed the world. As they see it, aquaculture on land is limited by scarce land and freshwater resources, while the oceans offer vast areas suitable for farming.

Framed this way, mariculture seems to offer boundless potential to meet future demand for seafood and feed vulnerable populations with little environmental impact. But our research paints a different picture. We see far fewer technical, economic and resource constraints for freshwater aquaculture than for ocean farming, and far greater potential for land-based fish farms to contribute to global food security.

Freshwater aquaculture has grown steadily over the past three decades. Asia is at the center of this boom, accounting for 89 percent of world aquaculture production, excluding plants.

The most important species groups carp, tilapia and catfish are herbivorous or omnivorous, so they dont need to eat animal protein to thrive. While they may be fed small amounts of fish to speed growth, their mainstay diet consists of inexpensive byproducts of crops such as rice, groundnut and soy, as well as natural plankton.

Its relatively cheap and easy to grow freshwater fish in small earthen ponds. Aquaculture has been an economic boon, especially in Asia, providing jobs and income for vast numbers of family farms, workers and small businesses. Farmed freshwater fish tend to be an affordable staple food for millions of low- and middle-income consumers and many better-off ones, too.

Raising marine fish is a different proposition. The harsh ocean environment makes production risky, and the biology of these species makes many of them difficult and costly to breed and grow.

Most marine aquaculture species are carnivores, so they need other fish as part of their diets. About 20 million metric tons of fish caught each year is used instead to feed farmed fish. Its a contentious environmental and ethical issue, as some of these fish otherwise could be food for humans.

Improvements in technology have reduced, although not eliminated, the amount of fish used in feeds, especially for farmed salmon. It takes half as much fresh fish to raise salmon as it did 20 years ago.

Farmed salmon accounts for45%of all fish farmed from the sea.

These innovations were achieved through massive investments by the Norwegian government and the industry, dating back to the 1970s. Research focused on genetic improvement, nutrition and production systems, and its paid off. Farmed salmon accounts for 45 percent of all fish farmed from the sea.

However, its unlikely that other less popular fish, such as grouper, sea bass or cobia, will be as thoroughly researched or farmed with the same efficiency. The market is too small.

For a land-based analogy, think of chickens. Like salmon, they have long been the focus of intensive research and development. As a result, they grow to market size in just 45 days. On the other hand, the guinea fowl a chickenlike bird raised for specialty markets has undergone limited selective breeding, develops slowly and yields far less meat, making it more costly to raise and more expensive to buy.

Marine fish farming is currently done in sheltered bays and sea lochs. But there is growing interest in a new high-tech method that raises fish in huge submersible cages anchored far from land in the open ocean. Its risky business, with high operating costs. Expensive infrastructure is vulnerable to intense storms.

Offshore mariculture one day might produce luxury fish that generate profits for a few large investors.

To be successful, offshore farms will need to grow high-priced fish such as bluefin tuna. And they will need to operate at industrial scale, like SalMars massive "Ocean Farm" in Norway, which has capacity for 1.5 million fish.

While open-ocean mariculture may be technically feasible, its economic viability is questionable. Pilot projects in Norway, China and the U.S. are not yet commercially successful. And although there is strong global demand for salmon, other species such as grouper have small niche markets. They are likely to remain specialized high-end products because of steep production costs.

Human population is growing fastest in Africa, and incomes are rising most rapidly in Asia. Most additional future demand for fish will come from low- and middle-income consumers in these regions. Farming tilapia and catfish is already becoming more popular in Egypt and both West and East Africa.

Meanwhile, total seafood consumption in high-income countries has plateaued since 2000. But even in these countries, demand for farmed freshwater fish is growing because its an affordable source of protein. In the U.S., tilapia, pangasius (freshwater catfish) and channel catfish are the fourth, sixthand eighthmostconsumed seafood items.

Offshore mariculture might one day produce luxury fish that generate profits for a few large investors. But we believe freshwater aquaculture will continue to feed far more people and benefit many more farmers and small businesses.

Investments in selective breeding, disease control and farm management through public-private partnerships can create a more sustainable aquaculture industry, reducing the amount of land, freshwater and feed used to grow fish while increasing productivity. For more inclusive and sustainable development, we believe governments and funders should prioritize raising fish on land.

This story is part of Oceans 21Our series on the global ocean opened with five in-depth profiles. Look out for new articles on the state of our oceans in the lead up to the United Nations next climate conference, COP26. The series is brought to you by The Conversations international network.

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The fresh alternative to offshore fish farms | Greenbiz - GreenBiz

New York is on track to become a centerpiece for the nations offshore wind industry after President Joe Biden announced last week that the waters off the coast of Long Island and New Jerseythe New York Bightwould be a designated wind energy area.

The presidents commitment, in which the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) sets aside more areas of the ocean to lease for offshore wind development, effectively makes it possible for New York to achieve its climate action goals, which the state codified two years ago in landmark legislation. By 2035, the state aims to produce 9 gigawatts of offshore wind energy under its Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

The New York State Energy Research & Development Authoritys acting president Doreen Harris said the magnitude of the opportunity gets lost in the jargon used. The 9 gigawatt (or 9,000 megawatts) requirement in New York amounts to keeping the lights on for 6 million homes, or 30% of New Yorks electricity.

What that represents is a wholesale changenot only in our energy system in the electrons that are serving you and me in our homes, but the broader opportunity that it represents from an economic development perspective, Harris said.

The president's plan cites an August 2020 study from the energy consulting firm Wood Mackenzie, which pushes the New York Bights potential to 11.5 gigawatts, 25,000 development and construction jobs between 2022 and 2030, and thousands of other jobs in operations and maintenance.

BOEM will also start reviewing the environmental impacts of New Jerseys first offshore wind project, Ocean Wind, a critical launching point. New Jersey has pledged to install 7.5 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035.

The only operating offshore wind farms in the U.S. are a 0.03-gigawatt plant with five turbines called Block Island, off the coast of Rhode Island, and a two-turbine operation off Virginias coastline.

Before Bidens announcement, New York already had about 4.3 gigawatts of offshore wind energy in the worksspread across five different projects that havent begun construction but for which the state has awarded contracts. Among those includes a recent deal with the energy giant Equinor that would result in hundreds of jobs at ports around the state, including in Brooklyn. But Bidens announcement ensures more leasing areas would be available for offshore wind activities.

That wind energy area is the key component of it, said Joe Martens, the director of the New York Offshore Wind Alliance and former commissioner of the state environmental conservation department. We just dont get there without new lease areas available, so thats the connection.

Prior to Bidens announcement, monthly electricity bills were projected to rise just 81 cents, or 1.1%, under the states original plan for offshore wind projects for 2021 and beyond. Thats according to a cost analysis conducted by NYSERDA in June 2020. Those numbers might rise slightly given estimates from the states leadoff solicitation process for the first two offshore wind projects under NYSERDA predict a 73-cent increase, but the costs of making clean energy are also expected to fall over time. The prices related to Januarys deal with Equinor havent been published yet.

Its not clear how Bidens scale-up could impact New Yorks electricity costs, due to the many variables that go into leasing new sections of the New York Bight, a NYSERDA spokesperson said. But they added the agency is pleased with the momentum and scale of the new lease sale and is confident it will buoy this industry.

Those marginal costs will also be largely offset by the reduced health impacts created by decarbonizing the East Coasts energy system. About $700 million in health costs, specifically from hospitalization or premature deaths due to asthma and respiratory or heart disease, would be avoided from NYSERDAs first two projects. The net benefits from reduced carbon emissions due to offshore wind through 2030 amount to $4 billion under an analysis of how to achieve the states 2019 climate act, which requires New Yorks energy pool to be 70% renewable by 2030. That rises to $9.6 billion over the lifetime of the projects under the 2035 goals.

Offshore wind is a huge slice of the electricity we need to generate to meet those goals, Martens added. Biden campaigned on a pledge to reach 100% renewable electricity by 2035, but Congress has not made it law. House Democrats have introduced legislation to mandate it.

Costs in the offshore wind industry are dropping, too. New Yorks first two offshore wind projects yielded energy certificates that utility companies buy from NYSERDA to source electricity from renewable sources. Those certificates were nearly 40% less expensive in 2019 than predicted a year prior.

That was a huge game-changer for us, Harris said.

Offshore wind cost reductions in Europe are also encouraging the prospects for the industry here. The offshore wind industry is booming in Europe, and were benefitting a lot from the cost reductions that have been seen from that scale, and now were reproducing that scale here in the U.S., Harris said.

The White House also announced that $8 million would go towards 15 new research projects, funded by NYSERDA and the federal Department of Energy under the National Offshore Wind Research & Development Consortium. Those efforts will study supply chains, structures and wildlife. Three projects are in New York.

Bidens announcement represents a new commitment and a signal that governors in the Northeast have a partner in Washington D.C. to get it done, Martens said. Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement that Biden was removing the barriers put in place under former President Donald Trump, who had stalled offshore wind projects and, before becoming president, fought a wind farm planned for a site near his luxury golf course in Scotland, claiming it would be an eyesore.

Other critics worry about the construction along the shorelines. As The Guardian has reported, wealthy property owners in the Hamptons want to halt offshore wind development due to an underground cable that would be required to deliver electricity from windmills to the grid. The cable would run through beaches and beneath streets in a wealthy enclave of Long Island, which opponents claim will erode the beach and cause noise and fumes.

A coalition of fishing industry groups, the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance, also questions the rapid development of wind energy and its impacts on scallops, squid and other marine life. The group accused the Biden administration of ignoring the fishing industry in the process.

Offshore wind energy development poses an enormous risk to the marine environment and sustainable U.S. seafood production, a statement from the group reads. The Biden Administrations disappointing fervor over its advancement continues an ineffective approach toward addressing climate change begun by previous administrations without demonstrating any willingness to include fisheries, ecosystem science, or our coastal communities in climate solutions.

But, environmental groups like the Sierra Club and the National Audubon Society support wind energy, though they emphasize wind farms should be sited and planned to avoid harming birds and bats. Shay OReilly, a New York City-based organizer with the Sierra Club, added that offshore wind development is an opportunity to build out a new manufacturing industry.

These are very, very large turbines with a lot of parts, and you're going to need a local supply chain, OReilly said. He added that a major threat to the fishing industries is climate change itselfwhich is heating oceans and sapping their oxygen.

We also really need to address climate change if were gonna have any fish left at all in our ocean, OReilly said.

Read more:

What New Yorks Offshore Wind Expansion Could Mean For Your Electricity Bill, Curbing Emissions, And Your Health - Gothamist