The Netherlands’ Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy commissioned Fugro to assess whether areas of the North Sea could simultaneously be used for offshore wind farm (OWF) developments as well as carbon capture and storage (CCS) solutions.
Based on the evaluation of current practice, Fugro determined that while both OWF and CCS projects can coexist, there are four key recommendations that must be followed to ensure the safety of future projects.
These key recommendations are:
These key recommendations are:
- Development of a (3D) characterisation model for geological sites. Such a model can be used to determine the probability of an earthquake occurring directly below a wind farm.
- Monitoring of CO2 liquid injection to understand the effects on the pressure of the earth.
- Installation of a seismic monitoring system to monitor the actual seismicity at the site.
- In combination with 3, implementation of a traffic light system. This traffic light system is a seismic risk management system with which, for example, activities can be stopped in good time.
Current ambitions of the Dutch government include two CCS-projects (Porthos and Aramis) as well as 21 GW of electricity generated by offshore wind farms by 2030. This study offers valuable insight into the compatibility of these activities and under what conditions they can safely coexist in the vicinity of one another.