University College Dublin (UCD) and Codling Wind Park, a recent offshore wind operation, have partnered to research potential opportunities for the rejuvenation of indigenous oyster reefs and seagrass beds in selected Dublin Bay locations. With funding provided by Codling Wind Park, the research alliance aims to boost marine biodiversity and explore how engineering designs can be more encompassing and improve habitats for local species.
Codling Wind Park, Ireland’s most substantial initial stage offshore wind project, will be situated between Greystones and Wicklow town, roughly 13km to 22km from the Wicklow coast. Subject to approval, it is anticipated to yield 1,300 megawatts of green electricity, sufficient to energise more than a million households.
Scott Sutherland, the program director of Codling Wind Park, stated that the collaboration with UCD was a crucial component of the project’s initial biodiversity strategy phase. He revealed that Codling Wind Park would fulfil over a quarter of Ireland’s 2030 offshore wind aim and offset roughly up to 1.7 million tonnes of carbon, significantly contributing towards Ireland’s national climate goals.
Sutherland acknowledged that in conjunction with the ongoing climate crisis, we are also confronting a global biodiversity crisis. He emphasised that it was their obligation to execute the project in a way that safeguards and where feasible, bolsters biodiversity.
Assistant Professor Paul Brooks from UCD’s biology and environmental science school expressed that one of the project’s objectives was “to extend our comprehension of how nature-based solutions can be utilised in restoring and enhancing biodiversity”.