UK: Xodus Invests GBP 100,000 in Offshore Wind Environmental Research

International energy consultancy Xodus Group has invested £100,000 in ground-breaking research which will provide a vital industry insight to the interaction of renewables with the marine environment as offshore wind developments scale up in the UK and around the world.

James Monnington has been brought on board as an environmental consultant and will complete his PhD at Bangor University as part of his work at Xodus. He will investigate the effects of renewable energy installations, particularly offshore wind, on marine habitats.

The research will explore the complex interaction of such developments on seabed marine life and fish populations; considering alteration of habitats, food chain and in some cases changes in fishing activity. It is anticipated that the research will help the industry gain a crucial insight into the environmental impact of large scale offshore wind developments.

 James Ingram, head of low carbon at Xodus Group, said: “This investment underlines our commitment to offshore wind research and our support of forward-thinking studies which will pave the way for advanced environmental and engineering assessments of major offshore renewable energy projects in the future.

 “The scale of upcoming offshore wind developments is unprecedented. Having greater scientific knowledge regarding these complex environmental interactions should aid environmental impact assessments and consequently lead to a more streamlined consenting process. This research forms part of a series of offshore renewable energy research studies being backed by Xodus that are all geared towards creating focus on and de-risking key project drivers from an early stage, and driving down the cost of energy while making informed decisions about environmental impact. This will allow Xodus to deliver the best possible advice to clients based on cutting edge knowledge.”

 “It is an honour to work with the internationally recognised School of Ocean Sciences at Bangor University, and in particular with James Monnington who was most highly recommended by the School.”

Mr Monnington will draw on existing evidence to critically appraise data from early offshore wind projects and build on this with original data collection. This will tie in with the mandatory monitoring requirements imposed on developers with the aim of fostering a productive relationship between industry and academia.

He said: “Combining my PhD with working at Xodus will give the research a unique perspective as I can also see what is required from an industry angle. I hope the research will provide a deeper understanding of the issues and enables us to better predict the cumulative impact of large scale developments.”

Mr Monnington has already completed an MSc in Marine Environmental Protection from Bangor University, gaining the top mark last year, and was also given the Wakefield Memorial Award by the Marine Conservation Society on the strength of his PhD proposal.

As well as the financial support from Xodus, Mr Monnington will draw on the wealth of existing expertise within the company. Dr Iain Dixon, principal environmental consultant at Xodus, is Mr Monnington’s PhD co-supervisor along with Dr John Turner and Dr Jan Hiddink of Bangor University. Dr Dixon has more than 30 years experience in the field, specialising in the marine benthic environment. Dr Adam Payne, who is an environmental impact assessment team lead at Xodus and also the fish and fisheries technical lead, will also support Mr Monnington as an advisor on the fisheries element of the research.

Aberdeen-headquartered consultancy Xodus was launched in 2005 and has since grown to more than 400 people and a turnover of £38.5million offering integrated services covering oil and gas and low carbon. The company aims to at least double in size through organic growth to 1,000 people by 2015 and the board is actively seeking acquisition opportunities.

Xodus has invested significantly in expansion recently with offices in Houston, Nigeria, The Hague, Norway and in the UK.

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Offshore WIND staff, June 13, 2012; Image: BIG Partnership