Aalborg University is one of several European partners from 11 countries joining forces to develop new decision-making tools for offshore wind, aiming to overcome planning challenges caused by fragmented marine data.
The initiative will create a shared data platform and digital tools to help identify the most suitable offshore wind sites while balancing environmental, social and economic factors.
Researchers from Aalborg University, working with Denmark’s Environmental Portal, Vestas and other European partners, will integrate best practices into a unified, cross-border framework for planning and project development.
“In this project, we are bridging the gap between data, models, and the concrete needs of stakeholders involved in offshore wind expansion,” said Ivar Lyhne, associate professor at the Danish Centre for Environmental Assessment and project leader.
The tools will consolidate insights on issues such as wildlife protection, fishing, and material use to reduce uncertainty and avoid delays to offshore wind projects.
Lone Kørnøv, professor and head of research group at the Danish Centre for Environmental Assessment, said: “We are very excited that, with our tradition of interdisciplinary projects, we now have the opportunity to develop solutions that bring together a range of different decision-support tools into one unified overview.”
The platform will first be tested in the North Sea before expanding to the Baltic and Atlantic regions, with first prototypes expected in 2027 and testing scheduled for 2028.