Orsted is partnering with Lincolnshire and Yorkshire Wildlife Trusts to help restore the biodiversity around the Humber, a large tidal estuary on the east coast of northern England.
The flagship project will invest more than £2.5m to restore parts of the Humber through the planting of three hectares of salt marsh and four hectares of seagrass, and the creation of a biogenic reef through the introduction of half a million native oysters.
Climate change is becoming one of the biggest drivers of biodiversity loss, and a substantial expansion of renewable energy is central to tackling these interlinked crises.
The UK government has set an ambition to build 50GW of offshore wind by 2030, and Orsted believes that the expansion of offshore wind energy needed to fight climate change can and must integrate solutions that support and enhance biodiversity.
The developer has set an ambition to deliver a net-positive impact on biodiversity across all the new energy projects it commissions from 2030 at the latest.
The UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has “commended” this new pilot project as an example of how restoration of important marine habitats can work in practice and deliver multiple benefits.
Benj Sykes (pictured), head of environment, consents and external affairs at Orsted UK, said: “As a company that’s committed to building a clean, sustainable future for people and the planet, we know that we need to work harder than ever to ensure we continue to develop in balance with nature as offshore wind becomes the backbone of the energy system in the UK.
“With this in mind, Orsted has set the ambition that from 2030, all new projects commissioned must have a net-positive impact on biodiversity.
“Our vision is to create a world that runs entirely on green energy, and protecting biodiversity is, and will continue to be, an integral part of the way we work.
“This project in the Humber Estuary, working in collaboration with experts from the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Wildlife Trusts, is a fantastic example of how the offshore wind industry can work with local partners to ensure we leave our natural environment in a better state for generations to come.”