RWE’s offshore wind farm Sofia and neighbouring Dogger Bank C have made a joint donation of £50,000 to charity North Sea Conservation.
The charity is the parent organisation of the Whitby Lobster Hatchery on the east coast, a project that is releasing 100,000 juvenile lobsters into the North Sea.
The project is committed to ensuring the seas are sustainable and rich in diversity for years to come, providing invaluable stocks of crustaceans for the local fishing industry.
This latest sponsorship will provide new premises for North Sea Conservation, which will enable the development of future projects, including an improvement in research potential.
Support from the wind farm projects goes directly towards the work of both the Whitby Lobster Hatchery and the Marine Discovery Centre, helping the project to deliver on its key aims of conservation, education and research.
Whitby Lobster Hatchery general manager Joe Redfern said: “We have always had high ambitions from the impact our project can have on the marine environment.
“The support we have received from both offshore projects has been a huge help in starting to realise those ambitions. We are really grateful for their support and are glad to be working with them into the future.”
As well as helping with the hatchery equipment, the support from the two offshore wind farms will assist the charity’s ambitions to release 100,000 lobsters each year.
By rearing lobster larvae in the hatchery, the charity will significantly boost the lobsters’ chance of survival.
RWE Sofia project director Matthew Swanwick said: “Each year, wind farm projects operated by RWE invest more than £5m into community funds.
“We see enormous value in the work of the Whitby Lobster Hatchery and are proud to be one of their sponsors.”
Dogger Bank Wind Farm fisheries liaison manager Elizabeth Reynolds said: “It’s been our great privilege to see this education and conservation project grow since we started working with them a number of years ago.
“The organisation is already achieving impressive results for both its work releasing juvenile lobsters, and its local engagement and education outreach.
“Throughout this further investment we aim to help the organisation to secure its long-term growth, sustainability and build on the legacy we’ve created through investment in our key communities.”
RWE recently announced that it is working with the Whitby Lobster Hatchery to release 5,000 juvenile lobsters at the site of its Triton Knoll offshore wind farm to help increase biodiversity in the North Sea.
The Sofia Wind Farm, currently under construction on Dogger Bank, will comprise 100 Siemens Gamesa 14MW offshore wind turbines and is due to be commissioned in 2026.
Dogger Bank C Offshore Wind Farm is a joint venture between SSE Renewables, Equinor and Vårgrønn.