Environmental monitoring launched at RWE’s Kaskasi offshore wind farm

This technique has low carbon dioxide emissions and is a less intrusive alternative to traditional methods of observing birds and marine mammals, which are based on airplanes and ships. The drone is just one of many state-of-the-art monitoring technologies being deployed as part of RWE’s Sustainable Ecosystem Approach in Monitoring the marine Environment (SeaMe) project. The goal of the project is to develop a holistic understanding of the interactions between offshore wind farms and the ecosystem. Alongside the drone, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered fish detection system with video cameras is being operated on an autonomous underwater vehicle. Furthermore, high-resolution video cameras have been installed on turbines to monitor birds and their behaviour. Water samples are being analysed for traces of environmental DNA. The project began in autumn 2024, initially with onshore testing and preparation of the various technologies for offshore deployment. It has now entered its next phase, starting simultaneous data collection at RWE’s Kaskasi wind farm off the German coast.

Thomas Michel, COO RWE Offshore Wind, commented: “As a global leading player in offshore wind, we feel responsible for building and operating our wind farms in harmony with nature. We are committed to continuous improvement. With the SeaMe project, we are embracing new technologies that enable us to simultaneously monitor a range of different factors. That way, we can gain an even deeper understanding of the interactions between offshore wind and the marine ecosystem.”

SeaMe is investigating how new techniques can make environmental monitoring less invasive and more sustainable.

The long-range drone (Primoco UAV One 150), operated by BioConsult SH, can stay airborne for up to 15 hours. It is fitted with an optimised HiDef video system for autonomous operation, ensuring consistency with historical data as the camera provides the same coverage and resolution as conventional aerial surveys. During its initial test, the drone flew approximately 500 m above the Kaskasi offshore wind farm, neighbouring wind farms, and a reference area at sea. The recorded footage will be analysed in the coming weeks using AI and human quality control. This method offers a less intrusive and low-emission way to monitor birds and marine mammals, such as porpoises, removing the need for human observers at sea or the use of airplanes.

According to BioConsult SH, using the drone can reduce the carbon footprint of monitoring by up to 90%.

At two wind turbines in the Kaskasi offshore wind farm, a total of six high-resolution video cameras were installed to track birds and their behaviour around the clock. Spoor’s AI-based analysis allows for automatic evaluation, accurate detection, tracking, and identification of birds. Technologies for night-time monitoring, such as infrared illumination and a thermal imaging camera, are also being tested. The details that can be captured by this method complement and advance traditional bird monitoring approaches such as radar, offering also higher temporal coverage than approaches such as aerial photography. Thanks to high-resolution images and expert validation by seasoned ornithologists, birds can be accurately identified even from great distances, providing valuable insights into site and species-specific behaviour.

Continuous monitoring is also carried out underwater. Long-term underwater camera systems have been installed to operate day and night. In contrast to conventional methods that are typically invasive and conducted only once a year, the system developed in collaboration with Danish start-up, Anemo Robotics, enables fully autonomous, non-invasive monitoring of marine fauna. Cameras capture 30-sec. clips every 15 mins. over several months, generating a comprehensive data set that is AI-analysed, making both short-term behaviours and long-term ecological trends visible.

The functionality and logistics for deploying and retrieving an autonomous underwater vehicle have been tested for the first time. The vehicle was launched and recovered by a service vessel that is usually used for wind farm maintenance. Developed by the Robotics Innovation Center at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), the underwater vehicle is equipped with cameras, sonars, and oceanographic sensors to identify fish, marine mammals, and benthic animals, while simultaneously recording oceanographic parameters.

The project takes a holistic view of the marine ecosystem by simultaneously recording both physical and biological parameters, including aspects often overlooked in traditional monitoring programs. This includes phytoplankton (microscopic algae) and zooplankton (such as small animals), which play crucial roles in the food chain. Additionally, physical parameters such as temperature, salinity, and oxygen levels are measured to explain changes in species distribution and abundance. These parameters are collected using the autonomous underwater vehicle.

Water samples are analysed for environmental DNA (eDNA) to determine which species are present in the wind farm area. Unlike conventional methods that involve collecting and removing animals from the sea, the SeaMe team focuses on the genetic traces left behind, such as faeces, skin cells, mucus, or other cellular residues shed into seawater. Comparing the found DNA sequences with a database of known species enables scientists at the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB) and the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) to identify the originating species without collecting the animals. Initial analyses of samples taken near Heligoland have identified 143 different species – from phytoplankton and zooplankton, to worms, crabs, fish, and marine mammals, including the harbour porpoise native to the German North Sea.

To realise the ecosystem approach, all field data is consolidated, employing new assessment methods, efficient data management, and intuitive visualisations. The Danish company DHI is working with all research partners to develop a user-friendly data portal.

All tests take place at RWE’s Kaskasi offshore wind farm, which is located 35 km off the coast of the German island of Heligoland. With a total installed capacity of 342 MW, the wind farm is capable of supplying the equivalent of approximately 400 000 German homes with green electricity. From Heligoland, a dedicated RWE team efficiently monitors, operates, and maintains the wind farm, and also provides support for the SeaMe project.

For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry, read the latest issue of Energy Global magazine.

Energy Global's Autumn 2025 issue

Explore the latest insights into the renewable energy sector in the Autumn issue of Energy Global, out now! This edition features a regional report on the Asia Pacific from Aurora Energy Research, mapping out why the wholesale price cap is detrimental to the energy transition in India. The issue then delves into articles covering crucial topics such as digitalisation in renewables, inspection & maintenance, developments in floating offshore wind, coatings, solar optimisation and more. Contributors include Flotation Energy, DNV, Sarens, Neuman & Esser, Teknos, and more, so this issue is not one to miss!

Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/wind/09092025/environmental-monitoring-launched-at-rwes-kaskasi-offshore-wind-farm/