Geo-data specialist softward company Fugro and Spoor has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop an AI-powered bird-monitoring solution for offshore wind farms.
The innovative system protects bird populations while facilitating the growth of renewable energy by making environmental assessments more affordable and safer.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The system uses video cameras mounted on Fugro’s SEAWATCH Wind Lidar and other metocean buoys to monitor and record bird activity at wind farm sites, offering a reliable alternative to traditional methods.
Spoor leverages advanced computer vision and AI technology to interpret the data, enabling rapid and precise identification of the bird species observed.
This approach addresses the limitations of traditional bird monitoring, which relies on good weather and costly aircraft or vessel surveys.
Spoor vice-president of partner sales Christian Skaarup Rasmussen stated: “This partnership with Fugro marks an exciting step forward in making offshore bird monitoring simpler, smarter and more scalable.
“By embedding Spoor’s AI-powered bird tracking into Fugro’s offshore platforms, we’re giving developers access to high-quality, reliable data to meet biodiversity requirements.”
By employing buoy-mounted cameras, the system captures high-quality video throughout the year, even in harsh sea conditions.
This method provides a more reliable and cost-effective way to perform legally required environmental impact assessments for offshore wind farms.
The solution was successfully tested at the Hywind Tampen offshore wind farm in the Norwegian North Sea.
Fugro regional service line director Metocean Science for Europe and Africa Jørn Erik Norangshol stated: “We’re excited to be unlocking insights by connecting Spoor’s advanced computer vision software with our world-leading SEAWATCH buoy technology to create a reliable bird-monitoring platform that can withstand tough offshore conditions.
“This innovative partnership will streamline bird monitoring at wind farms and support the development of offshore projects.”
Fugro has also secured a contract for offshore soil investigation services for the Blue Mackerel offshore wind farm in Australia.
Located offshore Brataualung and Tatungalung territories in Gippsland, Victoria, the 1GW project is being developed by Parkwind, part of JERA Nex.
