Our approach
Our requirements
To make the most positive contribution possible, our approach meets five requirements:
- Holistic, because everything is connected within an ecosystem;
- Customised, because the effects of our measures will differ per species;
- The full project lifecycle, because every phase will have a different impact on the ecology;
- Continuous improvement, via the evaluation of new insights;
- Filling knowledge gaps as much as possible, so that future wind farms will have more knowledge regarding the ecology of the North Sea and the effectiveness of our measures.
Sharing knowledge
We think that it is important to be open about our endeavours and to share the knowledge that we gain widely. And ecology is central to this.
We will set up an ecological onboarding and training programme for everyone in our organisation. In addition, we are embedding knowledge management in our business operations. We will set up an ecological data management system to share the collected data with internal and external users. The data that we collect is also scientifically oriented, which means that we will guarantee its scientific usefulness for, for example, other (external) research and publications. We will also set up an independent ecological advisory panel that can help and redirect us if necessary.
We believe that working together is essential for the future of the energy transition. This is why we will provide an innovation zone in the wind farm: a space for researchers and startups to test new innovations in an offshore environment. Additionally, we will participate in working groups and network meetings and will organise education and training for students and professionals. We will also use these partnerships to bring our knowledge and experience regarding ecology and wind energy to the attention of the wider public.
Finally, we will realise an information centre, where people can learn about our project, the innovations behind it and the importance of renewable energy and offshore wind farms in an interactive way.
Health, Safety, Security, and Environment
Not only are we committed to protect the environment and minimise the impact of our activities on nature. We are also committed to care for and promote the Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) of ourselves, the people working with us, our contractors, our community and those that might be affected by our acts or omissions.
We want to ensure that we provide a great workplace and a safe and healthy environment. Every person contributing to this project is equally important. As such, we actively work to guarantee that everyone involved feels heard and safe enough to speak up – from our direct team and partners to our neighbours. We work together with our employees, partners, and contractors to continuously stimulate HSSE awareness and provide more information.
One of our key principles are the 10 Life-Saving Rules, which are intended to take good care of ourselves and others while working on or visiting the wind farm.
