Daily Archives: July 23, 2022

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HOUSTON The Gulf of Mexicos first offshore wind farms will be developed off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana, the Biden administration announced Wednesday, and together theyre projected to produce enough energy to power around 3 million homes.

The wind farms likely will not be up and running for years, energy analysts and the states grid operator said, but the announcement from the U.S. Interior Department is the first step in ramping up offshore wind energy in the United States, which has lagged behind that of Europe and China. The only two operating offshore wind energy farms in the U.S. are off the coasts of Rhode Island and Virginia, which together produce 42 megawatts of electricity enough to power fewer than 2,500 homes.

One of the new wind projects announced Wednesday will be developed 24 nautical miles off the coast of Galveston, covering a total of 546,645 acres bigger than the city of Houston with the potential to power 2.3 million homes, according to the U.S. Interior Departments Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. The other project will be developed near Port Arthur, about 56 nautical miles off the coast of Lake Charles, Louisiana, covering 188,023 acres with the potential to power 799,000 homes.

Its exciting to see offshore wind in the Gulf getting closer to reality, said Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas, an environmental protection group. With strong winds in the evenings when we need energy the most, offshore wind in the Gulf of Mexico would greatly complement Texas onshore renewable energy resources, help bolster our shaky electric grid and help our environment.

The wind farms will join a growing number of oil drilling rigs off the coast of Texas, including near Galveston, where the oil platforms dot the horizon looking out from Galvestons beaches. The Biden administration also recently has opened up land in the Gulf of Mexico for more offshore oil and gas drilling leases.

Gov. Greg Abbotts office did not respond to a request for comment about the new offshore wind energy developments.

Offshore wind has a great potential in Texas, Brad Jones, president of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages Texas main power grid, told The Texas Tribune on Thursday. It will take some time to develop, and that time will be based on how quickly we can put together port facilities, the specialized ships that are necessary and train our labor force to achieve this type of development. It is new for the U.S.

Texas is already the countrys largest wind power producer and has land-based wind farms up and down the Gulf Coast, where winds typically blow harder.

Wind energys contributions to the Texas power grid vary depending on where, and how hard, the wind blows across the state. On Tuesday, when Texas hit a new record for energy consumption, wind and solar power combined to provide 25% of the energy on the grid, ERCOT said. On July 11, when ERCOT asked Texans to conserve electricity because demand threatened to exceed supply, wind generation dropped to less than 10% of its overall capacity.

ERCOT forecasters said they typically dont expect a lot of wind energy during hot summer days because during summer winds tend to be stronger at night.

Offshore wind provides much steadier energy production than wind farms on land in Texas, Jones said. With the extraordinary growth of Texas population and economy, Jones said we have to keep pace with that development.

So having an additional resource that can provide generation to Texans to keep the lights on is a value to all of us, Jones said.

Metzger and energy analysts said companies are interested in developing offshore wind projects in Texas, but its too early to tell how quickly they will be built and how much they will cost.

New financial incentives from the federal or state governments could speed up completion of the projects, the analysts said, but its unclear whether that will happen.

The commercial appetite is there it really is about the regulatory hurdles that exist, said Kenneth B. Medlock III, an energy expert at Rice University. Theres a lot of interest, without a doubt. Companies are actively lobbying to try to get these projects done.

Leaders in neighboring Louisiana have been actively working to attract wind energy production. Louisianas most recent climate plan, released in February, set a goal of generating 5 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2035, which could power millions of homes there. Texas does not have a state climate plan.

Louisiana, unlike Texas, has been really bullish on developing offshore wind and offering economic incentives to offshore wind, Metzger said.

Still, U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, D-Houston, said Texas has consistently led in the offshore energy industry and is well positioned to house the new project.

Our region has the energy expertise and the existing infrastructure to support the expansion of wind opportunities while powering our country, Fletcher said in a statement. As an advocate for an all-of-the-above strategy for energy investment, I welcome this proposal and look forward to partnering with the Administration to create new jobs and to ensure our region and our country continue to lead the transition to a lower-carbon world.

Disclosure: Rice University has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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Proposed Texas offshore wind farm could power 2.3 million homes - The Texas Tribune

New Actions to Accelerate Clean Energy, Create Jobs, and Lower Costs

Today, President Biden will reiterate that climate change is a clear and present danger to the United States. Since Congress is not acting on this emergency, President Biden will. In the coming weeks, President Biden will announce additional executive actions to combat this emergency.

Today, President Biden is announcing his latest set of executive actions to turn the climate crisis into an opportunity, by creating good-paying jobs in clean energy and lowering costs for families. His actions will protect communities from climate impacts already here, including extreme heat conditions impacting more than 100 million Americans this week, and expand offshore wind opportunities and jobs in the United States.

The President will make the announcements at a former coal-fired power plant in Brayton Point, Massachusetts that will host a cable manufacturing facility to support the flourishing offshore wind industry representing how the Presidents leadership is accelerating the nations transition away from the pollution, environmental injustice, and volatile price swings of the past toward the good-paying jobs and energy security of the future.

President Bidens new executive actions will:

Millions of Americans feel the effects of climate change each year when their roads wash out, power goes down, homes are destroyed by wildfires, or schools get flooded. Last year alone, the United States faced 20 extreme weather and climate related disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each a cumulative price tag of more than $145 billion. People of color and underserved communities are disproportionately vulnerable to the climate crisis and are more likely to experience the negative health and environmental effects of climate-related and extreme weather events. Further, the countrys critical infrastructure is at risk from climate and extreme weather.

President Biden will not back down from addressing this emergency. Since taking office, he has mobilized his entire Administration to tackle the climate crisis and secured historic clean energy and climate resilience investments in his Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. He will continue taking bold action to secure a safe, healthy, clean energy futureall while saving families money, delivering clean air and water, advancing environmental justice, and boosting American manufacturing and competitiveness.

PROTECTING COMMUNITIES FROM EXTREME HEAT

This summer, millions of Americans are navigating the challenges and dangers that come with extreme heat advisories and record-breaking temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The climate crisis is making heat waves more intense and frequent, taking a toll on health across the countrysending tens of thousands of Americans to the emergency room, increasing risks of heart and respiratory problems, and especially endangering our workers, children, seniors, historically underserved and overburdened communities, and people with underlying health conditions.

To respond, last year the Biden-Harris Administration launched a broad set of new initiatives to advance workplace safety, build local resilience, and address the disproportionate impacts of extreme heat. Today, the Administration is announcing additional steps and progress on:

Through the Extreme Heat Interagency Working Group under the National Climate Task Force, the Administration is advancing a wide range of additional efforts, including a historic OSHA rulemaking process toward the first federal heat standard to protect workers, EPA support for community communication strategies to help people keep safe on the hottest days, a DHS Cooling Solutions Challenge to fund innovative extreme heat responses, NOAAs community-led urban heat island mapping campaign, a USDA urban and community forestry program to equitably improve heat resilience, and a new HHS Climate and Health Outlook to inform health professionals about extreme heat and other climate-related health hazards.

BOOSTING THE OFFSHORE WIND INDUSTRY AND CREATING JOBS

Since President Biden set a bold goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, the Administration has approved the first large-scale projects and new wind energy areas, held record-breaking wind auctions, and issued an action plan to accelerate permitting. The private sector is following suit with investments to expand an American-made wind energy supply chain. In 2021 alone, investors announced $2.2 billion in new supply chain funding, including commitments to develop nine major manufacturing facilities to produce the foundations, towers, cables, and blades of offshore wind turbines. Historic project labor agreements are helping to grow a diverse union workforce, create good-paying jobs, and support training programs.

To further expand these opportunities, today President Biden is:

These actions follow the Presidents announcement last month of a new Federal-State Offshore Wind Implementation Partnership, joining with Governors to ensure that federal and state officials are working together to build a U.S.-based supply chain, including manufacturing and shipbuilding, for the rapidly-growing offshore wind industry.

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FACT SHEET: President Bidens Executive Actions on Climate to Address Extreme Heat and Boost Offshore Wind - The White House

This opinion piece is part of a series from Energy Innovations policy experts on advancing an affordable, resilient and clean energy system. It was written by Mike OBoyle, director of electricity policy, and Michelle Solomon, policy analyst.

The West Coast is known for vast renewable energy potential: solar in California and hydropower in the Pacific Northwest. But its long coastline offers an untapped clean energy resource with massive potential for states and the nation offshore wind.

Achieving President Bidens goal of 100%clean power nationwide by 2035 is possible with only onshore resources. The same is true for California, Oregon and Washingtons ambitious clean energy goals. But land use, siting and permitting challenges mean scaling up offshore wind greatly increases their likelihood of success. Tapping this potential would also bolster grid reliability and create jobs.

Unfortunately, the United States lacks offshore wind ambition, particularly along the West Coast, where no established deployment targets exist. East Coast states, in contrast, are targeting more than 30,000 megawatts of capacity by 2035. And while President Biden announced a national goal of 30,000 MW by 2030, he has not designated a specific West Coast target.

West Coast offshore wind is enjoying promising tailwinds. Californias AB 525 directs the California Energy Commission to set planning goals through 2045, and Oregons HB 3375 requires its Department of Energy to identify benefits and challenges of 3,000 MW of offshore wind by 2030.

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has also designated call areas off the California and Oregon coasts and begun an environmental assessment, with conditional approval by the California Coastal Commission. BOEM also announced a proposed sale notice for two wind energy areas in California, with an estimated potential of 4,500 MW.

This is a good start, but much more is needed to develop West Coast wind and accelerate the transition to a reliable clean grid. Federal tax credits can help floating wind technology achieve commercial scale with cost reductions similar to onshore wind and solar technologies. Funding for port upgrades and transmission along with policies to accelerate the pace of leasing, siting and permitting will speed development.

Combined with state action to incorporate offshore wind into planning and procurement, these federal policies can move floating turbines from a niche resource to a core strategy for cleaning the grid.

Fixed bottom offshore wind is taking off, with 55,000 MW deployed worldwide. But this technology is infeasible on the West Coast due to much deeper waters. Developing offshore wind in these deeper waters requires floating turbines affixed to the seabed with long cables.

Floating offshore wind technology has a key advantage over onshore wind: size. Todays largest offshore turbines total 15 MW capacity, capable of powering about 20,000 households, and 18 MW turbines are expected soon, compared to 3-6 MW for onshore turbines. It also has an environmental advantage eliminating noisy pile driving for fixed bottom foundations is less disruptive for migrating marine mammals and other wildlife.

While floating turbine technology is mature, it is not as commercially widespread as fixed bottom turbines. Policy is needed to scale floating turbines in the U.S., but researchers expect floating and fixed offshore wind costs will converge in the long-term due to technological similarities.

Successful demonstration projects have spurred major floating wind contracts, including 5,000 MW off Scotlands coast. More than 25,000 MW of floating offshore wind projects are in the global pipeline, and 3,600 MW will come online in the next five years.

The U.S. electricity grid must be 70% to 80%clean by 2030 to achieve the countrys Paris Agreement goals. Given our current grid size, the U.S. could get there with onshore wind, solar and batteries. However, to reach net-zero emissions and support growing electrification, the grid must expand to add more diverse clean resources, all while overcoming land use constraints.

Offshore wind can be a crucial part of this diverse clean portfolio. A recent working paper from the University of California, Berkeley, shows West Coast offshore wind would deliver power when the Western grid needs it most in the early evening as the sun goes down with more consistency due to stronger ocean winds and larger turbines. The consistency and complementary nature of offshore wind power would enhance reliability, which will prove even more critical for an increasingly climate-stressed grid.

Tapping offshore winds potential would create new clean energy jobs and reinvigorate port communities. The University of Southern Californias Schwarzenegger Institute estimates 10,000 MW of California offshore wind development would create 120,000 to 180,000 job-years, including 4,000 permanent operations and maintenance jobs by 2040. Policies to support local component manufacturing, could create up to 50,000 additional job-years through 2040.

Floating turbine development could also revive historic deep-water port communities. The CEC approved a $10.5 million grant for investments in the Port of Humboldt Bay to support offshore wind. An economic assessment found the terminal could generate as many as 830 local jobs and more than $130 million in industry output over a five-year period. But much larger investments are needed to realize this economic opportunity.

Port upgrades are even more crucial to floating offshore wind compared to fixed bottom turbines, as the floating platforms must be assembled on shore and towed to their designated location. Investment in just a few ports could support installations across hundreds of miles of coastline. This infrastructure spending should happen now to prevent port capacity from becoming a bottleneck.

Offshore floating wind can provide new economic growth and be a much-needed source of reliable clean power for the Western U.S., but the projects are massive and complex. A handful of federal and state policies can work together to speed its commercial deployment.

Congress should extend the floating offshore wind production tax credit for at least 10 to 15 years at $25 per megawatt-hour as a foundational policy that provides certainty to developers, cuts costs,and helps scale this technology.

Congress should also dedicate funding for West Coast port and manufacturing cluster development to support the necessary infrastructure. Tying this funding to strong labor requirements and community benefit agreements can ensure local economies benefit without compromising air quality.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Congress can both support transmission to connect Western offshore wind with the rest of the Western grid FERC via planning and Congress with funding. An offshore subsea cable linking production along the West Coast would be the least-cost, highest-benefit approach.

The Biden administration can encourage responsible, timely offshore wind siting by accelerating BOEMs leasing process, particularly designating new areas for leasing and study beyond the four currently under consideration. Responsible siting should include funding for collecting and sharing data on offshore winds ecological impacts.

While federal action is necessary for most offshore wind projects due to their placement in federal waters, West Coast states should proactively plan and promote offshore wind to maximize benefits to their residents and grids. States should update offshore wind cost figures based on the state of todays technology and include estimates for five years due to long timelines from decisions to procurement. By incorporating expected cost declines, states can accurately assess the benefits of offshore wind.

West Coast states can also require utilities to include at least one scenario during integrated resource planning that features offshore wind, including quantified resource diversity benefits, to ensure diverse portfolios are considered. Instituting competitive procurement will also allow offshore wind to compete on equal footing with other resources. Finally, an interstate working group on offshore wind and transmission development can assess resiliency benefits of proposals like a subsea transmission link and increase project planning efficiency.

Offshore wind can have significant reliability, economic and climate benefits but policy action is needed now. Coordinated federal and state action can provide financial incentives, prepare for new infrastructure needs, accelerate leasing and permitting, and incorporate offshore wind into state planning and procurement processes. With all West Coast states committed to 100%clean electricity and unmatched offshore wind resources, planning for this technology today will provide smooth sailing tomorrow.

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Unleashing the economic power and reliability potential of West Coast offshore wind - Utility Dive

DemoSATH was floated in Spain ahead of its offshore deployment (photos courtesy of Saitec Offshore Technologies)

PublishedJul 20, 2022 7:39 PM by The Maritime Executive

A project designed to support the development and commercialization of floating offshore wind farms located in deep waters marked a key milestone with the completion and launch of its floating wind turbine. The unit is due to be installed by the end of this summer in a test field that is two miles off the Spanish coast with a sea depth of nearly 280 feet.

The project began nearly two years ago, with Saitec Offshore Technologies and RWE Renewables entering into the partnership to develop the DemoSATH. The 2MW turbine uses the SATH design with a pre-fabrication of concrete components and a single-point-of-mooring system that allows the structure to yaw around its mooring and passively align itself to the wave and current direction.

The prestressed concrete platform was constructed and assembled, and equipped with a 2 MW turbine in Spain before the launching at the Punta Sollana quay in the Port of Bilbao. The DemoSATH unit, which has a rotor diameter of approximately 315 feet, was loaded onto the semisubmersible barges deck using self-propelled modular transporters. The barge was then ballasted down lower into the water until the DemoSATH unit became buoyant, after which it was towed off. According to the companies, it took less than 45 minutes to safely berth the DemoSATH wind turbine at the quay.

DemoSATH in berthed in Bilboa, Spain before being towed to the test site later this summer

This is a great step forward for the DemoSATH project. The load-out and float-off operations were an important milestone to fulfill as they were the first of their kind executed for the SATH floating offshore wind turbine, said Araceli Martnez, Chief of Engineering for Saitec Offshore Technologies. The demonstrator is ready to become the first floating wind turbine to be commissioned to the mainland Spanish grid during the next months.

The project is expected to move forward at a fast pace for its installation later this summer. During the next months, the submarine dynamic cable will be deployed at the installation site and the floater will be towed out to be connected to it, as well as to the mooring lines that were previously installed in late April.

According to RWE, the project holds the potential to unlock the potential of floating wind globally, especially in countries with deeper coastal waters, like the U.S., France, UK, Norway, and Spain. The DemoSATH project will enable the company to gain early experience for future developments. Its innovative concrete-based platform is seen as a key development that once proven can help to expand the potential for deep-water offshore wind farms.

DemoSATH positioned on the dock before the floating operation

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Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Launched in Spain for Pilot Project - The Maritime Executive

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PublishedJul 21, 2022 11:39 PM by The Maritime Executive

Offshore sector consultancy Westwood Global Energy predicts that there will be good times to come for offshore oil and gas development over the next five years.

2022 is looking like a great year for offshore development, though inflation and supply-chain impacts have tempered expectations somewhat. Offshore EPC contracting activity tripled year-on-year in the first half of 2022, reaching $26 billion, reflecting multiple major new project approvals like Exxon's Yellowtail off Guyana and Equinors Haltenbanken East multi-field complex in the Norwegian Sea. The contracting activity includes eight new/refurbished floating production units, 52 platforms and a total of nearly 900 nautical miles of pipeline.

The second half of 2022 could bring another $46 billion worth of EPC awards - particularly from Saudi Aramco, which is investing heavily in four large offshore projects. Taken together, these contracts would amount to more than $70 billion worth of investment over the full span of 2022 - more than in any year since at least 2014, according to Westwood's data.

The recent period of underinvestment (during COVID) and the return of ultra-high oil prices could boost investment for years to come. Westwood's markety analytic tools predict a long upcycle through 2026, with offshore EPC spending totaling about $275 million over the period. This is more than 70 percent increase over the past five years, which saw a downturn in investment in the sector. The busiest areas of activity will likely be in Asia, the Mideast and Latin America.

The rising tide is also lifting offshore supply vessels and rigs, which are now bringing in the highest day rates in years - a welcome relief after an extended low period and a wave of consolidation. Clarksons' sector-wide offshore index has hit a seven-year high, and OSVs are bringing in 50 percent more per day now than they did at the beginning of 2021. OSV utilization is vastly improved at 68 percent and climbing, and the laid-up offshore vessel fleet - a long-term drag on rates - has fallen below 800 hulls worldwide.

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Westwood Sees Five Good Years Ahead for Offshore Oil and Gas - The Maritime Executive

Adira Renewables, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kim Heng, signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Crowley Wind Services to cooperate on offshore wind farm cable laying installation projects across the US East Coast.

Under the MoU, Kim Heng will issue updates about material developments and/or the execution of a definitive agreement as and when they occur.

The duration of the contract is one year, with an option to renew it by mutual agreement.

Formed at the beginning of last year, Crowley Wind Services signed several agreements across the US to support the offshore wind market.

Last month, the company signed additional agreements with Denmark-headquartered Esvagt to support purpose-built, Jones Act vessels for the US offshore wind sector.

Crowley Wind Services also decided to expand its capabilities across the clean energy sectors byannouncingthe companys plans to develop and operate a wind services terminal in Salem, Massachusetts to serve the Commonwealth Wind offshore installation and other industry services.

According to last years report from BVG Associates, the US East Coast is expected to have installed more than 40 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2035.

There are several offshore wind projects on the East Coast of the US that are planned to be commissioned by 2035 such as Park City Wind and Vineyard Wind 1, Americas first large-scale offshore wind farm.

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Kim Heng Unit Inks MoU with Crowley to Support US Offshore Wind Projects - Offshore WIND

Offshore powerboat racing has been a competitive and dangerous sport in the United States for 111 years. Dennis Sigalas along with teammate and life-long best friend Bruce Penhall dominated the industry in the 90s, winning five out of the six world championships they competed in.

Dennis Sigalos is a born and raised Southern California native who first got into offshore powerboat racing because of his father, Tony Sigalos, and his life-long best friend Bruce Penhalls father, Leroy Penhall, who both raced flat-bottom SK runabouts back in the 60s.

Sigalos and Penhall were world champions in speedway motorcycle racing in the 1980s. Ten years after retiring from the track, the two friends revived their competitive impulses and became an offshore powerboat racing team. Their teams name was Ocean Spray Crave the Wave. They raced in A-Class, D-Class, and modified Class in a V-bottom Scarab.

Sigalos and Penhall won their first race on the water on June 8, 1993, in a Pacific Offshore Power Boat Assn. race off the coast of Dana Point. Sigalos and Penhall took to the water and defeated world champions Rique Ford and Paul Whittier taking the race.

Sigalos and Penhalls first race boat was a 38-foot Scarab/ Larry Smith design V bottom none step hull. The boats design had four seats but was only raced with two crew members. Penhall was the driver, and Sigalos ran the throttle, trim, and monitored all the gauges. The two families (fathers and sons) then built their first boat.

In 1904, offshore speedboat racing was officially recognized as a sport after a race took place from the south-eastern coast of England to Calais, France. Soon after, the American Power Boat Association was formed in the United States, and the first U.S. recorded race took place in 1911 in California.

In modern times these competitions are raced by mega-horsepower catamarans and V-hulls capable of speeds up to 180 mph. However, the teamwork and professionalism of offshore racing make it a class act and a rush for spectators. Typically, a team of one driver and one throttleman wrangle the wind and waves of some of the worlds most challenging racecourses.

Offshore powerboats always have a team of two enclosed in a cockpit for maximum efficiency. The drivers role is to keep their eyes open for turns on the course, and the throttleman is constantly watching the swell and pulling the throttle back when jumping out of the water. The throttleman slows down for turns and gauges the boats water temperature and oil pressure, trimming the bow up or down when the boat is navigated into different water conditions (more smooth or rough water; the conditions typically change constantly throughout the racecourse).

Wow, what a rush, said Sigalos. Both of our families traveling the U.S. was our new sport.

Sigalos and Penhall won five out of six world championships they raced in, the world speed record, and Rookies of the Year throughout their six-year career as speedboat racers.

The two raced the 38-foot Scarab from 1994-1996, hitting a top speed of 120 mph and 2000 hp winning them two world championships and one national title.

From 1997-1999, Sigalos and Penhall raced a 42-foot fountain power boat with a step bottom. The two sat in this boat tandem, with Penhall driving in the front and Sigalos in the back running the throttle again. Their top speed for this boat was 150 mph and 3000 hp. This boat won them three world championships, and a world record in their class called Super V.

We raced offshore most of the time but did run some big lake races as well, said Sigalos. My favorite win and place was our first world championship in 1994 in Key West, Florida, and we were the underdog. The swell was so big and rough; it was what we were looking for. The boat handled it perfectly.

Sigalos and Penhall raced throughout the United States, competing in Florida, Texas, New York, Boston, Mississippi, and even more local cities like Dana Point and Long Beach.

Sigalos doesnt race professionally anymore. Instead, his preferred boating style today is a relaxed trip to Catalina or Moonstone on his friends 58-foot sonship.

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Offshore Speed Boat Racing Through the Eyes of a Pro The Log - The Log Newspaper

The enclosures stretch the length of an Olympic-size swimming pool, but from above they appear as floating dots scattered across the ocean. Inside, fish mill about as the submerged pens sway to the currents of the open sea.

Known as offshore fish farms, these structures have appeared around the world in recent years. Their proliferation in open waters, often sitting several miles off coastlines, has sparked heated debate: some see them as the next frontier for the sustainable production of fish such as Atlantic salmon, seabass and cobia; others describe them as factory farming of the sea.

What almost everyone can agree on is that these deep-sea farms are poised to surge in the coming years. Between 1961 and 2017, global demand for fish grew an average of 3.1% a year, leaving companies scrambling.

Aquaculture is the fastest growing form of food production in the world, says Robert Jones, the Nature Conservancys global lead for aquaculture. And were at the very beginning of this industry. Now is the chance to influence where it goes.

The Nature Conservancy has long viewed offshore farms as a potential gamechanger for fish production, albeit one threaded with huge challenges. It is growing rapidly around the world, and its an opportunity for conservation, said Jones. But it can also potentially come at the detriment of the environment.

What attracts the organisation is the possibility that the farms could ease pressure on wild fish populations. In 1974, about 10% of the fish stocks in the worlds marine fisheries were being depleted too quickly for species to replace themselves, according to the UNs Food and Agriculture Organization. By 2017, this proportion had climbed to 34%.

The deep-sea locations of offshore farms are also seen as a plus, because stronger currents may dilute waste and avoid the coastal degradation often seen in fish farms located in bays and estuaries.

Others argue that the environmental concerns outweigh any potential benefits. Last month, a coalition of nine groups in the US, including marine conservation organisations and the Quinault Indian Nation, filed a notice of intent to sue the US Army Corps over its decision to issue a nationwide permit that could pave the way for finfish aquaculture facilities to be built in state and federal waters.

The coalition warns that the blanket approval was granted without fully considering the effect farms could have on threatened and endangered species. The farms often come with a rise in marine traffic, the groups say, which could increase the risk of vessel strikes, particularly as animals are lured to the site by the scent of feed.

They list a slew of additional concerns, from worries that the constant flow of water through the farms will let feed, antibiotics and faecal matter into open waters to the risk that farmed fish could escape and threaten local ecosystems.

We look at these as animal factories of the sea, says Meredith Stevenson, an attorney with the Center for Food Safety, one of the groups behind the legal challenge. Its the wild west out there.

Theres also the risk that the farms will need to rely on small, wild-caught fish as feed. Its branded as a solution to overfishing but, in order to feed the fish, you have to get more wild fish, adds Stevenson.

Fish and shellfish farms have been growing at a dizzying pace around the world, particularly in China. Between 1990 and 2018, fish farming grew 527%, according to the UNs Food and Agriculture Organization.

Offshore fish farming ranks among the riskiest bets of the sector; enclosures need to be built to withstand the open sea, from metre-high waves to fierce currents, while their remote locations mean any issues are usually more time-consuming and costly to fix. The greater risk of bad weather means that even routine operations need to be put off at times.

Even so, investors have poured tens of millions into the sector. Virginia-based Forever Oceans has raised nearly $120m (100m) from investors, according to Bloomberg, while a venture fund linked to Walmart heiress Christy Walton has backed half a dozen initiatives related to open-ocean aquaculture.

For many, the lure is the promise of sustainable fish production. Our fish can feed the world and restore our oceans, is how Forever Oceans describes its mission. Hawaii-based Ocean Era, which has an offshore farm near Mexico, says its goal is to soften humanitys footprint on the seas. Blue Ocean Mariculture, which raises fish in submersible sea pens near Hawaii, says it will produce the best-tasting fish without harming the environment.

Studies delving into the farms have yielded varied results. A 2019 study that collected water samples near submerged fish cages off the coast of Panama concluded that, when located appropriately, offshore farms can produce a relatively small pollution footprint. A 2011 study comparing more than 15,000 southern bluefin tuna farmed offshore and closer to the coast found those grown offshore had reduced mortality and were less prone to sea lice.

But a 2020 perspective published in Nature argued that the high costs associated with offshore farming meant these products would be inaccessible to low-income consumers, suggesting limited scope in alleviating food insecurity. Researchers also argued that the fuel consumed by boats heading to and from the farms could compromise environmental claims.

Overall, the evidence in support of offshore fish farms remains scant, says Jim Walsh, policy director of Food & Water Watch. The development of these fish farms is far from studied to an extent that could make us feel confident. The remote locations, he says, would make it impossible to effectively regulate factory fish farming in a sustainable way in our oceans.

There is already a lack of oversight of the fishing industry, Walsh says. To think that we will, all of a sudden, have a regulatory regime thats going to step in and monitor these factory fish farms is ridiculous.

A better option may be land-based tanks, where fish are farmed in isolation from the surrounding ecosystem, he says.

Walshs view clashes with those who describe offshore fish farming as one of the few realistic options for feeding the planet. Among them is Steve Gaines, dean of the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His perspective shifted after he came across projections suggesting demand for food could double by 2050 as the global population grows and becomes more wealthy.

My reaction was, oh my God, how are we going to produce that much food? Gaines says. Something like 40% of arable land is already devoted to food production theres got to be new sources.

What he landed on was fish farming. Despite the fact that there are a lot of issues as there are with any form of food production its the one that has by far the biggest potential for expansion.

As companies experiment with fish feed derived from products such as insect protein or bacterial-based protein in order to minimise the pressure on wild-caught fish stock, aquaculture could result in a smaller environmental footprint compared with the production of other forms of animal protein, he says.

It makes perfect sense, says Gaines, since most of the fish we consume are cold-blooded, dont have to fight gravity and have smaller skeletons, meaning they are far more efficient at converting feed to food.

And then theres the vertical nature of the fish farms. The surface area to produce a given amount of food is also dramatically less if you can grow them in a liquid environment than on land, he says. You cant stack cows 100 feet high.

Gaines is quick to list the many caveats of his analysis; it depends heavily on what kinds of species are raised; on fish densities that are low enough to keep diseases from proliferating; and on locations that have high enough water flows to absorb waste generated by the farms.

There are obvious ways you can do it poorly, he concludes. But it can be done well, and the technology is there to do it well. Its really important it has lots of implications in terms of the next 30 years and more of the planet.

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Offshore fish farms: a new wave of food production or the wild west of ocean pollution? - The Guardian

ExxonMobil will assume operatorship of lease areas West Crete and Southwest Crete offshore Greece following negotiations by joint venture partners following the withdrawal of TotalEnergies EP Greece BV from the consortium, partner Hellenic Petroleum Holdings SA noted in a July release.

The parties agreed that the 40% interest held by TotalEnergies is to be assumed by ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Greece (Crete) BV (taking 75% of the 40%) and by the Hellenic Petroleum subsidiaries Hellenic Petroleum Exploration and Production West Crete Single Member SA and Hellenic Petroleum Exploration and Production Southwest Crete Single Member SA (taking 25% of the 40%), with TotalEnergies EP Greece BV fulfilling its financial and other obligations, Hellenic said.

Following completion of the transaction, interests in each of the respective lease agreements will be ExxonMobil, operator, with 70% interest, and Hellenic subsidiaries 30%.

The transaction is subject to consents from competent authorities.

Lease agreements for hydrocarbons exploration and exploitation rights for the two offshore areas were ratified by Greek Parliament in October 2019.

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ExxonMobil assumes operatorship of areas offshore Greece following negotiations - Oil & Gas Journal

Taiwans Formosa 2 offshore wind farm has passed two significant construction milestones, completing the installation of twelve turbines and transmitting power to the national grid.

According to Formosa 2, the offshore wind farm has now completed more than half of the foundation installations and more than a quarter of the wind turbines have been installed at the projects site, located between four and ten nautical miles off Miaoli County.

Formosa 2 emphasized that with these new construction milestones the project is making steady progress toward commercial operation.

Despite facing challenges posed by recent weather conditions, the team has persisted in advancing construction works, with strong health, safety and environmental performance and high sustainability standards. We are fully committed to ensuring the project becomes a pivotal driver in Taiwans green energy transition, said Michael Klingele, Project Director of Formosa 2.

The 376 MW offshore wind project will comprise 47 Siemens 8 MW turbines installed in water depths of up to 55 metres.

The installation of the jacket foundations and subsea inter-array cables began in April and May respectively, and the turbine installation commenced at the beginning of June.

In July, Saipem completed the fabrication of 32 wind turbine jacket foundations for Jan de Nul, the EPCI contractor for the projectsfoundations and subsea cables.

Formosa 2 offshore wind farm is being developed by JERA, Macquaries Green Investment Group (GIG), and Swancor Renewable Energy. Once fully commissioned, the wind farm is expected to provide enough renewable electricity to supply power to approximately 380,000 households.

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Formosa 2 Offshore Wind Farm Hits Major Construction Milestones - Offshore WIND