Study reveals influence of offshore wind farms on ocean temperatures

New research led by a National Oceanography Centre (NOC) scientist, within the PELAgIO ECOWind project, has revealed how offshore wind farms can influence ocean temperatures and mixing, and why their effects depend on local conditions.

As offshore wind farms become an increasing part of the UK's renewable energy future, scientists are working to better understand how they interact with the marine environment.

A team of scientists, led by NOC’s Michela De Dominicis, have found that while offshore wind turbine structures can alter ocean mixing and temperature, their effects depend strongly on the surrounding conditions.

Using a combination of advanced computer modelling and real-world observations collected at Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm, Scotland's largest offshore wind farm, researchers investigated how turbine foundations influence the movement of water in the ocean.

The modelling results, published in the journal Scientific Reports, suggest that the underwater structures can enhance the natural mixing of seawater, bringing cooler water towards the surface and warmer water towards the seabed. In the model simulations, turbine-related mixing was associated with reductions in summer sea surface temperatures of around 0.1C to 0.3C within and around the wind farm. During the modelled 2023 marine heatwave conditions, cooling exceeded 0.5C in some locations.

But the study shows there is not just one type of offshore wind farm effect. Instead, the type and level of impact depends on factors such as the season, tidal conditions and how layered the water column is. Some areas are much more sensitive to additional mixing than others, particularly transitional zones between mixed and stratified waters.

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