See all solutions

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 7 urges countries to ensure access to affordable and clean energy for all by 2030. At the same time, global energy demand is estimated to grow by more than one-third by 2035. In other words, there is an urgent need to sustainably accelerate the development in the energy sector, be it with renewable energy or with oil and gas. But it must be done with respect for nature.
 
Work with nature in energy
The increasing demand for energy puts pressure on the energy sector to increase efficiency without compromising on safety and protection of vulnerable species and ecosystems. By integrating data and knowledge of the natural world with technology and training, our clients in the energy sector can comply with regulations, achieve maximum operational efficiency, ensure safety for employees as well as contribute to the protection of local ecosystems. Our solutions combine knowledge of natural processes with the strength of our models and data. We can help you transform model results into sustainable solutions designed to cope with future climate and development needs.

Solutions

Offshore wind

DHI has contributed to more than 80% of commissioned offshore wind farms worldwide. We can help you identify new offshore wind farm opportunities and evaluate potential environmental impacts with high-quality data, modelling tools and detailed analyses. This will ease approval processes, prevent operational hiccups and reduce investment risks.

Geothermal

DHI has an in-depth understanding of heat transport processes and precise modelling technologies. We can help you design more effective geothermal systems and assess their long-term viability with advanced simulation tools and detailed predictions. This will enhance project efficiency, optimise operations and minimise environmental impact.

Explore

See how we can help you in oil and gas, hydropower, geothermal energy, and carbon capture and storage.

Taking seabird flight registration to new heights

A DHI study for Vattenfall measures seabird collision risks and can help speed up offshore wind farm approvals
 
A DHI study for the European energy company Vattenfall finds that seabirds deliberately avoid rotor blades at offshore wind farms. The findings could help pave the way for a faster permit process. The study mapped the flight paths of thousands of seabirds around wind turbines in the North Sea, and during two years of monitoring using cameras and radar, not a single bird was recorded colliding with a rotor blade. The results could pave the way for simpler permit processes for offshore wind power by improving our knowledge about seabird collision risk.
 
Challenge
Demand for more renewable energy is soaring, and the offshore wind sector is constantly developing to keep up. However, the slow permit processes for establishing new offshore wind farms make it challenging to accelerate growth in the sector. The environmental impact assessment required in the permit process typically includes studies on how the proposed new wind farm will impact seabirds and marine life in the area. But it has previously been challenging to carry out research on the collision risk for birds at offshore wind farms due to lack of technical monitoring solutions and the severe weather conditions which has made the task of accurate monitoring and registration more difficult.
 
To overcome this challenge, a study was commissioned by the energy company Vattenfall to be carried out at the Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm in the North Sea on the east coast of Scotland.
 
Solution
The movements of herring gulls, gannets, kittiwakes and great black-backed gulls at the Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm were studied in detail from April to October in 2020 and 2021 when bird activity is at its highest in this region. This was the first time that any kind of bird species has been studied this closely and in detail at an offshore wind farm. The research team was led by DHI, and the team combined radar data with cameras to identify the species of seabird and create a three-dimensional image of birds’ flight patterns and how they avoid rotor blades. By combining the two, the researchers were always able to record where each bird was and what the bird was doing in relation to wind turbines, the distance to them and current weather conditions.
 
The system was able to track birds across both cameras, which was supported by an artificial intelligence system with high tracking accuracy. The study also took into account the turbulence from the back of the turbines in addition to wind and weather conditions.
 
The research team placed a camera with a 220-degree view on two of the 11 wind turbines – in the middle and at the edge of the wind farm – and a radar device covering the entire wind farm. The system first detected the approaching birds by radar and automatically handed them over to the cameras for further tracking. A total of 1,753 coupled tracks were recorded during 2020 and 1,370 tracks during 2021. Detailed statistical analyses of the seabird flight data were enabled both by the large sample sizes and by the high temporal resolution in the combined radar track and video camera data (2.5 seconds).
 
Results
The data showed that seabirds will be exposed to very low risks of collision in offshore wind farms during daylight hours. No collisions or even narrow escapes were recorded in over 10,000 bird videos during the two years of monitoring covering the monitoring period.
 
The results of the study show that it is possible to predict collision risks more accurately and allow more realistic figures to be derived for estimates of the cumulative effect of wind farms. Similar studies could be done for future offshore wind farm sites, ultimately paving the way for simpler permit processes for offshore wind power without compromising on the protection of vulnerable seabird species.

Supporting the construction of a new hydropower plant

Optimising hydropower potential with a comprehensive reservoir sedimentation study
 
To harness the country’s hydropower resources, a power corporation in Asia commissioned DHI to carry out reservoir sedimentation studies for a proposed construction of a new hydropower plant. By analysing the reservoir's sediment dynamics using numerical modelling, DHI provided valuable insights into the reservoir sedimentation patterns over time. These insights are crucial for ensuring both efficient and sustainable operations of the hydropower plant, minimising environmental impact and supporting long-term ecological balance.
 
Challenge
The new hydropower plant will be constructed on a river with an elevation of almost 800 m. With a depth of 850 m and length of 6.8 km, this was a major project that needed careful planning of the design and operation mechanisms. As such, it was critical for our client to get a comprehensive understanding of sediment characteristics – including its inflow, distribution and potential impact on the reservoir.
 
Solution
Using client data, DHI conducted a numerical modelling study of the reservoir conditions in MIKE 11 (now MIKE+ Rivers) and MIKE 21C. The data was analysed, validated and corrected before using as input for the study. This approach ensured that the study results provided an accurate representation of the reservoir's actual conditions. Our modelling helped to assess the loss of reservoir storage over time, determine the time taken to reach equilibrium level, identify the optimal flushing strategy as well as highlight the necessity of a separate desilting basin.
 
Results
The hydropower study yielded valuable insights into the reservoir sedimentation patterns over time, offering a clear understanding of how sediment accumulation would impact reservoir operations. It provided crucial estimates of safe discharge levels, ensuring that the hydropower plant could maintain optimal performance without risking structural damage or operational inefficiencies. Additionally, the study helped finalise essential construction parameters, including crest and intake levels, which are vital for the successful and sustainable operation of the new hydropower facility.

Metocean study reduces design risk of world’s first energy island in the North Sea
 
Denmark is on the way to ramp up its offshore wind energy production, with a 2020 climate agreement that initiated the realisation of the world’s first two energy islands, which will connect and distribute power from surrounding offshore wind farms to several countries. The larger of the two planned energy islands will be located in the North Sea, home to some of the greatest wind conditions for offshore wind energy in the world. Energinet has been tasked by the Danish Energy Agency to initiate site investigations in preparation for the North Sea Energy Island and offshore wind farms to be located in the Danish North Sea. To carry out these investigations, they require a metocean study as part of the site conditions assessment and to serve as a basis for the design of the energy island.
 
Challenge
As Denmark’s national transmission system operator for electricity and natural gas, Energinet is developing and will operate the electricity infrastructure for the two future energy islands. The North Sea Energy Island has a planned capacity of 3 GW by 2033, with the potential for expansion to 10 GW – enough to meet the average electricity consumption of 10 million households. Offshore wind turbine generators will surround the artificial island which will be constructed on a shallow bank approximately 90-100 km off the west coast of Jutland.
 
To ensure safe construction, Energinet called for a detailed metocean assessment covering the development area for the artificial island and surrounding wind farms. This metocean assessment will be used as the basis for the tender design of the energy island, as well as in later analyses and design phases of the island and cable export corridors.

Related projects

Ørsted and DHI develop bat and bird monitoring guidance for offshore wind industry

Accelerate the development of a sustainable energy sector

Discover more

Related projects

Other stories

We can help.