Care for the Environment
Mapping out biodiversity in the North Sea
The North Sea and its rich ecosystems have long been a focal point for environmental research. Understanding the complex life beneath its waves is crucial for the sustainable development of the energy industry whilst minimizing its impact on marine ecosystems – and a new portal with TotalEnergies EP Denmark as the initiator will consolidate decades of environmental data to provide a comprehensive resource accessible to everyone.
What role do platform structures play in supporting sea life? Which areas are likely to be sensitive to future developments?
We will soon be able to answer those questions based on collated data going back decades that will be shared on the web-based North Sea Environmental Portal being developed by TotalEnergies EP Denmark on behalf of the DUC and the research and technology institute Dansk Hydraulisk Institut A/S (DHI). Work to develop the portal began in 2023 and the final product is expected to be ready by the end of 2024.
“We are the first operator choosing to do that in Denmark and we hope that others will join us to enhance this portal and make it even more exhaustive,” says Katrina Povidisa-Delefosse, Senior Environment Advisor and PhD in marine biology.
The DUC has monitored the marine environment and collected large amounts of data on seabed conditions, water quality, fish, mammals, benthic animals, and plants since the 1980s. This data has been continuously reported to the authorities but until now, has not been easily accessible to researchers and the public.
The new portal will provide a holistic view of environmental and biodiversity developments going back decades, enabling researchers and other users to spot trends, make predictions, and base decisions on a solid factual foundation. The portal will be open for use by anyone, opening the bigger picture of what is happening on and beneath the waves in the Danish part of the North Sea.
“The North Sea is brimming with life, and this data set will enable that to be fully charted for the benefit of all. We aim to demystify the environment around oil and gas platforms and show people exactly what is happening beneath the waves and how these structures can support marine life,” Povidisa-Delefosse says.
“The North Sea is brimming with life, and this data set will enable that to be fully charted for the benefit of all. We aim to demystify the environment around oil and gas platforms and show people exactly what is happening beneath the waves and how these structures can support marine life.”
– Katrina Povidisa-Delefosse, Senior Environment Advisor
The portal will, among other factors, document the following:
Seabed chemistry
The chemical composition and properties of the seabed, including organic compounds and nutrient levels present in the sediments.
Biodiversity
The variety and quantity of life forms within the marine ecosystem near the DUC’s offshore oil and gas operations.
Ecological indicators
The specific species, groups of species, or biological traits used to assess the state of the environment and the impact of human activities.
Actioning our biodiversity plans
A Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) has been put in place for TotalEnergies EP Denmark, outlining biodiversity-related activities until 2029 and is in line with a wider Company initiative for all affiliates to have one by 2025.
The BAP targets the conservation of biodiversity in sensitive areas, adhering to IUCN* and Ramsar Convention guidelines. It conducts an impact analysis to guide future projects, ensures regulatory compliance, sets conservation priorities, and creates local action plans. The BAP also emphasizes the importance of communication with stakeholders to achieve its objectives effectively and enhance the general biodiversity awareness.
IUCN – International Union for the Conservation of Nature
A collaborative data hub
The combined information will provide a solid foundation for developing robust plans to protect the marine environment.
This is becoming ever more important with the expected expansion of wind farms, CO2 storage and many other new developments offshore – as highlighted by a recent Danish political agreement on the expansion of 9 gigawatt of offshore wind farms, which has set stricter requirements for sustainability and monitoring of the seabed.
TotalEnergies EP Denmark has worked with authorities so that the data can be easily used for reports. For now, the North Sea Environment Portal includes data only from TotalEnergies on, for example, sea bottom fauna, chemistry, and marine mammal monitoring. However, the platform is being built in a modular way so more themes can be added as the project and future data collection progress. Thanks to the existing data foundation, it will serve as a retrospective archive of data, painting a historical picture of the North Sea over the years.
The hope is that stakeholders with an interest in the North Sea will use the portal and contribute their own data.
“I like to think of the portal as an office building where we have rented one floor with all our data. We invite others in to occupy other floors, and the more people we have coming to stay with us and share their knowledge with each other, the better,” Povidisa-Delefosse says.
It’s important to note that environmental monitoring data holds no commercial confidentiality concerns. Its true value is unlocked when it is aggregated and shared, enhancing its utility and impact. The test portal is fully operational and the complete system rollout is scheduled for the latter part of 2024.
“I like to think of the portal as an office building where we have rented one floor with all our data. We invite others in to occupy other floors, and the more people we have coming to stay with us and share their knowledge with each other, the better.”
– Katrina Povidisa-Delefosse, Senior Environment Advisor
Offshore installations are wildlife hotspots
In parallel, marine scientists from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Aarhus University’s Department of Ecoscience and TotalEnergies have kicked off a new biodiversity study around the North Sea platforms to expand knowledge on the role that offshore installations play in sheltering marine life.
The team of researchers set out on their North Sea mission in the summer of 2023.
Amidst the salty waves, the team collected samples and video material monitoring fish abundance around the Skjold platform. They also placed an array of high-tech underwater sensors that will record the presence of tagged cod and vocalizing harbor porpoises during the next year. In 2024, the sensors will be removed, and the complex data will be analyzed for us to better grasp how wildlife interacts with our installations.
This scientific study observes the behavior of cod, other fish, and marine mammals like harbor porpoises around our offshore platforms. The goal is to understand the platforms’ function as feeding and spawning grounds.
“Platforms play a significant role as wildlife hotspots, and we want to understand the mechanisms behind it better,” says Povidisa-Delefosse.
“Platforms play a significant role as wildlife hotspots, and we want to understand the mechanisms behind it better.”
– Katrina Povidisa-Delefosse, Senior Environment Advisor
A company-wide commitment
Biodiversity research is not only making waves in Denmark.
TotalEnergies has, on a global scale, pledged to contribute to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including those related to biodiversity conservation.
The Company actively works with the SDGs through the internal Sustainab’ALL program. It was implemented in 2023, and every site across the globe was tasked with defining an action plan to be met by 2025.
In addition to our Sustainab’ALL program, our worldwide biodiversity commitments include respecting our voluntary exclusion zones, managing biodiversity in our new projects and existing sites, and promoting biodiversity as part of our activities, e.g. through the employee volunteer program, Action!.
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