- 20 December 2024
Offshore wind farms Sofia and Dogger Bank have committed to increasing and extending their support for North Sea Conservation charity with a new £50,000 donation paid jointly by the two wind farms.
North Sea Conservation is the parent organisation of the Whitby Lobster Hatchery, a project that is currently in the process of releasing 100,000 juvenile lobsters into the North Sea. The project is committed to ensuring the seas are sustainable and rich in diversity for years to come, providing invaluable stocks of crustaceans for the local fishing industry, thereby safeguarding the region’s primary economy while improving marine biodiversity.
This latest sponsorship will provide new premises for North Sea Conservation, which will enable the development of future projects, including an improvement in research potential.
The Marine Discovery Centre (on Whitby’s Pier Road), hosts a unique visitor experience, showcasing native marine biodiversity and providing an opportunity for people to learn about fisheries, marine wildlife and the work of the Whitby Lobster Hatchery.
To celebrate the latest round of sponsorship RWE has released this film, produced earlier in the year, which showcases the work of the centre in supporting a sustainable future for the Yorkshire coast and the local Whitby area. Support from the wind farm projects goes directly towards the work of both the Whitby Lobster Hatchery and the Marine Discovery Centre, helping the project to deliver on its key aims of conservation, education and research.
Whitby Lobster Hatchery General Manager, Joe Redfern said: “We have always had high ambitions from the impact our project can have on the marine environment. The support we have received from both offshore projects has been a huge help in starting to realise those ambitions. We are really grateful for their support and are glad to be working with them into the future.”
As well as helping with the hatchery equipment, the support from the two offshore wind farms will assist the charity’s ambitions to release 100,000 lobsters each year. By rearing lobster larvae in the hatchery, the charity will dramatically boost the lobsters’ chance of survival. The conservation charity has high ambitions to ensure the protection and conservation of lobster populations in the region and help ensure the future of our fishing fleets.
Matthew Swanwick, Sofia’s Project Director said: “Each year, wind farm projects operated by RWE invest more than £5million into community funds. Our approach is holistic and inclusive. We provide funding which enhances community services, boosts tourism, creates training grants for young people with the support offered both holistic and inclusive.
“One of our key priorities of our Sofia project development fund is to support sustainability and promote responsible stewardship of the environment. We see enormous value in the work of the Whitby Lobster Hatchery and are proud to be one of their sponsors.”
Dogger Bank Wind Farm Fisheries Liaison Manager, Elizabeth Reynolds, said: “It’s been our great privilege to see this education and conservation project grow since we started working with them a number of years ago.
“The organisation is already achieving impressive results for both its work releasing juvenile lobsters, and its local engagement and education outreach. Throughout this further investment we aim to help the organisation to secure its long-term growth, sustainability and build on the legacy we’ve created through investment in our key communities.”
The Sofia Wind Farm, currently under construction on Dogger Bank, 195 kilometres from the nearest point on the UK’s north east coast, will comprise 100 Siemens Gamesa 14 megawatt (MW) offshore wind turbines. Upon its commissioning in 2026, the Sofia project will have a capacity of 1.4 gigawatts , enough to power the equivalent of 1.2 million typical UK homes.
You can see the full video on the project below, and you can browse our other project videos in our Video Gallery.
