Protecting Wildlife: Building the UK’s First Nearshore Artificial Nesting Structures

Hornsea 3, developed by Ørsted, plays a critical role in the UK’s clean energy transition. Yet the project faced a significant environmental challenge by needing to protect the black-legged kittiwake, a seabird whose populations have declined sharply and even face extinction due to habitat loss and changing food availability.

The solution involved building three artificial nesting structures close to the shore, each capable of hosting up to 500 pairs of birds thanks to alternating rows of fully partitioned, open, and semi-partitioned ledges.

Installation Challenge

Each nearshore nesting structure was supported by a monopile – a steel foundation driven deep into the seabed. Installation in this way can often be time-consuming, requiring frequent pauses to manually check alignment and verticality – adding cost, time delays, as well as safety risks for crews.

To reduce uncertainty, Ørsted’s construction partner, Red7Marine, therefore turned to Fugro to provide a more accurate solution. Deploying two of its technologies - Starfix® and InclinoCam® - the team was able to ensure the monopiles were installed remotely with maximum accuracy and minimal disruption.

Technological Innovation

Both technologies were critical in delivering real-time insights and monitoring. The Starfix solution provided accurate, in-depth analysis on the positioning of the vessels, crucial for monopile installation. By integrating data from motion reference units and global satellite navigation systems, Starfix ensured the barge and support vessel were always stable and precisely aligned.

This level of accuracy was essential for the safe and consistent placement of the structures. Using this technology meant the installation team could rely on a single point of reference for critical data, reducing uncertainty and streamlining operations.

Meanwhile, InclinoCam used twin cameras and intelligent visual recognition algorithms to measure verticality during hammering. This provided the hammer operator with live feedback, allowing immediate adjustments without interrupting piling activity.

By providing continuous, touch-free monitoring, these technologies help deliver more reliable and repeatable engineering outcomes. In the instance of Hornsea 3, that meant not only delivering three stable nesting structures but also doing so more safely and with less environmental disturbance.

This augmented-reality technology improves safety by reducing human intervention and increases project efficiency with real-time inclination measurements, without disrupting operations.

Impact on biodiversity and safety

In time, the installation of the three artificial nesting structures will help protect as many as 1,500 pairs of kittiwakes, providing secure breeding space and helping offset the potential impacts of offshore wind development on the species.

Artificial habitats such as these can help maintain ecological balance by ensuring that critical life stages, such as breeding and chick rearing, can continue undisturbed by the expansion of human activity at sea.

Nature-positive Solutions

The Hornsea 3 nesting project demonstrates how renewable energy development can coexist with biodiversity protection, creating the infrastructure needed for the energy transition while creating a safe haven for vulnerable species. By embedding conservation measures into the core of engineering and construction processes, industry leaders are showing that climate action doesn’t need to come at the expense of nature.

Critically, it also highlights the value of partnership and collaboration. Ørsted, Red7Marine, and Fugro combined expertise in development, installation, and digital technology to deliver an ambitious environmental and energy outcome.

As the offshore wind industry continues to expand, the demand for innovative, nature-positive solutions will only grow further. More broadly, renewable energy projects’ long-term success will depend not just on their capacity to deliver clean electricity, but also on how well they balance the needs of people, the planet, and wildlife.

By investing in innovation and collaboration, the offshore wind sector can lead the way in demonstrating how sustainable development is not just about building turbines – it’s about building trust, resilience, and a future where energy and ecology can thrive together.