As floating offshore wind moves from demonstration to large-scale deployment across Europe, attention is turning to the environmental footprint of its evolving mooring systems. TAILWIND project will contribute to EERA DeepWind together with project partner SINTEF Ocean on Wednesday 14th, delivering two oral presentations in the Environmental Impact session and a poster presentation later in the day.
Bjørn Henrik Hansen will present “Ecotoxicity assessment for safe and sustainable development of mooring lines for floating offshore wind farms.” The presentation introduces a Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) oriented screening approach that integrates ecotoxicity data to assess new synthetic polymer ropes now replacing traditional metal chains in floating offshore wind farm mooring systems. The study evaluates whether chemicals leaching from six different polymer materials pose risks to marine organisms and examines differences in ecotoxicological effects between materials.
Cristina-Maria Iordan will present “Recycling options and pathways for fiber mooring lines for offshore wind systems.” This work aims to support industry stakeholders by identifying viable recycling strategies for synthetic fibre mooring lines. Drawing on scientific literature and direct dialogue with fibre producers and recyclers, the study maps potential post-decommissioning value chains for four commonly used fibre types: polyester, polyamide, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (HMPE), and aramid.
A poster session will close the first working day of EERA DeepWind, featuring also Sigrid Hakvåg’s “Environmental impact assessment of mooring line technologies used in floating offshore wind structures.” The poster explores how different mooring technologies influence marine ecosystems, comparing multilayered polymer ropes with traditional stainless-steel chains. By examining how marine communities colonise these structures, the work contributes to a better understanding of the environmental impacts of new synthetic materials used in floating offshore wind.
EERA DeepWind is an international conference showcasing leading research and innovation in deep-sea offshore wind, covering both bottom-fixed and floating solutions. Since its start in 2004, the conference has grown into a key meeting point for offshore wind R&D, organised by SINTEF, NTNU, and EERA JP Wind. The programme combines plenary talks with parallel sessions and poster presentations across science, technology, sustainability, and societal themes. Find more about it on the event website.
Jan 14, 2026 - Jan 16, 2026
