Fugro and Spoor create new AI bird-monitoring solution for offshore wind farms

The solution uses video cameras installed on Fugro’s SEAWATCH® Wind Lidar and other metocean buoys to record bird activity at wind farm locations. Spoor’s advanced computer vision and AI software then analyses these recordings to quickly and accurately identify bird species.

Traditional bird monitoring methods require good weather and aircraft or vessel surveys, which are costly, have a high carbon footprint, and pose safety risks to field staff. Fugro and Spoor’s system overcomes these challenges by using buoy-mounted cameras that capture high-quality video year-round, even in harsh sea conditions. This approach provides a more reliable and cost-effective way to conduct legally required environmental impact assessments for offshore wind farms.

Jørn Erik Norangshol, Fugro’s Regional Service Line Director, Metocean Science for Europe and Africa, said: “We’re excited to be unlocking insights by connecting Spoor’s advanced computer vision software with our world-leading SEAWATCH® buoy technology to create a reliable bird-monitoring platform that can withstand tough offshore conditions. This innovative partnership will streamline bird-monitoring at wind farms and support the development of offshore projects.”

Christian Skaarup Rasmussen, Spoor’s Vice President of Partner Sales said: “This partnership with Fugro marks an exciting step forward in making offshore bird monitoring simpler, smarter, and more scalable. By embedding Spoor’s AI-powered bird tracking into Fugro’s offshore platforms, we’re giving developers access to high-quality, reliable data to meet biodiversity requirements.”

The launch of this new bird-monitoring solution was successfully tested at Hywind Tampen offshore wind farm in the Norwegian North Sea.