Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) is dedicated to advancing environmental science and science-informed decision-making through collaboration, communication, education and leadership. They pursue this purpose through events, publications, awards and education programs.
Important Dates
15 June: Call for sessions opens
15 August: Deadline session proposals
11 October: Call for abstracts opens
30 October: Training course proposals deadline
30 October: Student grant application deadline
20 November: Abstract submission deadline
19 December: Volunteer application deadline
February 2025: Registration opens
Session 3.20 - Chemical Emissions and Associated Environmental Impacts from Offshore Energy Production
The quest for sustainable CO2 neutral energy sources has led to a significant increase in offshore energy production. While this shift holds promise for reducing carbon emissions, it may also lead to an increase of chemical emissions, which may pose potential risks to marine ecosystems. Potential chemical emissions from offshore energy production are often overlooked even though they can occur from a variety of sources related to offshore energy: coatings as well as corrosion protection systems of offshore infrastructure can lead to the emission of either inorganic and organic substances, abrasion of wind turbine blades produces particulate matter that can end up in the marine environment and brine from offshore hydrogen production can contain process chemicals depending on the desalination technology used. The true impact of these emissions as well as the relative share of these emissions compared to other sources of sea-based contaminants is currently unclear.
This session aims to present current knowledge, knowledge gaps and future steps on the distribution, monitoring and impact of emissions from green offshore energy infrastructure such as wind farms, tidal power stations or offshore hydrogen production, while also welcoming comparative studies from offshore oil and gas production. Moreover, the session is intended to stimulate discussion and exchange beyond individual offshore energy technologies.
Session papers could consider characterisation of potential emission sources and patterns, laboratory and field studies on toxicological impact of offshore energy production, development and application of monitoring approaches or the necessary analytical methods, model approaches assessing the transport and fate of chemicals and mitigation approaches for emissions. Contributions addressing the regulatory framework and best practices for environmental protection in the context of offshore energy production are also highly welcomed.
This session is of critical importance to stakeholders in the energy sector, environmental policymakers, and the scientific community, providing a platform to address the challenges of balancing future energy needs with environmental protection.