Happy New Year 2024!

Happy New Year from all of us at Exo Engineering! We are beginning 2024 with numerous extraordinary projects already lined up, such as our artificial reef project for IJmuiden Ver (see below). 2023 was a year of growth and advancement for Exo Engineering, seeing improvements in our manufacturing capacity and new designs for the projects, including FCRIP and OWGP. We want to celebrate the great things that Exo Engineering was able to achieve in 2023, with thanks to our partners and clients. Here are some highlights:

2023 began with two new members joining the team: Sam and Abi.

Sam joined Exo Engineering after completing a degree in Ecology and Wildlife Conservation (BSc) and a subsequent Master’s degree in Biodiversity Conservation (MSc), both from Bournemouth University. Sam has previous experience with biological monitoring of artificial reef units.

Abi also joined Exo Engineering at the start of the year, after achieving a degree in Marine Biology and Zoology from Bangor University. Abi has contributed significantly to the continued development of our Greening the Grey technology, with involvement throughout the design stage and manufacturing process.

In February, we begun a busy period of manufacturing in preparation for our largest ever pilot deployment of our ExoReef units in Pembrokeshire. In total, over 16 tonnes of our ecologically engineered units were produced, with 5 different concepts being deployed in total. These included both our tried and tested units as well as some newer concepts which were ready for the pilot testing stage.

Our established concepts have seen some major improvements in the manufacturing process, which allowed for increased manufacturing efficiency as well as greater consistency in product quality.

In August, we began the first of our Continuous Professional Development (CPD) discussions on the topic of new Biodiversity Net Gain legislation, which has now officially come into force as of the start of the year. The CPD discussions were split into two parts; the first was an introduction to BNG legislation which explained key terms and considerations for how BNG is determined, and the second examined a real world example of sea wall replacement with an eco-engineering approach, with a walk-through explanation on how the BNG calculation tool can be used to determine percentage BNG. Alongside the discussions, we also offered an interactive element which allowed for attendees to ask questions and invoke discussion. The CPD discussions were well received, with positive feedback being given from a number of attendees. A recording of the CPD discussions can be found on our YouTube channel

In September, our largest pilot deployment to date took place in Pembrokeshire. Alongside project partners ORE Catapult, MEECE, META, Hiraeth Energy and PEBL, over 16 tonnes of our ExoReef units were deployed in the Celtic Sea. These feature a range of newly developed surface textures, which will be monitored to examine their impact on biodiversity at the deployment site. We are incredibly thankful to all partners for making this project possible.

The deployment marks the beginning of an 18-month monitoring period, of which the findings will be used to determine the impacts of our units on the benthic community at the deployment site. Baseline surveys were conducted using Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) and Environmental DNA (eDNA), and the data from this will be compared against the findings from subsequent underwater surveys.

Throughout 2023, the Living Windfarms Project has continued to underpin our progress in the offshore wind sector.

The ‘Living Windfarms Project’ is a £750,000 project, part funded by the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership  (OWGP) to establish mass production of ExoReef units and full-scale pilot studies focusing on mass deployment.

2023 saw the project’s stakeholder workshop programme continue, and the acceleration in the development of new concepts tailored to the offshore wind industry. Stay tuned in 2024 as this project develops further.

We were lucky enough to receive recognition for some of the projects that we have helped to deliver:

• Highly commended award for our participation in the Newlyn Coastal Research and Development project in Penzance

• Most Innovative Engineering Firm (UK) at the Corporate Livewire Awards

Conferences and Events:

March saw the second Living Windfarms Project Workshop, hosted at the University of East Anglia. This workshop focussed heavily on how we determine the best practices for decommissioning and the challenges we face moving into the future. The workshop was incredibly useful to invoke discussion and emphasise the importance of knowledge sharing as we begin the decommissioning process at the oldest offshore windfarms.

Over the summer we had the opportunity to attend a number of conferences, such as the Flood & Coast conference. This took place in June and we attended as part of Environment Agency’s innovation hub, where we were able to discuss our solutions with the Minister for Environmental Quality and Resilience, Rebecca Pow.

In the same month, we attended the RenewableUK Global Offshore Wind Conference 2023. This was a valuable opportunity to stay up to date with the latest developments in the offshore wind industry, understand the barriers for further accelerating the expansion of this industry and how these barriers can be overcome.

In December, we were able to attend the Spotlight event in Edinburgh with OWGP. This gave us the opportunity to network with other key players in the offshore wind industry, sharing knowledge and learning about the latest innovations in the offshore wind energy sector.

Upcoming projects this year:

Artificial reef design for IJmuiden Ver windfarm

Upcoming projects in 2024:

We have many exciting projects and events lined up for 2024, here are a few to look out for:

• 3 schemes as part of the Catchment to Coast project, part of the Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme (FCRIP)

• Collaboration with a global offshore developer for the Ijmuiden Ver tender reef requirements with pilot deployments scheduled in the Celtic Sea and North Sea

• Deployment of bespoke habitat enhancing eco-sinkers for a range of clients

Stay up to date by following us on X (formerly Twitter)