Simply Blue to use new tech to assess marine sites

Marine energy developer Simply Blue is to use Esri Ireland's data technology to help identify suitable locations for wind turbine fields

New technology partnership: Brian FitzGerald, Simply Blue; Dermot O’Kane, Esri Ireland; and Sam Bouma, Simply Blue.

Geographic information systems (GIS) software firm Esri Ireland is working with marine developer Simply Blue on data analytics on its pioneer projects such as floating wind farms, wave power and aquaculture schemes.

Headquartered in Cork, Simply Blue will use Esri's interactive digital mapping system ArcGIS, to identify suitable locations for wind turbine fields. Simply Blue is investigating floating wind, wave energy and aquaculture projects in Ireland and UK.

Simply Blue will use ArcGIS to gather digital data to help assess the potential of these fields, along with environmental and commercial criteria.  The digital mapping system will be used to analyse vast amounts of data and narrow down a shortlist of potential sites.

Underpinned by this technology, Simply Blue has also recently partnered with traditional energy companies to develop floating wind farms in the Celtic Sea.

Sam Bouma, energy resource modeller and data specialist, Simply Blue, said: “Being able to interact with maps to explore data on-demand creates all kinds of opportunities. ArcGIS will also help to open up conversations with communities and key stakeholders to deliver information clearly and concisely and help to avoid any misunderstandings.

“As things in the marine development industry are moving so fast, ArcGIS enables us to keep our options open. As new opportunities come up, we will be able to pivot and deliver whatever is needed to ensure the sustainable use of the world’s oceans.” 

Simply Blue also plans to deploy ArcGIS to the area of aquaculture, such as a scheme to create new low-impact salmon farms, Loch Long Salmon, in Scotland.

ArcGIS could play a critical role in helping to convey how big wind farms will be, where they are and what they will look like from different vantage points.

Simply Blue will use the interactive maps to show communities what offshore wind farms will look like from their homes. It also hopes the maps will help reassure fishermen that proposed marine developments will not affect fishing grounds.