Collaboration is about what you can’t see as well as what is above the surface

René Smidt Lützen, Principal Consultant, dives deeper into how collaboration delivers the best possible outcomes in offshore wind projects.

To me, collaboration is like a puzzle; different pieces all need to join to produce a clear picture. The energy transition is one of the biggest puzzles of our time, but it is one that I am excited to play even a small part in solving.

At Vysus Group, we have teams across the world, all with varied skillsets but which are all needed in order to make the energy transition sustainable. My specialism, offshore wind, is a perfect example of collaboration in action.

Together with researchers, technical personnel and marine biologists, my team and I generated a comprehensive underwater noise study for a Danish offshore wind project, revealing the likely effects of the noise on marine life. Through various surveys of the environment and how sound travels through it, alongside our technical predictions, we were able to deliver a model which the client could feel confident would comply with legislation set by the Danish Environment Agency.

Marine life is something I have long held a passion for and collaborating with the various groups was a really satisfying and meaningful experience in itself, but to be able to achieve our objectives to make a difference for the environment and the protection of marine life made it even more significant.

Collaboration exists through all levels at Vysus Group. Teaming up with colleagues, working together and sharing experiences is one thing, but joining efforts to achieve the targets is what drives us further on. I have seen through working alongside my international colleagues that when you join forces across disciplines you can achieve so much more than when you stick within your own comfort zone.

By its nature, the energy transition is multidisciplinary. As a technical specialist, my area of expertise is within acoustics, but when I bring my knowledge together with other experts in other fields, we both have the opportunity to go so much further and achieve more. Working on a project to project basis, we are able to work with external consultants who know the local regulations and can provide us with the deep insights we need to confidently meet compliance requirements wherever we operate.

Because there isn’t a standardised set of rules or regulations for underwater noise globally, we welcome partners that know this space and combine it together with the technical knowledge we have amassed in the course of our energy heritage.

Finding a sustainable solution to the energy transition is a large puzzle, one that combines several disciplines. Professionally, it’s exciting and challenging at the same time; on a personal note, being able to collaborate with multiple experts in their fields, for the benefit of our environment, gives me great pride.