Offshore staff
NORWICH, UK — Natural England, a non-departmental public entity supported by the UK’s Department of the Environment, is working with Norwich-based clean energy consultants Opergy to assess the potential for an offshore demonstration site in England’s territorial waters.
This could be used to trial and monitor new technologies for sectors such as hydrogen production from offshore wind; oil and gas decarbonization; and carbon capture.
Tamara Rowson, senior offshore renewables specialist with Natural England, said a demonstration site for offshore wind would facilitate studies of the environmental impact of offshore wind components and construction methods on a smaller pre-commercial scale.
This would provide regulators, statutory nature conservation bodies, academics and developers “evidence and confidence in levels of impact prior to rolling out of commercial scale applications, thereby supporting a more streamlined consenting process," she added.
The industry also could use the designated area to test new mitigation measures for offshore projects to reduce the impacts, risks and costs of offshore wind energy.
Opergy will examine lessons learned and best practices from other operational demonstration sites in the UK, Europe and elsewhere, and explore market demand for such a site offshore England through engagement with The Crown Estate and offshore developers.
It will also seek to determine the costs involved in establishing such a site and possible location, reporting back in March 2023.
As part of the process, the consultants will open a consultation, seeking insight from the offshore industry.
12.07.2022
