The Crown Estate has announced that it is developing an ambitious vision for the UK’s seabed and its role in the renewable energy transition through the creation of a Marine Delivery Routemap.
The Crown Estate, which manages the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, has been working with various stakeholders to develop the plans to balance the biodiversity of British marine life and the need for more offshore renewable energy generation capacity.
The creation of the routemap was one of the key recommendations from a report published last year by Electricity Networks Commissioner Nick Winser. Now, the Crown Estate is connecting with various stakeholders in an effort to attract international investment into UK offshore renewables, identifying new areas for nature restoration, and accelerating the delivery of offshore renewables.
The Crown Estate has also published a report in collaboration with Great British Energy, titled The Future of Offshore Wind, in which it sets out its approach to leasing seabed space for offshore renewable projects.
These announcements follow the award-winning work of the Crown Estate in planning seabed use up to 2050 through the use of an innovative digital geospatial planning system.
Gus Jaspert, managing director, marine at The Crown Estate, said: “Our seabed has the potential to re-power and regenerate the UK – to a flourishing marine environment, a green energy transition and create jobs and opportunities across the country. With increasing demands and pressures offshore, we need a forward plan to release the true potential of our seas. Our plans for a Marine Delivery Routemap mark an important step towards a more coordinated, long-term approach to managing the increasing demands off our coast in partnership with a range of industries and stakeholders.
“In addition, our evolving approach to offshore wind development is designed to help remove some of the barriers to deployment of important new renewable energy and provide more certainty to investors. We look forward to engaging with our partners as we move these plans forward in the national interest.”
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband added: “We are on a mission to deliver clean power by 2030, with the UK’s world-leading offshore wind industry playing a key role in getting us there.
“The sustainability of our seabed is critical to securing the UK’s energy independence alongside protecting the environment, so I welcome the ambitious plans set out by The Crown Estate.
“Our groundbreaking partnership between Great British Energy and The Crown Estate will not only be instrumental in supporting this vision for the UK’s seabed, but it will also help leverage up to £60 billion of investment for our clean power mission – delivering homegrown energy and generating skilled jobs across Britain.”
