ACCELERATING OFFSHORE WIND The role of innovative technology in decisionmaking and faster consenting
Innovative technologies have the potential to reduce overall consenting timelines from an average of five years to three years, resulting in potential time and cost reductions whilst dramatically increasing data confidence. We propose a number of recommendations that will support the aims of the UK Government’s Offshore Wind Environmental Improvement Package to reduce the time to get planning consent from four years to one year while continuing to protect the marine environment:
1) There is a need to showcase the capabilities, speed, and accuracy of innovative technologies and their potential to create a step change in the way we gather and process marine ecological data.
2) ORE Catapult, technology and service providers work with statutory bodies, policy-makers, and environmental stakeholders to ensure new technologies can be confidently incorporated into environmental impact assessments and future monitoring plans.
3) Explore the potential for a large-scale data acquisition trial involving a) the review of existing data in new ways and b) the use of new, high-autonomy technologies to help proactively develop this important area for floating wind.
4) Explore the potential for industry to work collaboratively on joint data acquisition projects in key future development areas.
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