New partnership to unlock offshore energy ambitions and protect the nation’s marine environment

The partnership, called the ‘Offshore Wind Evidence and Change Programme’, will gather and harness data and evidence, to drive forward the growth of UK offshore wind, crucial for the sector as it gears up to meet Government’s 2030 ambitions for 40GW of offshore wind.

The partnership will be led by The Crown Estate, which has committed to a five year £25m ‘kick-starter’ investment for the programme, alongside strategic partners: the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Together with the devolved Governments, the unique collaboration will bring together more than 20 stakeholder organisations and support Government’s wider efforts to develop a vision for the future of the offshore wind sector.

Over a five-year period, the Programme’s strategic research and data projects will provide essential insights to help the sector better understand and address environmental considerations and interactions with other industries and activities, both around the coast and offshore. This will enable a more coordinated and strategic approach to the delivery of the new infrastructure required to deliver net zero emissions by 2050, ensuring the sector can deliver at pace while protecting the broader natural environment.

Dan Labbad, Chief Executive of The Crown Estate, said: “Recognising the crucial role of the nation’s seabed on our path to net zero, I’m delighted to launch this new partnership which will help lay sustainable foundations for the next phase of the offshore wind success story, in a way which will help us to maintain healthy, biodiverse seas. The partnership will be at the centre of how we ensure a more coordinated approach to delivering the infrastructure that will be required to tackle climate change.”

Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng said: “The UK is already a world leader in offshore wind energy and the Government’s Ten Point Plan has laid out a bold ambition to lead the green industrial revolution by embracing innovative new technologies. Creating jobs and increasing capacity to 40GW by the end of this decade will be key to helping us reach our commitment for net zero carbon emissions by 2050, but safeguarding our precious marine environment remains a priority, which is why this partnership is so important.”

Environment Minister, Rebecca Pow said: “It is important that we all work together to bring about change and reduce our contribution to climate change. Renewable energy plays a key role in this and as we work to increase renewable sources of energy we must ensure that our precious marine environment is protected at the same time. I am delighted that Defra is a part of this programme, providing expert advice relating to the growing calls on our marine space so that we can deliver offshore developments while protecting our unique marine resources”.

Initial projects coming forward through the partnership, include:

• East Coast Grid Spatial study, to be delivered with National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO), National Grid Electricity Transmission and The Marine Management Organisation. This will help build understanding of the interactions that future offshore wind farms on the east coast of England are likely to face when connecting into the electricity network and whether alternative approaches to connection can reduce community and environmental impacts.
• Future Offshore Wind Scenarios project, a UK-wide study, to be delivered with Crown Estate Scotland and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which will develop and examine spatial scenarios, to better understand the opportunities for future offshore wind deployment.

The programme also brings together a steering group which includes: Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland government bodies, regulators including the Marine Management Organisation, non-governmental organisations such as RSPB and The Wildlife Trusts, and RenewableUK on behalf of the industry.  Together these organisations will be committing their expertise, resources and, in some cases, funding to projects.

The partnership is borne out of last year’s Offshore Wind Sector Deal, which aims to build on the UK's global leadership in offshore wind and maximise economic benefits across the whole of the UK. 

In parallel, the partnership will also support the Government’s 25-year Environment Plan, which set out its ambitions to restore nature within a generation, reversing the loss of marine biodiversity and, where practicable, restoring it.

For further information about the Offshore Wind Evidence and Change programme, visit here.