Campbell Gibson
Senior Advisor, External Relations, London +44 7825 074315
A new free digital knowledge hub for the offshore wind community has been launched, helping to realise the UK’s ambition of 50GW of offshore wind by 2030.
The Offshore Wind Evidence & Knowledge Hub (OWEKH), which is funded by The Crown Estate through the Offshore Wind Evidence and Change Programme and operated by AtkinsRéalis, will allow developers, regulators, marine specialists, and other professionals working in offshore wind to access, submit and interact with key data and documents. This includes past impact assessments, industry knowledge, large scale datasets and academic references – ultimately helping to accelerate and streamline the consenting process, while protecting marine life and improving biodiversity.
The hub is shaped by Technical Topic Groups, which allow sector specialists to collaborate to identify, propose, and create best practice industry guidance in their specific domain.
The first Technical Topic Group is focused on impact assessments, with around 20,000 resources available. A further 15 Technical Topic Groups are in development, such as cable routing, marine life, seascape, and social impact.
Organisations and individuals are being invited to support and shape the development of OWEKH by signing up to become part of the Community of Practice and Technical Topic Groups. Specialists can lend their expertise by curating and interpreting the data and evidence collected within the knowledge hub. Participants will also be able to stay current with the latest industry advances, input their own expertise and connect with subject matter experts.
The Climate Change Committee expects offshore wind to become the UK’s largest source of power¹. The sector directly and indirectly employs more than 32,000 people, with this forecast to grow to more than 88,000 by 2026, according to the Offshore Wind Industry Council².
Olivia Thomas, Head of Marine Planning at The Crown Estate and Co-sponsor of the Offshore Wind Evidence and Change Programme said:
“Access to the latest high quality data and evidence is vital to the ongoing successful development of the offshore wind sector. This new digital resource will be a key building block and it is far more than an online portal - it will be a collaborative space where experts from across industry and academia can join forces to shape the future of offshore wind across the UK.
“Bringing OWEKH to life through the Offshore Wind Evidence and Change Programme has been a huge achievement and we look forward to continued engagement with the community as we seek to deliver sustainable and secure energy solutions for generations to come.”
Harriet McQuade, Lead for OWEKH at AtkinsRéalis, said:
“Traditional consenting approaches require developers to start collating data from scratch each time, but don’t reflect the digital capabilities we now hold as a sector. OWEKH will provide sector professionals and their projects with critical knowledge transfer, from shared data captured on prior projects, or best practice on analytical methods.
“The OWEKH Community of Practice and Technical Topic Groups are intrinsically linked with the digital portal and will have a significant role in providing a step change in offshore wind consenting. We are encouraging any offshore wind consent experts with knowledge to share to get involved.”
To mark the launch and provide organisations with a greater understanding of OWEKH’s capabilities, a webinar is being hosted at 10:30 AM on January 10th 2024. Hosted by the OWEKH Design Team and members of the Steering Group, the webinar will provide an overview of the vision and mission statement of OWEKH, an insight into the design process, and guidance on operation post-launch including how interested individuals can get involved. Those wishing to attend can register via the following link: Register Now.
ENDS
¹ Delivering a reliable decarbonised power system - Climate Change Committee (theccc.org.uk)
² Over 100,000 offshore wind jobs by 2030 with decisive action on skills – Offshore Wind Industry Council (owic.org.uk)
About the Offshore Wind Evidence and Change Programme
The Offshore Wind Evidence and Change Programme is a unique £50 million initiative that enables the gathering of data and evidence to support the sustainable development of offshore wind in the UK. Funded by The Crown Estate, it brings together a 27-member steering group, spanning government, industry and environmental non-government organisations to collaborate in collating and sharing information that will help speed up the consenting process, protect wildlife and fishing, while promoting greater biodiversity across the UK. By collaborating to address issues and share knowledge, the programme delivers positive outcomes for coastal communities and marine wildlife.
The Programme is led by The Crown Estate in partnership with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is being delivered in collaboration with a number of organisations that share an interest in planning for the future of offshore wind.
The programme focuses on four overarching themes, identified through collaboration with stakeholders, which are:
- Enhancing biodiversity through a comprehensive evidence base
- Optimising use of a busy seabed and supporting co-location
- Enabling faster and more sustainable solutions through knowledge-sharing
- Facing up to challenges collaboratively
For further information about the Offshore Wind Evidence and Change programme, and the projects being delivered, visit its website.
Completed projects are published on the Marine Data Exchange (MDE), the world’s largest database of offshore renewables survey data, research and evidence.
About The Crown Estate
The Crown Estate is a significant national landowner with a diverse £16bn portfolio that includes urban centres and development opportunities; one of the largest rural holdings in the country; Regent Street and St James’s in London’s West End; and Windsor Great Park. We also manage the seabed and much of the coastline around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, playing a major role in the UK’s world leading offshore wind sector.
We are a unique business established by the Crown Estate Act 1961, operating independently, and tasked with growing the value of the portfolio for the nation and returning all of our net profit to the Treasury for the benefit of the nation’s finances. This has totalled £3.2bn over the last ten years.
Through addressing our strategic objectives, The Crown Estate delivers financial value to the Treasury and creates wider environmental, social and economic value for the nation, both for now and into the long term. This includes:
- Playing a significant role in unlocking renewable energy for millions of homes through sectors such as offshore wind and creating opportunities for new technologies like CCUS and hydrogen to deliver the UK’s energy security transition, resulting in thousands of jobs for communities across the UK.
- Supporting the sustainable transformation of land use in the UK through diversified, regenerative agricultural and environmental best practice alongside a thriving natural world.
- Becoming recognised as a centre of excellence for environmental and ecological best practice across the Windsor Estate.
- Identifying and creating opportunities for thriving and resilient communities across the country to support regeneration, housing and innovation.
- Ensuring London retains its global city status, by fostering a more vibrant, greener and inclusive destination for millions of visitors and businesses.
About AtkinsRéalis
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