The Crown Estate, which manages the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, has announced it is considering new rights for offshore wind developers
The RYA says it will continue to monitor the development of the seabed around the UK coastline after The Crown Estate announced it is to consider making new seabed rights for offshore wind developers.
The move follows the government’s backing for offshore wind in the Clean Growth Strategy, which sets out proposals for decarbonising all sectors of the UK economy through the 2020s.
The Crown Estate manages the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and collaborates with the offshore wind sector and stakeholders to address common challenges and share best practice, helping to attract investment and bring down costs.
The RYA said that while it acknowledged the government’s desire for renewable energy it was “keen to ensure the navigational safety of recreational boating around the coast”.
The association already regularly monitors the development of seabed areas leased by The Crown Estate to assess the potential impact on sailors, and meets with developers to discuss navigation safety.
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The plans for making new seabed rights are still in their early stages, and more details are expected to be released in early 2018.
Commenting, the director of energy, minerals and infrastructure at the Crown Estate, Huub den Rooijen, said offshore wind was “a fantastic UK success story”.
“We have some of the best resources in the world and the sector is on course to meet 10% of the UK’s electricity demand by 2020,” he said.
“With costs continuing to come down at a pace and Government looking at further opportunities for additional offshore wind deployment in the 2020s, it is the right time to consider what additional seabed rights may be needed to help secure the UK’s clean energy future,” he added.
According to the Energy Minister, Richard Harrington, the UK could support another 10GW of offshore wind over the next decade.