The Crown Estate is seeking views to help fast-track the benefits of floating wind technology in the Celtic Sea.
Views on pre-consent survey requirements are being invited from over 50 developers.
The Crown Estate aims to provide an opportunity to develop a data collection programme that could potentially make a significant reduction to the development timelines of projects, by supporting developers in their data gathering processes.
The engagement will solicit feedback on the datasets, methods, standards and areas of focus that would accelerate delivery as much as possible.
Subject to feedback, the surveys could include geophysical data, the wind resource, the composition of the seabed and environmental factors.
The surveys will ensure developments can continue to be sensitive to the complex pressures on the environment and the needs of other marine industries.
The ring-fenced investment by The Crown Estate builds on prior collaboration with developers on such surveys, as part of its new approach to delivering offshore wind technology in the UK and supporting the country’s net zero ambitions.
The Crown Estate will seek the views of marine stakeholders, after developers have shared their views and the outputs of the market engagement exercise have been brought together.
A final investment decision will be taken later this year.
The Crown Estate programme manager for pre-consenting surveys Graham Moates said: “To help meet ambitions to deliver increased energy from offshore wind and to do so as effectively as possible, The Crown Estate is pursuing a range of investments and enabling actions to accelerate the build-out of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea.
“We have been committed to collaborating with stakeholders and the market throughout this journey and, to make this survey programme as impactful as possible, we will continue to work closely with potential bidders to ensure we can support them in gathering the right type of data.”
The Crown Estate will also soon share an update on the areas of search for floating wind development in the Celtic Sea, following a programme of ongoing engagement with stakeholders.
Additional engagement will take place in the coming months to guide further refinement of the areas of search into sites for development, which will be taken forward for consideration as part of the integrated Habitats Regulations Assessment.