The UK government has announced new rules that offshore wind developers should use “low-noise methods” for disposing of unexploded ordnance on the seabed.
Low noise clearance, which renders UXO safe without resulting in a high order detonation, will become “the default” option for all future applicants of marine licenses, according to a joint statement from London, devolved governments and associated organisations including Natural England.
Policymakers said the switch to “new tools” would reduce seabed damage and injury and disturbance to marine species.
They added high-order clearance methods would now be “the last resort” for the clearance of unexploded ordnance that is frequently encountered in UK waters as a legacy of the two world wars.
These traditional high-energy methods will continue to be allowed only in “extraordinary circumstances”, including a repeated failure of low-noise tools after three attempts and other factors including depth and shell thickness.