The Carbon Trust has today announced the launch of Stage 2 of the Offshore Renewable Joint Industry Project (ORJIP) for Offshore Wind. The programme aims to reduce consenting risk, project maturation time, cost and the environmental impact of existing and future offshore wind farms. The programme is funded by public and private partners including EDF Renewables, EDP Renewables, E.ON, Equinor, Innogy, Marine Scotland, Red Rock Power Limited, Shell, SSE Renewables, The Crown Estate and Crown Estate Scotland.

Over the next four years ORJIP Offshore Wind Stage 2 will provide a framework to identify, develop, initiate and conduct impactful, strategic research and development projects. The activities will build on the existing evidence base in respect of the overall environmental impact of offshore wind projects. This will also help to better inform consenting authorities and offshore wind farm developers on the environmental risk that is associated with planned and existing offshore wind projects.

Mr Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands commented:

“As set out in our Programme for Government, we are committed to supporting research that will help address challenges with the sustainability of offshore renewables. Working collaboratively with others is at the heart of this and we welcome this partnership approach to strategic research that recognises interests across developers and public bodies, as well as the Scottish Government and our counterparts in the other devolved administrations.”

Jan Matthiesen, Director of Offshore Wind at the Carbon Trust said:

“It is clear that offshore wind will continue to play a critical role in decarbonising energy and helping to meet net zero ambitions set out by the IPCC. As outlined in the recent sector deal, the UK has committed to quadruple the amount of installed capacity. Increased ambition will bring new challenges, which will need a collaborative effort to address. The Carbon Trust is extremely excited to launch ORJIP Offshore Wind Stage 2, with the backing of key players across the industry. Stage 1 created a solid foundation to build on and we look forward to working with the partners to advance a progressive programme of research to reduce the consenting risk associated with offshore wind development.”

ORJIP Offshore Wind was originally launched in 2012. During Stage 1 the programme made a significant contribution to the evidence base around the impact of offshore wind on marine life, which has allowed for more informed consenting decisions to be made. Major studies included an investigation into the efficacy of Acoustic Deterrent Devices on different marine mammals and a pioneering two-year study to record and quantify the avoidance behaviour of seabirds around offshore wind farms.  

Over the next three months, the ORJIP Offshore Wind partners will engage with key stakeholders to invite participation in the programmes advisory network.

For more information visit the ORJIP project page.

ENDS

For further information please contact the Carbon Trust press office on +44 (0) 20 7170 7050 or email press@carbontrust.com.

About the Carbon Trust

The Carbon Trust is a world-leading organisation helping businesses, governments and the public sector to accelerate the move to a sustainable, low carbon economy through carbon reduction, energy-saving strategies and commercialising low carbon technologies.

The Carbon Trust have been at the forefront of the offshore wind industry for the past decade, working closely with government, developers, supply chain, and innovators to inform policy, support technology designers, identify opportunities to reduce the cost of energy, and deliver innovation programmes to achieve cost reduction. The Carbon Trust’s expertise spans the development and delivery of multi-million pound research and development programmes and providing strategic support to governments and businesses around the world.

About ORJIP Offshore Wind

Before a wind farm can be built, developers must be awarded consent, but consenting decisions depend on the predicted environmental impact a project may have, which may be uncertain due to the lack of research. Developers must prove that the risk to the environment is not significant.

The Offshore Renewable Joint Industry Project (ORJIP) for Offshore Wind was originally set up in 2012 with an objective to reduce the consenting risk through addressing knowledge gaps for offshore wind farm developments funding research projects to better inform consenting authorities on the true environmental risk of offshore wind. This included:

• funding research to improve our understanding of the effects of offshore wind on the marine environment;
• reducing the risk of not getting, or delaying consent; and,
• reducing the risk of getting consent with conditions that reduce viability of the project.f