Abstract
On 10 December 2024, the Offshore Wind Industry Council’s Environment and Consents team (OWIC E&C) held a task & finish group workshop to discuss the development of an as-built register for the UK offshore wind sector to inform cumulative assessment of risks to seabirds. This workshop was attended by developers, government representatives, regulators, and other relevant industry stakeholders and focused on the steps required to develop a comprehensive as-built register for Scotland, England and Wales.
The as-built register will contain information on above-water, seabird relevant parameters at consent application, consent award and post-build for offshore wind projects in UK waters. Collating this data will enable a more accurate common understanding of cumulative effects from offshore wind, as assessments are currently carried out based on parameters put forward in project applications, rather than what is actually built. While this project has been conceptualised a number of times, work to develop an as-built register has faltered in the past due to a number of underlying issues and concerns, and the need for a database containing this information is becoming more apparent as developers are having to compensate for cumulative effects on seabird populations. Maintaining an up-to-date, accurate record of as-built wind farm metrics is critical to ensuring that assessments are proportionate and any ‘headroom’ available to new offshore wind farm developments is identified. This workshop is the first step in ensuring the project progresses to completion in a way that is satisfactory to key stakeholders and improves the seabird compensation outlook for projects in the offshore wind pipeline. The need for this work and importance of delivering its outcomes is made evident in the National Policy Statement for Renewable Energy Infrastructure.
The workshop sought feedback on a draft EnergyPulse dashboard as a host for the as-built register tool interface and database. The session looked for agreement on a method for establishing bird-related compensation headroom for built projects in England and Wales, and in Scotland, and for clarity around delivery of a tool, including the scope, data collection methods and delivery. The workshop also aimed to get agreement on a method for ensuring released headroom is available to upcoming local projects in the offshore wind pipeline.