Abstract
This Evidence Review Note (ERN) provides an evidence-based assessment of the relevance and proportionality of offshore major accidents and disasters (MADs) within the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for UK offshore wind farm (OWF) projects.
Developed by the Offshore Wind Evidence and Knowledge Hub (OWEKH), the ERN draws on a comprehensive review of Environmental Statements (ES), scoping reports and stakeholder expertise to characterise current practice and provide clear guidance for future assessments. It is intended to support more effective, proportionate and consistent EIAs. It should be read alongside the OWEKH Evidence Review Note: Environmental Impact Assessment, which provides complementary guidance on overarching EIA principles and practice.
The review examined 83 UK OWF EIAs and associated scoping reports, with particular focus on projects published after 2017, when UK EIA regulations introduced a specific requirement to consider MADs. Only four projects undertook detailed assessment of MADs impacts, all of which concluded that any effects would be negligible and not significant.
Nine EIAs included a standalone MADs chapter, typically ranging from 35 to 70 pages, and a further two projects provided dedicated MADs assessments as appendices or supporting technical studies. The remaining projects scoped the topic out and addressed potential risks through embedded mitigation within relevant technical chapters, supported by sector-specific risk assessments and established health and safety procedures.
This consistent body of evidence demonstrates that offshore wind infrastructure, the offshore workforce and the marine environment, are effectively protected from potential MADs through embedded safety systems and regulatory risk management processes that sit largely outside the scope of EIA.
The evidence base indicates that offshore MADs can be appropriately scoped out of project-level EIA for OWF developments. To address inconsistencies and inefficiencies in current scoping practice, this ERN recommends that consideration of MADs be limited to a concise, evidence-based statement at the scoping stage, clearly justifying exclusion from further assessment. This proportionate approach reduces unnecessary reporting, avoids duplication of effort and improves clarity and consistency across projects, while remaining compliant with regulatory requirements.