Offshore wind reforms to boost deployment

Reforms have come into force aimed at accelerating the building of new offshore wind farms while protecting the environment.

The reforms enable a broader range of ways that developers can compensate for any unavoidable impact their projects have on protected sites.  

Until now, developers faced strict limits on the types of environmental compensation they could offer. The new rules open up a wider range of options, meaning  measures can be more strategic and better suited to the scale of the UK’s offshore wind ambitions. These could include protecting seabird nesting sites or funding the restoration of native oyster populations.

RenewableUK’s Head of Environment and Consents Kat Route-Stephens said the reforms were significant for the industry.

“They are major milestones which will cut delays and enable offshore wind developers to build vital new clean energy infrastructure significantly faster, while ensuring that they can compensate for any environmental impacts in a much wider range of ways. 

“These changes provide greater certainty and clarity for wind farm developers as we plan, build and operate projects generating clean power in harmony with our rich marine biodiversity.”