Country Profile Webinar: Lessons from the United Kingdom

Introduction

On 12 November the Renewables Grid Initiative and the Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature – North and Baltic Seas will hold the latest edition in our Country Profile Webinar Series, focusing on understanding various European country’s approaches to delivering offshore wind alongside nature protection, as well as the country-specific frameworks and strategies supporting these efforts. Recognising the leading role the UK plays in the continent’s offshore energy transition with over 16GW installed, OCEaN has selected the United Kingdom (UK) to feature in the fourth webinar in this series.

Due to the urgent challenges posed by the energy, climate, and biodiversity crises, it is necessary to understand the varied approaches of different European countries in accelerating the planning and permitting of offshore wind and grid alongside nature protection and restoration. Our Country Profile Webinar Series addressed this by highlighting legal and regulatory frameworks within selected European countries related to offshore wind, grid and nature planning.

We look forward to exploring the UK’s offshore wind targets and how their policy frameworks, planning strategies, and consenting approaches are striving to ensure co-existence with marine ecosystems. Expert speakers representing the wind industry, civil society, and the Crown Estate will outline lessons learned over the last decades and touch on the role of Maritime Spatial Planning, sensitivity maps, and initiatives addressing knowledge gaps, such as the OWEC programme. The ultimate goal of this webinar is for our participants to understand the interconnectedness of planning and consenting in offshore wind and grid infrastructure in the UK while also touching on how ecological aspects are addressed in these different phases.

Our experts speakers will be:

• Olivia Thomas, Head of Planning & Technical, The Crown Estate
• Kat Route-Stephens, Head of Environment and Consents, RenewableUK
• Samuel Wrobel, Senior Marine Policy Officer, RSPB

Register now and get your questions ready on the UK’s approach to nature-friendly offshore wind and grid deployment.