The short-life planning and consenting taskforce established in October 2011 to bring together offshore renewable developers with Marine Scotland and environmental regulators has published its blueprint to streamline the scoping, planning and consenting of offshore renewables developments in Scotland.

The report prepared by the task force, which comprised Marine Scotland, environmental regulators, renewable developers and The Crown Estate, was welcomed by Alex Salmond as he co-chaired the first 2012 meeting of the Scottish Energy Advisory Board (SEAB).  The aim was to produce a report promoting greater streamlining and efficiency of Scotland’s marine planning and consenting regimes to enable Scotland to meet its offshore renewable ambitions, as set out in the 2020 Routemap for Renewable Energy in Scotland.

The task force recommendations include:

• creating a national database of survey data, with information from DECC, The Crown Estate and, at the appropriate time, developers - to reduce duplication and minimise cost and time
• introducing common standards in data collection and assessment to ensure developers can use methodologies consistently and with confidence
• using mandatory multilateral consultation to engage other sea users (fisheries, shipping, recreational users, communities, etc) at the earliest opportunity, before applications
• increasing resources in Marine Scotland (on cost-recovery basis) to provide required environment specialists for efficient scoping and application processes
• prioritising early work to identify potential sites for new test facilities, including deep water offshore wind technologies

These will now be taken forward by Marine Scotland, SNH and other regulatory/advisory bodies.  They build on MS’s existing work, including the creation of a ‘one-stop-shop’ to reduce the number of statutory/advisory bodies to be contacted during licensing, and the publication of a marine renewables licensing manual, currently undergoing review and to be expanded to include offshore wind energy development.

First Minister Alex Salmond said:

"The Scottish Government and our agencies are determined to build a strong, sustainable and world-leading offshore renewables industry, bringing jobs and investment to communities around the country.  An increasing number of major overseas firms are already joining leading Scottish companies to invest in the development of wind, wave and tidal in Scotland.  As we move towards our 2020 target of ensuring renewables contribute at least 100 per cent of Scotland’s own electricity demand, it is important that the scoping, planning, development and deployment of offshore wind, wave and tidal generation is done as effectively and efficiently as possible.

"That requires developers to consult early with other industries and with communities and to use common standards when surveying potential sites, while it requires public agencies to commit sufficient resources to be able to provide good information, timely advice and clear decisions to developers and other interested parties.

"Scotland’s distinct approach to sectoral marine planning has already provided clarity for developers.  By ensuring that government, developers and others get things right at the strategic planning and earliest licensing stages we can cut the time and resource spent on inappropriate developments and allow a greater focus on those areas with the best opportunities to harness resources sustainably. In that way we will reduce our reliance on other forms of fossil fuel-generated power and help tackle damaging climate change."

The task force was co-chaired, along with Energy Minister Fergus Ewing, by Professor Russel Griggs, who is also chairman of the Regulatory Review Group, the body which independently advises the Scottish Government on issues of regulations.

Scottish Renewables Director of Policy Jenny Hogan commented:

"With more than 11GW of offshore wind, wave and tidal energy projects in the pipeline by 2020, a streamlined and efficient process for securing planning consent is crucial to making these plans a reality, and creating a lynchpin for Scotland’s next industrial revolution. This report’s recommendations will build upon the concerted effort made by industry, government and regulators to move these projects closer to deployment, and ultimately deliver clean, safe and secure electricity from around our shores to homes and businesses across Scotland."

Alan Mortimer, Head of Innovation for ScottishPower Renewables said that marine and offshore renewables had the potential to make a huge contribution to Scotland’s energy needs as well as placing it in a prime position to lead the industry.