Abstract
The Offshore Renewables Joint industry Programme Ocean Energy (ORJIP Ocean Energy) was first funded in 2015 by The Crown Estate (TCE), Marine Scotland and Welsh Government (the Sponsors) as the result of recognition amongst many in the industry (developers, regulators, their advisors and the research community) that a coordinated, strategic approach would help de-risk and accelerate the consenting of wave and tidal current projects in the UK. ORJIP Ocean Energy was designed to bring together industry, funders and researchers so that the sectors‟ Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA) consenting risks could be addressed in a timely manner and on a strategic basis. The Secretariat role was funded for an initial pilot phase, lasting approximately 15 months to June 2016. With the addition of funders Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW), the first official phase of the project was run from June 2016 to June 2017. The Secretariat function is run by Aquatera and delivery partners MarineSpace and the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC).
The first key task of the Secretariat during the pilot phase was to produce a published report outlining the strategic research priorities that would form the focus of ORJIP Ocean Energy. The first version of this report, entitled the Forward Look, was published in July 2015. The second version of the Forward Look was published in February 2016. The third iteration of the Forward Look is presented here. This version of the Forward Look has also been updated to include the priority consenting EIA/HRA issues for tidal lagoon developments following the ORJIP Ocean Energy workshop1 held on 3 May, 2017 in Bristol during which stakeholders were consulted to identify and consolidate issues and priority research areas for the tidal lagoon sector.
The ORJIP OE Programme Brief gives a full description of the ORJIP OE Project including aims and objectives.