As the marine renewable energy (MRE; wave, tidal, ocean current, and salinity and temperature gradient) industry progresses worldwide, concerns about the potential effects of MRE devices on marine animals, habitats, and the environment continue to be a challenge for the industry. Our understanding of the potential environmental effects of MRE development is increasing, and the ability to retire risks allows for both the MRE industry to move forward and for research and resources to focus on studying environmental risks that may be more important.
The Guidance Documents for Risk Retirement have been developed by OES-Environmental to help make scientific information accessible and to compile tools and information for easy access. All information is tailored for regulators, advisors, MRE developers, and consultants to simplify the search for up-to-date information with which to address consenting requirements and concerns from MRE. View each of the documents below.
Click on individual boxes of the image below to view components of the guidance documents. Those marked in color are either available or currently being drafted, while those marked in grey will be drafted in the next phase of development. Starting with the background document for context is highly recommended.
The guidance documents include:
- A background document that provides:
- Descriptions of the four regulatory categories relevant for MRE consenting and licensing: species and populations at risk, habitat loss or alteration, effects on water quality, and effects on social and economic systems; and
- A framework that depicts the application of risk retirement to consenting processes.
- Country-specific documents providing the MRE regulatory context for each of the OES-Environmental countries
- Stressor-specific documents
- Electromagnetic Fields
- Underwater Noise
- Habitat Change
- Oceanographic Systems
- Entanglement
- Collision Risk
- Displacement (next phase of development)