18 May 2026
Photo by Peter Kostov Speaking at the State Opening of Parliament on 13 May, King Charles III confirmed a sweeping legislative programme for 2026–27, anchored by an Energy Independence Bill and a Clean Water Bill. For marine professionals, the speech contained both significant opportunity and pointed omissions. “My Ministers believe that energy independence must be a […]
18 May 2026
Photo by Marian Florinel Condruz Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has granted development consent to three major offshore wind farms on the same day as the King’s Speech, adding up to 4GW of new North Sea generating capacity, equivalent to a quarter of the UK’s entire current offshore wind fleet. The decisions, announced on 13 […]
12 May 2026
Photo by Phill Brown A team of 26 scientists drawn from eleven government bodies is currently mapping the seabed off Britain’s south-west coast in what has been described as the most ambitious collaborative survey of its kind ever undertaken in the UK. The four-week mission, designated CSM2026, is being carried out aboard the research vessel Cefas Endeavour […]
12 May 2026
Photo by Igor Francetic Three ScotWind offshore wind developers have joined forces with Crown Estate Scotland and NatureScot to fund a two-year acoustic study of minke whale activity in a marine protected area that lies directly in the path of planned grid connection infrastructure off the Aberdeenshire coast. The study, led by the Scottish […]
21 Apr 2026
Photo by Michael Ziegler The North Sea is at a critical inflection point. A vast number of ageing oil and gas structures are reaching the end of their operational life and will require decommissioning, while hundreds of new offshore wind turbines are being deployed. As the basin becomes increasingly geopolitically contested, and with future considerations […]
21 Apr 2026
Photo by Viktor Hesse The UK Supreme Court has unanimously ruled against Ørsted in a landmark tax dispute, finding that nearly £50m spent on surveys and studies during the development of four offshore wind farms does not qualify for capital allowances. The Danish developer has warned the ruling weakens the business case for offshore […]
07 Apr 2026
Photo by Rogue Li New research into the acoustic impact of offshore wind farms on marine life has produced a series of counterintuitive findings — and raised questions about how well the industry understands its effects on the underwater environment. PhD candidate and marine biologist Fien Demuynck, of Leiden University, spent years conducting fieldwork along the […]
31 Mar 2026
Photo by Rogue Li The Crown Estate has announced plans for a new offshore wind seabed leasing round targeting around 6GW or more of capacity, predominantly off the north-east coast of England. Offshore Wind Leasing Round 6 is scheduled to launch in the first half of 2027, with sites expected to be in water depths suitable […]
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