As the number of offshore renewable developments increase, so do the number of offshore cables required to transmit electricity. The risk of fishing gear snagging on cables and/or cable protection measures causes health and safety concerns for fishers, as well as operational risk for offshore renewable developments. This concern may restrict access to fishing grounds or influence the specific fishing fleets that operate around development sites.

To increase the evidence base for decisions regarding coexistence between offshore renewables and commercial fisheries, ORJIP Offshore Wind is undertaking two projects under the title ‘Improving the evidence base for coexistence between offshore renewables and commercial fishing’. This study is the “main project”, accompanied by a second project, which is the legal liability review.

The project will review experiences to date of colocation between offshore wind developments and commercial fisheries to determine the impacts of colocation on fishing fleets and economic value, and understand examples where fishing activity has been able to continue.

The project aims to understand opportunities to increase available evidence to support decision making around fishing activities within or near offshore wind developments, including modelling, surveys, and trials. If required, the project will scope such activities to increase this evidence base.

Please find our responses to your clarification questions in the list of tender documents below.

The closing date to receive tender submissions is 01 November 2023 12:00 GMT. 

All clarification questions and tender submissions should be sent electronically, by their respective deadlines, to oliver.patrick@carbontrust.com and ivan.savitsky@carbontrust.com.