Guidance to Mariners Operating in the Vicinity of UK OREIs

The United Kingdom Maritime and Coastguard Agency has issued the marine guidance notice "Safety of Navigation: Guidance to Mariners Operating in the Vicinity of UK Offshore Renewable Energy Installations (OREIs)".

This notice has been published on November 4th, 2022. It replaces Offshore Renewable Energy Installations (OREIs) published on August 31st, 2008.

This Marine Guidance Note highlights the issues to be considered when planning and undertaking voyages in the vicinity of offshore renewable energy installations (OREIs) in UK waters.

This Guidance Note will enable mariners to make an informed risk assessment for the intended voyage.

Offshore renewable energy installations present new challenges to safe navigation, but proper voyage planning and access to relevant safety information should ensure that safety is not compromised.

At present most OREIs are wind farms, though installations using wave or tidal power have been established off the UK coast.

Information is provided to enable appropriate voyage planning decisions to be made.

In November 2022, 44 offshore wind farms were operational, and a further 15 were in the post-consent or construction phases. These are mainly located in the East Irish Sea, the southern North Sea (areas off the Humber, the Greater Wash, East Anglia and the Thames Estuary), Firth of Forth and Moray Firth. There are also several sites in the planning stages around the north and east coasts of Scotland and the Celtic Sea. Various industry websites exist that provide updated information on wind farm sites on operation and in planning such as The Crown Estate and Crown Estate Scotland.

This notice should be read in conjunction with Marine Guidance Note Safety of Navigation: Offshore Renewable Energy Installations (OREIs) – Guidance on UK Navigational Practice, Safety and Emergency Response, and Marine Guidance Note "Navigation: Safe and Responsible Anchoring and Fishing Practices – Avoiding Damage to Submarine Cables and Pipelines".

This MGN should be considered together with the guidance on voyage planning found in other publications, relating to the implementation of SOLAS V Regulation 34 ("Voyage Planning").

Reference should be made to the Marine Guidance Note Navigation: SOLAS Chapter V -Guidance on the Merchant Shipping (Safety of Navigation) Regulations 2020.

RELEVANT DOCUMENTS (AVAILABLE ONLY TO SUBSCRIBERS):

Safety of Navigation: Guidance to Mariners Operating in the Vicinity of UK Offshore Renewable Energy Installations (OREIs)

Safety of Navigation: Offshore Renewable Energy Installations (OREIs) - Guidance on UK Navigational Practice, Safety and Emergency Response

Navigation: SOLAS Chapter V - Guidance on the Merchant Shipping (Safety of Navigation) Regulations 2020

Are you interested in more regulatory documents? Visit Marineregulations.com