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Press Release 19/05
IMCA PUBLISHES OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY POSITION PAPER
IMCA - the International Marine Contractors Association - the international association with over 280 members in more than 35 countries representing offshore, marine and underwater engineering companies, has prepared a position paper on offshore renewable energy to assist and inform its members on the marine renewable energy market.
"IMCA members support the development of renewable energy and are increasingly involved in offshore renewable construction projects," explains the association's Chief Executive, Hugh Williams. " The purpose of our newly published paper is to inform our members and to solicit feedback from industry, reflecting the fact that knowledge sharing will be beneficial to the industry.
"Our members can look forward to contributing to the offshore renewables market, which should grow in the medium-term future, and are in a position to bring considerable technical expertise and safety experience to a new and growing industry."
What the paper covers
After looking at the background and scale of developments using the existing and planned UK wind farm developments (Round 1, Round 2 and plans for the Beatrice field) as an illustration, the 14-page IMCA paper looks at: legislation and guidelines; raising awareness; the market; R&D; other technical issues; safety and environment; and contracting; whilst, wave and tidal power are covered in appendices.
"We have highlighted areas where further R&D expenditure may be necessary, and areas where commercial development has further to proceed," explains Hugh Williams. "The variety of tasks involved in the offshore renewables marketplace is reflected in the paper, as are a number of relevant technical and commercial issues, including cable laying, J-tube and installation vessel design, diving personnel access, and the contracting regime.
"The important matter of safety is dealt with in some detail, and the paper highlights the tangible benefits in reduced accidents of a proactive approach to health, safety and environment, conducted through a wide range of preventative measures and mitigation mechanisms. We will continue to work with the BWEA (British Wind Energy Association) Safety Committee in this area, as we find new ideas and ways of communicating the safety message.
"The scale, timing and planning of offshore wind farm installations is not yet completely predictable. The position paper suggests that though the marketplace for offshore renewables may become larger in the future, at the present time project finance and industry capacity to deliver may constrain development. Our members continue to monitor developments in the market as volume grows and projects move into deeper water."
The background
IMCA has four technical divisions, covering marine/specialist vessel operations, offshore diving, hydrographic survey and remote systems and ROVs, plus geographic sections for the Americas Deepwater, Asia-Pacific, Europe & Africa and the Middle East & India regions, as well as a core focus on safety, the environment, competence and training. The Europe & Africa section has, as part of its remit, the aim of sharing the latest developments on renewables (and also on offshore decommissioning) through presentations and discussions aiming to develop common positions (as demonstrated by the newly published paper) and identify areas for future IMCA work. Members-only days have been held, and Hugh Williams has spoken on the topic - particularly on safety - at key industry meetings.
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