The North Sea Transition Authority and The Crown Estate have today (10 October 24) published a new Statement of Intent to confirm joint aspirations in ensuring a more sustainable and closely co-ordinated management of the seabed.
The aim is to build on close collaboration to date and now proactively share data between the two organisations, where possible. This will enable marine development and support a co-ordinated approach to the leasing and licensing of carbon storage, helping to make the UK a world-leading destination for CCUS project investment and the supply chain.
This proactive and collaborative approach will support UK CCUS developments and help meet carbon storage targets, while considering other energy sectors, marine industries, sea users and the natural environment.
The shared data will include spatial information such as GIS maps and co-ordinates of areas under consideration for leasing or licensing.
In addition to setting out common priorities and challenges, the Statement of Intent outlines several joint actions, including:
- Implementing a data sharing agreement
- Working together and with other relevant bodies to drive coordinated action across sectors, agencies, and the UK
- Collaborating on carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) development
- Identifying and addressing challenges to coordinated seabed use
- Strengthening the evidence base for decision-making
While not legally binding, this agreement represents a shared commitment to fostering sustainable marine development and supporting the UK's energy transition and builds on a previous agreement.
The Statement of Intent can be accessed here.