Co-location: Where neighbours become good friends

With the outputs of pioneering study Project Colocate now published, Adrian Topham, who led this initiative on behalf of The Crown Estate, gives his perspective on its significance and why exploring the co-location of different marine sectors is important.

Our nation’s journey towards net zero is transforming the way we generate, store and use energy. Two key strands of this are the accelerated deployment of offshore wind farms off our coasts and carbon capture and storage (CCS) facilities being developed beneath the seabed.

Both technologies are vital in decarbonising our energy system - supporting the Government’s clean energy targets and contributing to the UK’s energy security. Yet, our seaspace and seabed are becoming increasingly crowded and busy environments. Wind farms, carbon dioxide transport and storage facilities, oil and gas infrastructure, shipping lanes, fisheries and protected environmental zones, and other activities all compete for space. This raises a critical question: is it possible for offshore wind farms and CCS sites to share space - coexisting safely and efficiently?

Project Colocate, a pioneering research initiative delivered by the University of Aberdeen’s Centre for Energy Transition, was launched in 2023 to address this challenge.

It was commissioned through the Offshore Wind and CCUS Co-Location Forum, chaired by The Crown Estate, which brings together partners including the UK Government, Crown Estate Scotland, North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA), RenewableUK and Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC). The forum provides strategic coordination of co-location research and activity and helps maximise the potential of the seabed for these two critical activities.

Funded jointly by The Crown Estate and Crown Estate Scotland, Project Colocate set out to understand the risks, opportunities and practicalities of co-locating offshore wind and CCS infrastructure. The research focused on two key regions: the East Irish Sea and the Outer Moray Firth, both of which are central to the UK’s clean energy ambitions.

This project aimed to identify the main risks associated with co-location, including physical access issues, geological risks linked to legacy oil and gas wells, and the challenges of monitoring CCS sites in proximity to wind farms. The project also sought to develop recommendations for mitigating conflicts and ensuring effective monitoring, measurement and verification of stored carbon dioxide.

Alongside the University of Aberdeen, we at the Forum are pleased to share that the outputs of this groundbreaking study have been published.

The results highlight several significant challenges to co-location which require careful thought:

• Access limitations: Wind turbines and platforms can impede vessel, drilling rig and helicopter access needed for CCS monitoring and maintenance. Conventional seismic surveys, which are crucial for tracking CO₂ underground, become very difficult within wind farms due to collision risks and exclusion zones.

• Legacy well risks: Previous oil and gas operations pose leakage risks, and wind farm infrastructure may prevent access for remediation.

• Timeline conflicts: Overlapping project timelines and licensing requirements can cause costly delays.

Despite these challenges, Project Colocate found that co-location is possible with careful planning and collaboration. The study recommends, when possible:

• Data sharing: Acquiring high-resolution seismic data before wind farm construction to facilitate future CCS monitoring.

• Flexible monitoring approaches: Using a mix of technologies such as Ocean Bottom Nodes, Distributed Acoustic Sensing, and spot seismic surveys to overcome access limitations.

• Proactive planning: Design wind farms with dedicated corridors for vessel and rig access to CCS infrastructure

• Improved regulatory coordination: Enhance collaboration among regulators and stakeholders to avoid future conflicts and delays.

• Technology innovation: Support ongoing innovation in autonomous survey vessels and advanced monitoring technologies.

So, while the co-location of offshore wind and CCS will not be without its challenges, it is crucial for the clean energy transition and our long term, holistic approach to seabed management that we continue to further its potential. Project Colocate’s findings will help shape the next generation of offshore energy projects and ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of global efforts to decarbonise energy generation and usage.

The Co-location Forum has also recently launched Project Anemone which will complement Project Colocate, exploring simultaneous operations of offshore wind and CCS, along with oil and gas operations. This project is also looking for mutually beneficial opportunities arising from the colocation of the three sectors. A series of workshops are due to commence shortly to support the project’s aims create first of a kind practical guidance for how offshore wind, CCS and oil and gas developments and operations can operate alongside each other, and I encourage representatives from those sectors to engage and share their insights.