Offshore Wind Worldwide Regulatory Framework in Selected Countries 5th Edition 2024 - Flipbook - Page 350
United Kingdom
350
7. OTHER
Under sections 105 to 114 of the Energy
Act 2004, the Secretary of State will require
a person responsible for an offshore wind
farm to submit and carry out a costed
decommissioning programme. That person
may have to provide financial security to
reduce the costs to the taxpayer. This has
been in force since 1 October 2005.
Draft decommissioning programmes are
required to be approved by the Secretary of
State prior to the installation’s construction
and should be informed by an EIA.
Any decision to allow some or all of an
installation or structure to remain on or in
the seabed will be based on a case-by-case
evaluation of a range of matters, including,
where appropriate:
•
the potential effect on the safety of
surface or subsurface navigation;
•
the potential impact on other uses of the
sea;
•
the potential effect on the marine environment, including living resources;
•
the costs of removal; and
•
the risks of injury to personnel associated with removal.
The developer must confirm that, after
decommissioning, the site has been cleared
in accordance with the approved decommissioning programme and evidence that this
has been achieved.
