The UK Hydrographic Office and Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science have selected Marico Marine as the winner of the third Admiralty Marine Innovation Programme challenge
For the programme’s third innovation challenge, participants were asked to demonstrate how marine geospatial data could help identify new areas for offshore renewable energy infrastructure.
In response, Marico Marine developed a geospatial constraints mapping toolkit that helps developers and regulators to understand the impact shipping could have on projects early in the planning process.
By combining Admiralty data with GIS analysis and professional mariner expertise, the toolkit will allow the identification of potential hotspots within proposed project boundaries.
The impact projects could have on shipping and wider maritime navigation is a key consideration for consenting authorities, yet it is often considered late in the licence application process. Marico Marine’s solution will make it commercially viable for shipping and wider maritime navigation implications to be considered at an earlier stage.
Marico Marine UK director André Cocuccio said, “Shipping and navigation is a complex receptor to evaluate. Our product aims to reduce the likelihood that projects are rejected. We are looking forward to the months ahead and developing a powerful product with the UKHO that we hope will have a real impact in the industry.”
UK Hydrographic Office head of research, design and innovation Mark Casey said, “We need to find new ways to grow our marine economy while reducing our impact on the environment.
“Ocean renewables can help us to achieve this balance by reducing our dependence on damaging fossil fuels and helping communities around the world to access a more sustainable source of energy.
“Marico Marine’s solution will help to grow this sector by giving developers access to marine geospatial data that helps to identify the best locations for new offshore energy infrastructure.”
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