The Marine Data Exchange digital platform is undergoing a significant expansion to now incorporate data on offshore enterprises operating in Scottish waters, following a landmark agreement between the Crown Estate and Crown Estate Scotland.
This extension of the Marine Data Exchange is poised to provide developers working in UK waters with a more comprehensive dataset, facilitating informed decision-making for offshore developments. The initiative aims to accelerate the deployment of offshore technologies vital to the UK's energy transition while safeguarding the biodiversity of the marine environment.
Established by The Crown Estate in 2013, the Marine Data Exchange represents a pioneering effort in consolidating freely available survey data, research, and evidence pertaining to the seas around England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and now, Scotland.
The platform, accessible at no cost, offers a user-friendly search function, granting access to a diverse array of information spanning various industries such as offshore wind, tidal and wave energy, sub-sea cables, as well as research and evidence projects.
With the inclusion of Scottish data, the Marine Data Exchange will now contribute to UK-wide initiatives spearheaded by The Crown Estate, including the Offshore Wind Evidence & Change program and the Offshore Wind Evidence & Knowledge Hub.
Olivia Thomas, Head of Marine Planning at The Crown Estate, emphasized the benefits of this expanded collaboration, stating, “By taking a UK-wide view from today, this new arrangement will benefit the Marine Data Exchange's many users, the natural environment, and support the faster, more sustainable roll-out of offshore technologies that are critical to the UK's transition to a net zero energy future.”
Sian Wilson, Interim Director of Marine for Crown Estate Scotland, highlighted the broader impact of the expanded Marine Data Exchange, stating, “With the new, expanded Marine Data Exchange now live, a wide range of people and organizations will now benefit from a UK-wide resource of high-quality data, essential to advancing work in many areas.”
Wilson also emphasized the significance of this development in supporting initiatives such as the ScotWind Leasing round, which involves 20 projects totaling 27.6GW of clean energy. This ambitious endeavor is pivotal in addressing the climate emergency, securing the nation's energy supply, and driving substantial investment into the economy.
