Anatec have been involved in wet renewable projects (offshore wave and tidal energy) since 2005 when working on the Navigational Risk Assessment (NRA) for the South West Wave Hub test bed project off Cornwall. In the early stages, we also assisted the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in selecting sites and performing the NRAs required to consent their wave and tidal test sites in Orkney, based on a range of potential technologies and devices. 

Since then, the projects have grown in scale and the geographical focus has widened across the UK including several shipping and navigation risk assessments in the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters, as well as the south coast of England, West Wales and Ireland. This has been for a range of clients and covered a wide range of wave and tidal technologies, including surface-piercing and subsea devices.

For example, in the Meygen Inner Sound project we modelled the risk of ship collision based on the designed under keel clearance, taking into account water depth, rotor blade diameter, wave motion, tidal height and effects such as squat and surge. A probabilistic risk assessment was carried out and referenced to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s (MCA’s) Policy Paper on Under Keel Clearance.

We have also assisted developers by providing shipping data to inform constraints mapping and site selection for new leasing applications in the UK and Europe.

Please contact us for further details on our services in this field, or for advice on the shipping and navigation assessment work required to support the consent process for an offshore wave or tidal energy development.