Abstract
There are ambitious goals around the world to install 748 GW by 2050 through the development of marine renewable energy generation in Offshore Wind, Tidal Stream, and Tidal Range projects. A key development arising out of the latest round of offshore wind farm developments in UK coastal waters is the significant potential benefit of a reduction in ground investigation costs to project developers in managing risks associated with seabed and sub-seabed conditions. Optimisation of a geological Ground Model is a key part of this process. The role of Georisk Management in marine renewable energy projects is ultimately to understand, reduce where possible, and quantify the risks associated with the dynamic geological and marine systems at and around proposed infrastructure projects, and ultimately to mitigate those risks. This has been discussed through consideration of three strategic approaches, namely, (a) the use of best practice guidelines; (b) determination of the geohistory of a site; and (c), by gaining an understanding of the potential physical impacts of the environment on a renewable energy project. Consequently, we are recommending that for near-shore offshore renewable energy projects consideration is given to the broader panoply of processes, both terrestrial and marine, including impacts of changing climate.