Offshore Wind: 10 Roadblocks to Watch in the Consent Process

In this episode of Assurance in Action, we dive into 10 critical challenges that can impact the consent phase of offshore wind farm development. From stakeholder pushback and political hurdles to landscape concerns, design flexibility, and financial risks, this episode explores the early-stage complexities that can influence project success. A must-listen for anyone involved in renewable energy planning and development.

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Transcript

Natalia Farina

Welcome to Assurance in Action, the podcast that brings you expert insights on quality, safety, and sustainability.

In this episode, we’re focusing on offshore wind energy. You’ll hear from Richard Sargeant, Intertek’s Subject Matter Expert for offshore wind, as he shares 10 key challenges that can arise during the consent phase of developing an offshore wind farm. Let’s jump into it.

 Richard Sargeant 
Hi, I'm Richard Sargeant. I'm the Subject Matter Expert for offshore wind at Intertek. Today, I’m going to talk about 10 issues that affect the consent phase when building a new offshore wind farm. We actually have a list of 101 of these, and this is the first batch of 10, so I’m going to run through them quite quickly.

Number one, there could be stakeholder pushback due to fisheries. It's common globally that fishermen are concerned about changing their working practices to avoid offshore wind farms, including avoiding submerged elements like cables. On the other hand, operators are investing in artificial reefs to help boost biodiversity, so eventually, these activities will have to coexist.

Number two is stakeholder pushback due to navigation, depending on where the wind farm gets built.

Number three is public opposition due to landscape shaping. Even though offshore wind farms are built offshore and have fewer complaints about visual impact compared to onshore farms, some people do complain if the wind farm spoils their seaside view.

Number four is political opposition. A wind farm will only be built if there’s political support. For example, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson once said wind farms couldn’t “pull the skin off a rice pudding,” but last year, over a third of the UK’s energy came from wind, so that turned out to be wrong.

Number five is when the developer moves the goalposts from the original environmental impact assessment. This means they get permission to build one thing, but then the plans change to accommodate future-proofing, which can be challenging.

Number six is a lack of public consultation. It sounds simple, but everyone has to buy in.

Number seven is a lack of flexibility in the design envelope. Turbines have been growing in capabilities, size, and power generation, sometimes with orders placed for turbines that don’t even exist yet. So, the design needs to be flexible.

Number eight is the cumulative effect of multiple sites built close together. Since 71% of the world’s surface is water and offshore wind is successful especially in “sweet spots,” wind farms can be built near each other. The “wake effect” of one turbine can impact another’s performance, even at considerable distances. This can be mitigated with better modeling and planning.

Number nine is simply an incorrect economic model. You’ve won the bid—now what?

Finally, number ten is rising interest costs. While not the most exciting topic, rising interest rates can have a huge impact on these multi-billion-dollar projects. This might drive better innovation in the industry since many projects are still in the pipeline.

That’s my 10 things that can go wrong during the consent phase of offshore wind farm development. Thanks for listening!

Natalia Farina

That’s a wrap for today’s episode of Sustainability Talks.

For more information and the latest updates, visit us at www.intertek.com/wind, and be sure to check out our upcoming Offshore Wind Events at www.intertek.com/events/2025.

A special thanks to Richard for sharing his insights on this important topic. We’re looking forward to continuing the conversation in future episodes.

Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you next time.