COWRIE

As part of the procedures for Round One, The Crown Estate set up a Trust Fund based on the refundable financial deposits made by developers. The fund was set up for the purpose of generic environmental research to benefit the early stages of the offshore windfarm industry as a whole and is administered by a Steering Group.

The COWRIE 1 Steering Group was made up of experts from the offshore wind industry, English Nature, Countryside Council for Wales, Scottish Natural Heritage, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, DEFRA, CEFAS, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the DTI and BWEA. The Steering Group is chaired and administered by The Crown Estate.

For the notes from the Steering Group meetings, please select the relevant link below:

COWRIE steering group minutes of 22-06-2004 PDF (17 KB)
COWRIE steering group minutes of 28-01-2004 PDF (29 KB)
COWRIE steering group minutes of 09-07-2003 PDF (27 KB)
COWRIE steering group minutes of 17-01-2003 PDF (19 KB)
COWRIE steering group minutes of 14-10-2002 PDF (17 KB)
COWRIE steering group minutes of 30-05-2002 PDF (24 KB)
COWRIE steering group minutes of 04-04-2002 PDF(28 KB)
COWRIE steering group minutes of 07-02-2002 PDF (27 KB)

Since 2001, based upon an assessment of work completed to date in both the UK and other European countries, COWRIE, working with industry, has identified a number of priority areas for generic environmental research:

  • Potential effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) on fish
  • Baseline methodologies for aerial and boat based surveys
  • The displacement of birds (especially Common Scoter) from benthic feeding areas
  • Potential effects of underwater noise and vibration on marine mammals
  • An assessment of Remote Techniques

For each project interim and final reports have been posted on this site. Click on the different research projects to find out more about each project specification, the programme of work and to access completed reports.

The COWRIE research studies are quite separate from the requirements on developers to undertake site investigations to inform Environmental Impact Assessments or site monitoring requirements but it is envisaged that the outcome of the research will be guidance and best practice which should be of great benefit to developers. Since the establishment of COWRIE the DTI and other Government Departments have provided funding for research into a variety of issues.