The Crown Estate plans to digitally map the seabed resource needed for future use

The Crown Estate has commenced pioneering work to digitally map the seabed resource needed to meet future demand, enabling the delivery of multiple priorities including net zero and nature recovery, as well as the enhanced co-ordination of  future activities out to 2050.

The seabed supports an extraordinary number of livelihoods, natural habitats and industries and, with recent advances in new industries such as offshore wind, carbon capture and storage and other renewable technologies, it is becoming an increasingly crowded space.  

In collaboration with a wide range of organisations which have a role to play offshore, The Crown Estate is building an integrated, spatial analysis platform which will consider: existing and future demands on the seabed out to 2050; geographical constraints for all key offshore sectors; existing infrastructure; and environmental designations and future resource requirements for environmental habitats and nature recovery. 

Gus Jaspert, Managing Director, Marine, at The Crown Estate, said: 

“The seabed is facing a moment of transition with more demands on it than ever before, supporting natural habitats, vital industries including renewable energy, and playing an important role in energy security.  

“As these demands intensify, a new, co-ordinated approach is needed to ensure we make the most of this vital resource for our country and for nature.  We’re stepping up to help meet this challenge.” 

Work is expected to complete in 2025, and the live platform will be continuously updated to reflect any new information and evidence. As work progresses, emerging findings will be widely shared with stakeholders so that early learnings can be captured and refinements and improvements can be made.