The Blue Growth Farm
This report is an output of Task 8.2 (WP8) of the Blue Growth Farm (BGF) contract [AD1]. The BGF project responds to the EU H2020 call for enabling technologies for “multi-use of the ocean’s marine space, offshore and nearshore”. The main aims of the BGF project are to produce:
- a design assessment of a fully integrated multipurpose offshore floating platform, hosting aquaculture and wind & wave energy production and services;
- a detailed design, construction, commissioning and operation of a scaled physical prototype (~1:15) of the proposed integrated platform;
- a suitable business model and plan built on the BGF configuration and including Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and good practice guidelines.
We will use the acronym MOI – Multifunction Offshore Installation – as shorthand for the type of platform that will be designed, and in the prototype case, built and installed, by the BGF project.
Questions this practice may help answer:
- How are MSFD and MSPFD relevant for the development of MOI?
- What is the implication of stakeholders in the process of MOI design?
- How can the implementation of MSP support Blue Growth and the development of MOI?
Implementation Context:
This document is a deliverable from the EU Blue Growth Farms project, the aim of which is the development and demonstration of an automated, modular, and environmentally friendly multi-functional platform for open sea farm installations of the Blue Growth Industry.
Aspects / Objectives:
This deliverable aims to provide an analysis of the governance applied to the EU Maritime Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the EU Maritime Spatial Planning Framework Directive (MSPFD) and Multifunction Offshore Installation (MOI) in general.
Method:
This article is based on:
The review of directives and of selected transpositions into the law of member states, relevant to MOI planning and environmental impacts;
Interviews with selected representatives of governance and industry concerning policy and regulation of MOI in relation to MSFD and MSP[F]D;
Critical analysis of process compatibility with the Marine Spatial Planning [Framework] Directive.
National analyses of Spain, Italy, France and Scotland were also carried out.
Main Outputs / Results:
This paper provides analysis and a theoretical framework on governance in the framework of Mobile Offshore Installation (MOI). It also provides analysis of relevant EU Directives, their transposition into national laws, and their implication for MOI design and deployment.
Transferability:
Although this article focuses on four EU countries, the framework provided could inspire similar analysis in other countries.
Responsible Entity:
The Blue Growth farm project.
Costs / Funding Source:
The Blue Growth farm project.
Contact person:
RINA CONSULTING SPA Italy: https://www.rina.org/en/media/CaseStudies/blue-growth-farm