Representation by UK Chamber of Shipping (UK Chamber of Shipping)
- Date submitted
- 14 May 2024
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
The UK Chamber of Shipping is the trade association for the UK shipping industry, representing some 200 members, operating 900 vessels equalling 18 million GT in capacity, trading around the UK and globally. The Chamber represents the full breadth of the industry, including dry and wet trades, passenger transport (cruise & ferry), offshore supply and construction, towage and specialist, as well as professional service providers with shipping interests. The Chamber fully supports the Government’s obligations to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2050 and welcomes the development of offshore renewable energy to succeed in this obligation. The ports and shipping industries play an essential in enabling those targets to be achieved by providing bases and vessels for construction, operation & maintenance, and decommissioning. The Chamber also asserts that the planning process and framework must support the wider shipping industry through site selection which avoids or minimises disruption or economic loss to the shipping and navigation industries, with particular regard to approaches to ports and to strategic routes essential to regional, national and international trade, lifeline ferries, as stated within Paragraph 2.8.328 of NPS EN-3. The Chamber seeks to ensure navigational safety is upheld and that developments are appropriately positioned to enable existing and future commercial navigation to continue safely and efficiently. Shipping is the greenest form of cargo transport and proposed offshore renewable developments must take fully into consideration the routeing and operations of commercial shipping to enable this to continue. The Chamber has been closely involved in the planning process for Five Estuaries OWF prior to DCO application, through Scoping, PEIR, Hazard Workshops and the NRA, advocating for enhanced mitigation measures for navigation safety and environmental efficiency of commercial shipping. The Chamber has welcomed constructive manner the Red Line Boundary (development area) has been amended to take in account of navigational safety concerns. The Chamber further welcomes the additional analysis into the export cable corridor for which vessel draught limitations are of national importance to the major ports of Felixstowe and London Gateway. The Chamber therefore may wish to provide further detailed representation in these areas upon review of the examination documents submitted.