Representation by The UK Chamber of Shipping (The UK Chamber of Shipping)
- Date submitted
- 20 September 2023
- 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. 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 both the UK’s offshore renewable goals for decarbonisation and the wider shipping industry to ensure that navigational safety is not compromised nor economic contribution from the shipping industry jeopardised, as stated within Paragraph 2.6.162 of NPS EN-3. The Chamber seeks to ensure navigational safety is upheld and that developments are appropropriately 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 Rampion 2 prior to DCO application, through PEIR, Hazard Workshops and the NRA, advocating for enhanced mitigation measures for navigation safety and environmental efficiency of commercial shipping.