Abstract
In the context of the energy transition, the development of ocean energy is becoming an urgent priority, marked by ambitious objectives in Europe. However, these ambitions are hampered by delays in the development of projects, which limits the deployment of the technologies despite a strong potential. Among the obstacles to the development of ocean energy, several studies identified the consenting process as the second main obstacle, especially because of the complexity of regulatory frameworks and the difficulties to engage with local communities (Vasconcelos et al., 2022).
Notably, many European Member States do not yet have specific permitting procedures for ocean energy projects, which contributes to delays in obtaining permits. Furthermore, the existing permitting procedures do not always specify how developers should engage with local communities. In this context, the engagement of local communities in ocean energy projects relies on developers' knowledge and experience. The sharing of this experience is therefore essential.
Long-term planning to meet the EU’s decarbonisation targets needs to be supported by a better understanding of engagement processes and public perceptions, together with the development of tools and recommendations to support the coexistence of ocean energy with a wide range of stakeholders.
This study is focused on the ocean energy integration in coastal territories, based on feedback from ocean energy developers in Europe. This feedback is collected through online surveys and interviews and summarise the perception of developers about bottlenecks in both legal and political frameworks at the EU scale and in several European countries. In relation to this regulatory framework perspective, the practices of developers to engage with local communities are identified and evaluated.
The results illustrate a willingness to integrate local communities in the development of ocean energy projects. In almost all the cases studied, the level of local community participation in project development is higher than the legally required participation’ level. Most developers set up public meetings, meetings with key stakeholders, or set up specific measures to communicate with local communities and to consider the needs and requirements of the communities.
All this information is encapsulated into a set of guidelines to improve engagement with local communities and the integration of ocean energy projects in coastal territories. For the developers, this report contributes to the sharing of knowledge and practices necessary for the development of the sector. For public authorities, it highlights the requirements to support the local community engagement which ensures the development of coastal economies.