Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what are the requirements that (a) a vessel and (b) an operator must meet to operate in offshore wind in both territorial waters and the UK exclusive economic zone.

The Statutory Certification requirements for a vessel to operate in offshore wind in both territorial waters and the UK exclusive economic zone (EEZ) depends on the vessel type. The most common type of vessel operating in this sector is a High-Speed Offshore Service Craft (HSOSC). HSOSC’s are permitted to operate with up to 60 industrial personnel (walk to work) with a vessel less than 500 gross tonnage (GT). This can be up to 150nm from the UK coast, which would then include the EEZ. This would need to be certified in accordance with the HS(OSC) Code.

Other types of vessels that work within this sector such as Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU), Mobile Offshore Unit (MOU), Mobile Offshore Windfarm Unit (MOWU) are subject to the same statutory requirements as a cargo vessel. When workboats are used they are restricted to 12 passengers onboard, that are not crew. Special Purpose Vessel (SPS) over 500GT carrying more than 12 passengers are certificated as passenger vessels or under the Special Purpose Ships Safety (SPS) Code (MGN 674(M)). Any Offshore Supply Vessel, Emergency Response Rescue Vessel (ERRV) or conventional cargo vessel would be certificated with the applicable conventions subject to the GT and/or length, or UK legislation where they are outside of the applicable limits of the appropriate convention.

Operators need to contact the MCA to verify that the vessels are appropriately certified. Some vessel types may require compliance with the ISM Code which requires operators to hold a Document of Compliance (DoC).