Natural England is looking at setting up a national demonstration site to study the impact of offshore wind technologies - with the help of East Anglian experts in the field.

The public body is researching environmental impacts of a government plan to radically cut the UK's carbon output with 50GW of offshore wind power by 2030 - including 5GW of floating wind.

It has begun work with Norwich-based clean energy consultants Opergy - which will lead a study looking at the potential for establishing a recognised national testing area in England’s territorial waters.

Offshore wind power is already a large - and growing - sector in East Anglia.

The new testing ground or grounds could be used by other technologies - including hydrogen production from offshore wind, oil and gas decarbonisation technologies, carbon capture and aggregates, Opergy suggests.

Tamara Rowson, senior offshore renewables specialist at Natural England said a demonstration site for offshore wind in England could provide a "vital" testing ground to prove the concept of new and exciting technologies.

"It will allow the study of environmental impact pathways of offshore wind components and construction methods on a smaller pre commercial scale providing regulators, statutory nature conservation bodies, academics and developers evidence and confidence in levels of impact prior to rolling out of commercial scale applications, thereby supporting a more streamlined consenting process," she said.

"The area could also be used by industry to test new mitigation measures for offshore projects with the potential to continue to reduce the impacts, risks and costs of offshore wind energy”.

Opergy - which is due to report back in March 2023-  says it will assess lessons learned and best practice from other operational demonstration sites in the UK, Europe and around the world.

The firm will explore market demand for a demonstration site in English territorial waters by engaging with bodies such as The Crown Estate and offshore developers.

It will look at an appropriate process for establishing a demonstration site, possible locations - and the likely costs involved.

Opergy boss Johnathan Reynolds, said: "The UK is already home to one of the largest offshore wind markets in the world, which itself looks set to grow at a rapid pace over the coming years.

"With growing momentum behind floating wind in the Celtic Sea and hybrid projects too, there is little doubt to offshore energy landscape is going to get very busy in the years to come.”

"While undoubtedly an exciting time, it also makes it all the more important that we have the fullest picture possible of what is possible and what isn’t moving forwards, which is why it is great to see Natural England proposing an approach such as this and is something that we were both delighted and feel well placed to help them with."