Draft National Policy Framework on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure for Transport in Ireland
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Draft National Policy Framework on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure for Transport in Ireland Natura Impact Statement October 2016 NIS for the Draft National Policy Framework on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure for Transport TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT FOR APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT ......................................................................... 1 1.2 PURPOSE OF THE AA PROCESS .......................................................................................................... 2 1.3 OVERLAP WITH THE STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THE AFF ............................................. 2 1.4 CONSULTATION .............................................................................................................................. 2 1.5 WORK COMPLETED TO DATE ............................................................................................................ 4 2 BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW OF THE AFF ...................................................................... 5 2.1 ALTERNATIVE FUELS DIRECTIVE ......................................................................................................... 5 2.2 WHAT IS AN ALTERNATIVE FUEL ? ...................................................................................................... 5 2.3 REQUIREMENT FOR THE AFF ............................................................................................................ 6 2.4 VISION OF THE AFF ......................................................................................................................... 7 2.5 APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT OF THE AFF ......................................................................................... 7 2.6 BARRIERS TO UPTAKE OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS ..................................................................................... 8 2.7 ENERGY AND CLIMATE POLICY .......................................................................................................... 8 2.8 CONTENT OF THE AFF ................................................................................................................... 11 3 ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................ 12 3.1 GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS ON AA ...................................................................................................... 12 3.2 GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND CASE LAW ............................................................................................... 13 3.3 STAGES OF APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................ 13 3.4 INFORMATION SOURCES CONSULTED ............................................................................................... 14 3.5 IMPACT PREDICTION ...................................................................................................................... 15 4 OVERVIEW OF THE RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT ................................................................ 16 4.1 IDENTIFICATION OF EUROPEAN SITES ............................................................................................... 16 4.2 CONSERVATION OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................... 19 4.3 CONSERVATION STATUS OF EU PROTECTED HABITATS AND SPECIES ...................................................... 20 4.4 EXISTING THREATS AND PRESSURES TO EU PROTECTED HABITATS AND SPECIES ...................................... 21 4.5 RELEVANT BIODIVERSITY POLICY ...................................................................................................... 22 5 STAGE 1 SCREENING FOR AA........................................................................................... 23 5.1 POTENTIAL FOR LIKELY SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS ..................................................................................... 23 5.2 SCREENING FOR APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT CONCLUSION ................................................................... 25 6 STAGE 2 APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT .............................................................................. 26 6.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 26 MDR1224Rp005F01 i NIS for the Draft National Policy Framework on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure for Transport 6.2 APPROACH TO ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................... 26 6.3 IMPACT PREDICTION ...................................................................................................................... 26 6.4 ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTS ............................................................................................................... 30 6.5 ASSESSMENT OF IN COMBINATION EFFECTS WITH OTHER PLANS OR PROJECTS ........................................ 52 7 MITIGATION MEASURES ................................................................................................. 59 7.1 CONSTRUCTION , UPGRADE AND /OR OPERATION OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS RE-FUELLING INFRASTRUCTURE ... 59 7.2 LAND USE CHANGES AS A RESULT OF INDIRECTLY ENCOURAGING THE INCREASED USE OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS . ....................................................................................................................................... 61 7.3 EMISSIONS TO AIR AS A RESULT OF INDIRECTLY ENCOURAGING THE INCREASED USE OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS 63 8 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................ 65 8.1 NEXT STEPS ................................................................................................................................. 65 9 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................... 66 APPENDICES Appendix A Consultation Responses – AA Specific Appendix B Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) Republic of Ireland Appendix C Special Protection Areas (SPAs) Republic of Ireland Appendix D Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) Northern Ireland Appendix E Special Protection Areas (SPAs) Northern Ireland Appendix F Screening for Appropriate Assessment Appendix G EU Condition Assessment Appendix H Generic Threats and Pressures Considered Relevant to the AFF LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1 – Context of the AFF............................................................................................................. 11 Figure 4.1 - European Sites .................................................................................................................. 18 MDR1224Rp005F01 ii NIS for the Draft National Policy Framework on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure for Transport LIST OF TABLES Table 1.1 Statutory Consultees for SEA .................................................................................................. 3 Table 1.2 Details of Consultation Responses with Relevance to AA Received by DTTAS ....................... 3 Table 2.1 Alternative Fuels, Infrastructure and Feedstocks ................................................................... 6 Table 2.2 Content of the AFF ................................................................................................................ 11 Table 4.1 European Sites within the ZoI of the AFF .............................................................................. 17 Table 5.1 Potential Likely Significant Effects – Electricity and Electric Vehicle Infrastructure ............. 23 Table 5.2 Potential Likely Significant Effects – Hydrogen and Hydrogen Fuel Infrastructure .............. 23 Table 5.3 Potential Likely Significant Effects – Biofuels and Associated Infrastructure ....................... 24 Table 5.4 Potential Likely Significant Effects – Synthetic and Paraffinic Fuels and Infrastructure ....... 24 Table 5.5 Potential Likely Significant Effects – Natural gas Including Biomethane, in Gaseous Form (Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)) and in Liquefied Form (Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)) and Associated Infrastructure ........................................................................................................................................ 24 Table 5.6 Potential Likely Significant Effects – Liquefied Petroleum Gas and Refuelling Infrastructure .............................................................................................................................................................. 25 Table 6.1 Main Ecological Impacts Associated with the AFF ................................................................ 28 Table 6.2 Electricity Measures by end 2017 ......................................................................................... 30 Table 6.3 Electricity Measures to be implemented by end 2018 ......................................................... 31 Table 6.4 Electricity Measures to be considered by end of 2018 ......................................................... 32 Table 6.5 Electricity Measures by end of 2020 ..................................................................................... 33 Table 6.6 Natural Gas (CNG & LNG) Measures to be implemented by end 2017 ................................ 35 Table 6.7 Natural Gas (CNG & LNG) Measures to be considered by end 2018 .................................... 36 Table 6.8 Hydrogen Policy Measures by end 2020