Technical Appendix 6 – Noise and Vibration
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Strathy South Wind Farm 2020 Technical Appendices Section 36C Application - EIAR TA 6 – Noise and Vibration TECHNICAL APPENDIX 6 – NOISE AND VIBRATION TA6.1: Operational Noise Report SSE Generation Limited August 2020 Strathy South Wind Farm 2020 Technical Appendices Section 36C Application - EIAR TA 6 – Noise and Vibration TA 6.1: Operational Noise Report SSE Generation Limited August 2020 Operational Noise Report Strathy South Wind Farm 2 This document is protected by copyright and Quality Assurance may only be reproduced and circulated in accordance with the Document Classification TNEI Services Ltd and TNEI Africa (Pty) Ltd. (“TNEI”) and associated conditions stipulated or operates an Integrated Management System and is referred to in this document and/or in TNEI’s registered with Ocean Certification Limited as being written agreement with the Customer. No part compliant with ISO 9001(Quality), ISO 14001 of this document may be disclosed in any (Environmental) and OHSAS 18001 (Health and public offering memorandum, prospectus or Safety). stock exchange listing, circular or announcement without the express and prior Disclaimer written consent of TNEI. A Document Classification permitting the Customer to This document is issued for the sole use of the redistribute this document shall not thereby Customer as detailed on the front page of this imply that TNEI has any liability to any recipient document to whom the document is addressed and other than the Customer. who entered into a written agreement with TNEI. All other use of this document is strictly prohibited Any information provided by third parties that and no other person or entity is permitted to use is included in this report has not been this report unless it has otherwise been agreed in independently verified by TNEI and as such writing by TNEI. This document must be read in its TNEI accept no responsibility for its accuracy entirety and statements made within may be based and completeness. The Customer should take on assumptions or the best information available at T appropriate steps to verify this information Technical Appendix the time of producing the document and these may before placing any reliance on it. be subject to material change with either actual 6.1 amounts differing substantially from those used in this document or other assumptions changing significantly. TNEI hereby expressly disclaims any and all liability for the consequences of any such changes. TNEI also accept no liability or Operational Noise Report responsibility for the consequences of this document being relied upon or being used for anything other than the specific purpose for which it is intended, or containing any error or omission Strathy South Wind Farm which is due to an error or omission in data used in the document that has been provided by a third party. SSE Renewables 13584-002-R2 14th May 2020 Operational Noise Report Operational Noise Report Strathy South Wind Farm 3 Strathy South Wind Farm 4 Document Control Executive Summary Revision Status Prepared by Checked by Approved by Date TNEI Services was commissioned by SSE Renewables Development (UK) Limited (the ‘Developer’) on behalf of SSE Generation Limited (the ‘Applicant’) to undertake predictions of the wind turbine noise R0 First Issue MCL JS JS 27/02/2020 that would be emitted by the operation of the Strathy South Wind Farm (hereinafter referred to as the Proposed Varied Development). In 2018 the Applicant received consent from the Scottish R1 Second Issue MCL JS JS 31/03/2020 Ministers to construct and operate 39 wind turbines with a tip height of up to 135 m on a site located R2 Third Issue MCL JS JS 14/05/2020 around 12 km south of Strathy village in Sutherland. This noise assessment relates to a Section 36C Application to increase the turbine tip height from up to 135 m to up to 200 m (‘the Proposed Varied Development’). The noise predictions were used to assess the potential impact of operational noise from the Proposed Varied Development on the nearest noise sensitive receptors. The Scottish Government’s web based renewables advice on ‘Onshore Wind Turbines’ states: ‘The Report, "The Assessment and Rating of Noise from Wind Farms" (Final Report, Sept 1996, DTI), (ETSU- TNEI Services Ltd R-97), describes a framework for the measurement of wind farm noise, which should be followed by Company Registration Number: 03891836 VAT Registration Number: 239 0146 20 applicants and consultees, and used by planning authorities to assess and rate noise from wind energy developments, until such time as an update is available. This gives indicative noise levels thought to Registered Address offer a reasonable degree of protection to wind farm neighbours, without placing unreasonable Bainbridge House 7th Floor burdens on wind farm developers, and suggests appropriate noise conditions.’ Whilst the advice then goes on to state: ‘The Institute of Acoustics (IOA) has since published Good Practice Guide to the 86-90 London Road West One 7th Floor Application of ETSU-R-97 for the Assessment and Rating of Wind Turbine Noise [IOA GPG]. The Manchester Forth Banks 80 St. Vincent Street document provides significant support on technical issues to all users of the ETSU-R-97 method for M1 2PW Newcastle upon Tyne Glasgow rating and assessing wind turbine noise, and should be used by all IOA members and those undertaking assessments to ETSU-R-97. The Scottish Government accepts that the guide represents current industry Tel:+44 (0)161 233 4800 NE1 3PA G2 5UB good practice.’ The guidance contained within ETSU-R-97 and current good practice has been used to Fax:+44 (0)161 233 4801 Tel:+44 (0)191 211 1400 Tel: +44 (0)141 428 3180 assess the potential operational noise impact of the Proposed Varied Development. The noise assessment has been undertaken in three stages: 1) setting the Total ETSU-R-97 Noise Limits (which are applicable to noise from all wind turbines in TNEI Africa (Pty) Ltd the area operating concurrently) at noise sensitive receptors; Registered: Mazars House, Rialto Rd, Grand Moorings Precinct, 7441 Century City, South Africa 2) predicting the likely effects (undertaking a cumulative noise assessment where required) to Company Number: 2016/088929/07 determine whether noise immissions at noise sensitive receptors will meet the Total ETSU-R-97 Noise Limits; and st 1 Floor 3) setting Site Specific Noise Limits for the Proposed Varied Development. Willowbridge Centre A total of three noise sensitive receptors were chosen as noise assessment locations. The assessment Carl Cronje Drive locations were chosen to represent the closest noise sensitive receptors to the Proposed Varied Cape Town Development and other nearby schemes in order to consider the cumulative noise impacts. South Africa, 7530 Due to the large separation distances between the Proposed Varied Development and the closest receptors, background noise monitoring was not required and instead, the assessment relies on the Tel: +27 (0)21 974 6181 simplified assessment approach detailed within ETSU-R-97. Predictions of wind turbine noise for the Proposed Varied Development were made based upon the sound power level data for the loudest candidate wind turbine under consideration for the site; the Siemens Gamesa-SG 5.0-145, 5.0 MW. This wind turbine model has been chosen in order to allow a representative assessment of the noise impacts. Whatever the final turbine choice is, the Proposed Varied Development would have to meet the noise limits determined and contained within any condition imposed. Operational Noise Report Operational Noise Report Strathy South Wind Farm 5 Strathy South Wind Farm 6 For the other schemes, predictions have been undertaken using sound power level data for the installed turbines or a suitable candidate. The model of turbine was either identified through an online Contents search, or through the use of Highland Council’s Planning Application Portal. Document Control................................................................................................................................... 3 Modelling was undertaken using the ISO 9613: 1996 ‘Acoustics – Attenuation of sound during propagation outdoors Part 2: General method of calculation’ noise prediction model which accords Contents .................................................................................................................................................. 6 with current good practice and is considered to provide a realistic impact assessment. 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 8 The likely cumulative assessment shows that the Proposed Varied Development can operate 1.1 Brief ..................................................................................................................................... 8 concurrently with the proposed, consented and operational wind farms, whilst still meeting the Total ETSU-R-97 Noise limits at all receptors. 1.2 Background .......................................................................................................................... 8 Site Specific Noise Limits have also been derived that take account (where required) of the other wind 2 Noise Planning Policy and Guidance ............................................................................................. 11 farm developments. Apportionment of the Total ETSU-R-97 Noise Limits was undertaken in 2.1 Overview of Noise Planning Policy and Guidance ............................................................