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The Farr Point Wave Farm Development

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The Farr Point Wave Farm Development The Farr Point Wave Farm Development Request for Scoping Opinion Prepared by Aquatera on behalf of Pelamis Wave Power April 2011 Prepared by: Contracted by: Aquatera Ltd Laura Carse Stromness Business Centre Pelamis Wave Power Ltd. Stromness 31 Bath Road Orkney Leith KW16 3AW Edinburgh UK EH6 6BU Tel: +44 (0) 1856 850 088 UK E-mail: [email protected] www.aquatera.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)131 561 2521 E-mail: [email protected] Contact: www.pelamiswave.com Ian Hutchison [email protected] Contents Page Contents ............................................................................................................................ ii List of figures and tables ................................................................................................... vi 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 2 Company Background ............................................................................................. 3 3 Project Description ................................................................................................... 5 3.1 Proposed Project Location ........................................................................................................ 5 3.2 The Technology: Pelamis P2 .................................................................................................... 7 3.3 The Pelamis Mooring System ................................................................................................... 8 3.4 Pelamis Array Configuration ..................................................................................................... 9 3.5 Export cable and landfall ........................................................................................................ 10 3.6 Other associated offshore infrastructure................................................................................. 12 3.7 Onshore works and associated infrastructure ........................................................................ 12 3.8 Installation ............................................................................................................................... 14 3.8.1 Mooring system installation ........................................................................................ 14 3.8.2 Interconnector cable installation ................................................................................ 16 3.8.3 Pelamis installation and connection to the mooring system ...................................... 16 3.9 Operation and maintenance ................................................................................................... 16 3.9.1 Operations .................................................................................................................. 16 3.9.2 Maintenance ............................................................................................................... 17 3.10 Decommissioning .................................................................................................................... 18 4 Key legal and policy requirements ..........................................................................19 5 Establishing the baseline environment ....................................................................25 5.1 Protected sites and species .................................................................................................... 25 5.1.1 Special Protection Areas (SPAs) ............................................................................... 26 5.1.2 Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) ...................................................................... 28 5.1.3 Ramsar sites .............................................................................................................. 29 5.1.4 Designated sites of national importance .................................................................... 29 5.1.5 Marine mammals – outwith designated sites ............................................................. 30 5.1.6 Birds – outwith designated sites ................................................................................ 31 5.1.7 Other protected species ............................................................................................. 34 The Farr Point Wave Farm Development – Environmental Scoping Report – March 2011 – 1.1 2 5.1.8 Built heritage .............................................................................................................. 34 5.2 Physical environment .............................................................................................................. 35 5.2.1 Bathymetry ................................................................................................................. 35 5.2.2 Seabed character ....................................................................................................... 35 5.2.3 Hydrography ............................................................................................................... 35 5.2.4 Climate ....................................................................................................................... 35 5.2.5 Landscape character and land use ............................................................................ 35 5.3 Ecological environment ........................................................................................................... 41 5.3.1 Benthic ecology .......................................................................................................... 41 5.3.2 Coastline communities ............................................................................................... 41 5.3.3 Commercial fish stocks .............................................................................................. 41 5.3.4 Migratory fish .............................................................................................................. 41 5.3.5 Birds ........................................................................................................................... 42 5.3.6 Marine mammals........................................................................................................ 42 5.3.7 Marine reptiles............................................................................................................ 42 5.4 Human environment ................................................................................................................ 42 5.4.1 Fishing activity within the area of search ................................................................... 42 5.4.2 Aquaculture ................................................................................................................ 43 5.4.3 Infrastructure .............................................................................................................. 43 5.4.4 Ports and navigation features .................................................................................... 43 5.4.5 Transmission grid ....................................................................................................... 45 5.4.6 Disposal sites ............................................................................................................. 45 5.4.7 Ministry of Defence (MOD) areas .............................................................................. 45 5.4.8 Land use .................................................................................................................... 46 6 Identification of potential key issues ........................................................................50 7 Identification of key cumulative and in-combination effects .....................................65 7.1 Cumulative effects .................................................................................................................. 65 7.1.1 Multiple vectors from within one project acting at the same time on a receptor ........ 65 7.1.2 Sequences of activities occurring one after the other ................................................ 66 7.1.3 Multiple sources associated with different activities for one impact vector................ 66 7.1.4 Multiple sources and multiple vectors acting at the same time on a receptor ........... 67 8 Community engagement, consultation and communications strategy .....................69 8.2 Stakeholder Identification ....................................................................................................... 71 8.3 Communication and engagement strategy ............................................................................. 71 The Farr Point Wave Farm Development – Environmental Scoping Report – March 2011 – 1.1 3 8.3.1 Engagement with the Regulator Group ..................................................................... 71 8.3.2 Engagement with the Non-Statutory Group ............................................................... 72 8.3.3 Public Consultation .................................................................................................... 73 9 Environmental Impact Assessment methodology and scope ...................................74 9.1 Organisation ............................................................................................................................ 74 9.2 Context .................................................................................................................................... 74 9.3 Consultation ...........................................................................................................................
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