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Proposed Ness of Duncansby Tidal Array Request for a Scoping Opinion August 2012

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Proposed Ness of Duncansby Tidal Array Request for a Scoping Opinion August 2012 Proposed Ness of Duncansby Tidal Array Request for a Scoping Opinion August 2012 This page is intentionally blank CONTENTS CONTENTS I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 1. INTRODUCTION 7 1.1. BACKGROUND 7 1.2. DOCUMENT PURPOSE 8 1.3. DOCUMENT STRUCTURE 8 2. POLICY & LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT 10 2.1. CLIMATE CHANGE 10 2.2. RENEWABLE ENERGY 10 2.3. PLANNING CONTEXT 11 2.3.1. Terrestrial Planning 11 2.3.2. Marine Planning 12 2.4. DEVELOPMENT CONTROL AND EIA 13 2.4.1. Consents and Licensing 13 2.4.2. EIA Regulations 14 2.4.3. Other Consents and Licences 17 2.4.4. Legislation 18 2.4.5. Development Plan 19 3. DESCRIPTION OF THE DEVELOPMENT 20 3.1. SITE SELECTION 20 3.2. SITE LOCATION 21 3.3. NATURE OF THE PROPOSED TIDAL ARRAY 24 3.3.1. Candidate Technology 24 3.3.2. Turbines 25 3.3.3. Components 26 3.3.4. Turbine Spacing 27 3.3.5. Foundations/Base 27 3.3.6. Installation Methodology 28 3.3.7. Installation Infrastructure 28 3.3.8. Monitoring Devices - ADCPs / Wave buoys 29 3.3.9. Inter-Array Cabling 29 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ScottishPower Renewables i 3.3.10. Export Cabling/Grid Connection 29 3.3.11. Operations and Maintenance Strategy 30 3.3.12. Operations and Maintenance Infrastructure 30 3.3.13. Decommissioning 31 4. ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE & POTENTIAL EFFECTS 32 4.1. INTRODUCTION 32 4.1.1. Assessment Methodology 32 4.1.2. Cumulative and In-Combination Impacts 32 4.2. PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT 33 4.2.1. Marine and Coastal Processes 33 4.2.2. Geology, Seabed Sediments and Sediment Transport 34 4.2.3. Water Quality and Effluent Discharges 36 4.3. BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT 38 4.3.1. Benthic Ecology 38 4.3.2. Terrestrial Ecology 42 4.3.3. Ornithology 43 4.3.4. Marine Mammals 55 4.3.5. Fish and Shellfish 59 4.4. HUMAN ENVIRONMENT 61 4.4.1. Commercial Fisheries & Aquaculture 61 4.4.2. Maritime Navigation 62 4.4.3. Landscape and Seascape 64 4.4.4. Cultural Heritage 65 4.4.5. Noise 66 4.4.6. Socio Economics 67 4.4.7. Tourism and Recreation 68 4.4.8. Military Activity 69 4.4.9. Air and Climate 70 4.4.10. Other Human Activities 71 4.4.11. Summary of Main Potential Environmental Effects 72 4.5. MITIGATION 78 4.6. MONITORING 78 4.7. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK 78 5. DRAFT OUTLINE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT 79 5.1. PART 1: INTRODUCTION 79 5.2. PART 2: THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT 79 6. CONSULTATION STRATEGY 81 6.1. OVERVIEW 81 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ScottishPower Renewables ii 6.2. PROJECT APPROACH 81 7. SCOPING QUESTIONS 83 8. FURTHER INFORMATION 84 APPENDICIES 85 APPENDIX A SCOPING CONSULTEES 85 APPENDIX B DATA SOURCES 87 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ScottishPower Renewables iii Executive Summary ScottishPower Renewables (UK) Ltd (hereafter referred to as “SPR”) is proposing to develop a Commercial Tidal Array (hereafter referred to as the ‘Tidal Array’) at Ness of Duncansby in the Pentland Firth. The Tidal Array would have a capacity of 95MW of renewable power for export to the grid and would contribute to meeting the Scottish Government’s targets of providing 80% of Scotland’s electricity generation from renewable sources by 2020. ANDRITZ HYDRO Hammerfest and SPR are currently working together to develop the 1MW tidal stream technology, which will be used at Ness of Duncansby. The tidal device generates power utilising the kinetic energy of tidal flows and is fully submerged and seabed mounted. The device was originally conceived as an evolution of existing wind turbine technology. A 300kW prototype was designed and constructed in Norway using knowledge from the offshore oil and gas industry. A considerable amount of valuable operating knowledge and data have been obtained over 5 years’ deployment and operation of the 300kW prototype in Kvalsund, Norway. This knowledge is being used to optimise the technology with adaptation for UK tidal conditions and an increased maximum output from 300kW to 1MW. A full-scale prototype device will be deployed at EMEC for a period of testing commencing in 2011. Blades and Hub Modular Nacelle Tripod Support Subsea Umbilical Structure Figure 1: ANDRITZ HYDRO Hammerfest Tidal Turbine Once testing of the larger scale demonstration tidal device, and any required refinements to the design are complete, it is proposed that a 10MW tidal array will be deployed at the Sound of Islay in order to prove a range of technical, environmental and commercial parameters related to multi-device deployments. After that, the Ness of Duncansby Tidal Array will be deployed in the Pentland Firth, subject to the required Consents and Licenses being obtained. SPR have secured exclusive rights to the development of the site in the Pentland Firth near Ness of Duncansby on the north east coast of the Scottish mainland. The Tidal Array would consist of 95*1MW ANDRITZ HYDRO Hammerfest HS1000 tidal turbines within the area shown in Figure 2. ScottishPower Renewables 4 Figure 2: Ness of Duncansby – Site Location In addition to the tidal devices, there will be associated onshore/offshore infrastructure including subsea and landfall cable, control building, substation and onshore access. The location for the onshore substation will be subject to final confirmation once local planning constraints and the locational requirements of the grid operator are ascertained. The substation site may also include the array control room. If it is possible to integrate the control room within a compound planned as part of local grid infrastructure upgrades, then this will be considered to minimise any local visual impact. SPR will, in due course, submit a Section 36 and accompanying Environmental Statement to the Scottish Government for the development and a local planning application for the onshore elements. The development will also require a Licence under Section 21 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 (“Marine licence”), from Scottish Government (Marine Scotland). This report forms SPR’s written request to Scottish Government, under Regulation 7 of the Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2000, for its opinion as to the information to be provided in the Environmental Statement (a ‘Scoping Opinion’). The Environmental Statement that will be produced for this project will support the applications for consent for offshore works, under the following legislation: Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989; Section 21 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010; and a local planning application in regard to the onshore aspects of the development. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process that includes the identification of the potential environmental effects of a development and then seeks to avoid, reduce or offset any adverse effects through mitigation measures. The purpose of this report is to set out the details of the proposed development, the site and the surrounding area, the potential effects of the development and the approach currently considered appropriate for the EIA to assist in the formal scoping process. This report describes the baseline environment, and lists aspects of the environment that have the potential to be affected by the proposed development. ScottishPower Renewables 5 Although the layout and design are still developing and evolving, an understanding of the construction and operational parameters of the Tidal Array along with knowledge of the baseline environment of the site enables the possible effects of the development to be identified. The report also outlines the proposed approach and methodology to be adopted for certain studies that will require to be undertaken for the EIA. The findings of this Scoping Report, in conjunction with the Scoping Response received from Scottish Government and other consultees, will be used to inform the EIA. The list of consultees to be consulted is presented in Appendix A. By conducting this exercise as early as possible, the overall project planning and design can take account of any alterations or measures that will act to resolve potential issues and minimise possible effects of the proposed development. ScottishPower Renewables 6 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. BACKGROUND 1.1.1 SPR is wholly owned by Iberdrola Renovables, the global leader in wind energy with over 14,000MW of installed capacity operating worldwide. Iberdrola Renovables is firmly committed to sustainable development and, acknowledging the role that carbon dioxide plays in global climate change, is committed to maintaining its position as a leading international renewables operator, particularly from wind. 1.1.2 SPR is responsible for Iberdrola Renovables’ UK renewables project portfolio and pipeline. It is a leading UK onshore windfarm operator, managing operational windfarms in Britain with an installed capacity of >1,000MW. 1.1.3 Under the Renewables Obligation, SPR is implementing an ambitious growth programme in renewable energy, specifically wind energy. 1.1.4 SPR is also working towards becoming market leader in the emerging marine renewables sector. 1.1.5 SPR is currently involved in the development of a candidate 1MW demonstration tidal-stream generating device. The demonstration device was deployed for pre- commercial testing at the Fall of Warness tidal facility, EMEC, in December 2011. This deployment was subject to a separate consent application. 1.1.6 Once testing of the demonstration device and any required refinements to the design are complete, it is proposed that a demonstration tidal array will be deployed in the Sound of Islay, subject to the required Consents and Licenses being obtained, during 2013. 1.1.7 Knowledge gained from the installation and operation of this demonstration tidal array will be used in the installation of the Ness of Duncansby Tidal Array in the Pentland Firth. 1.1.8 It is proposed that the Ness of Duncansby Tidal Array will consist of 95 Tidal Devices and will be one of the first Commercial Tidal Arrays.
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