Electricity Act 1989: Section s36

Town and Country Planning Act 1990: Section 90

Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2000

Electricity Generating Stations and Overhead Lines (Inquiries Procedure) (England and Wales) Rules 2007

Application by RWE npower renewables Limited for a 150 MW and habitat restoration at Carnedd Wen

SUMMARY PROOF OF EVIDENCE: CONSTRUCTION

Morgan Houtmeyers BEng(Hons) of RWE Npower Renewables Limited, UK Onshore Projects Team

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September 2013

1. QUALIFICATIONS AND RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

1.1 My name is Morgan Houtmeyers. I am a Senior Project Manager with RWE Npower Renewables Limited in the UK Onshore Wind Projects team and I am based at the Scottish regional office in Perth.

1.2 I hold a BEng (Honours) degree in Civil Engineering from University College Dublin, graduating in 1994.

1.3 I have 19 years of professional construction experience and an in-depth knowledge of the electricity generation sector having spent all of my professional career in this industry. For the last ten years I have worked in the renewable sector in the UK where I manage the construction of onshore wind farms for the utility company. In practice this means that once a wind farm is consented and the leases are signed I manage the delivery of the multi-contract packages for civil, electrical and turbine supply elements of the works. I have full managerial responsibility and control for constructing the wind farm to the agreed programme and budget and in line with the environmental, quality and health and safety parameters for the wind farm. All proposed aspects of the construction of Carnedd Wen wind farm I have encountered when managing the construction of previous wind farms as I have outlined below.

1.4 Since March 2009 I have been the Senior Project Manager with the RWE Onshore Wind Farm Projects division. My most recent project was the construction of Novar 2 wind farm which is a 36.8MW project in the area of The Highland Council located north of Inverness. The project consisted of the installation of 16 x 2.3 MW turbines including foundations and associated hardstandings, 16km of roads, a control building, on site borrow pit, 33kV cabling, earthing and fibre optic installation and 150 hectares of forestry removal. All this work was carried out within a public water (Scottish Water) catchment which was the sole supply of drinking water for 40,000 people.

1.5 From August 2006 to March 2009 I was the Project Manager on a 322MW wind farm in central working for Renewables. The consists of 140 x 2.3 MW wind turbines located on a 6,000 hectare site. In addition to the installation and commissioning of the wind turbines the works itself encompasses 90Km of road, a 33kV/275kV substation and switchyard, a fully manned control building, a visitor’s centre and associated turbine foundations, hardstandings, thirteen borrow pits, 33kV cabling, earthing and fibre optic installation and 600 hectares of forestry removal.

1.6 From August 2003 to July 2006 I was the Infrastructure Manager on Black Law Wind Farm; a 124MW wind farm in central Scotland for Scottish Power Renewables. The Black Law Wind Farm consists of 54 x 2.3 MW wind turbines located on an 1800 hectare site. The full 1800 hectares was included in a habitat management plan with the objective to restore the site to blanket bog and wet grasslands. The civil/infrastructure works itself encompasses 26Km of road, a manned 33kV/132kV substation and switchyard, associated turbine foundations, hardstandings and 33kV cabling, earthing and fibre optic installation and the felling of 700 hectares of mature forest. All stone for the roads was won on site from an existing opencast coal site which was restored to original contours and involved the movement of 1.5 million cubic metres of material.

2. SCOPE OF EVIDENCE

2.1 Since July 2012 I have been providing construction advice in connection with the proposed wind farm and associated habitat management and restoration project at

Carnedd Wen. Working close with Dr Edwards (Hydrology and Hydrogeology), Dr Mills (Peat), Mr Lowther (Ecology), Mr Piper (Forestry) and Mr Atkinson (Transport) I have advised in relation to the wind farm development and associated Habitat Restoration Management Plan (HRMP).

2.2I provided a critical review of the Environmental Statement (ES), the 2009 SEI and the SEI 2011 with respect to constructability and followed on to recommending amendments to be incorporated into the SEI 2013 to ensure that the scheme was appropriately designed to reflect the additional information and accommodated the concerns of consultees and third parties as well as being achievable in practice on the ground.

3. MATTERS WITHIN THOSE LISTED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE ADDRESSED IN THIS PROOF

3.1 My proof addresses the following matters specified by the Secretary of State as those on which he required to be informed.

(Item 8) the individual and combined social and economic impact of the proposed developments

(Item 12) the impact of the proposed developments on hydrology and hydrogeology

(Item 13) the impact of the proposed developments on peat.

4. BACKGROUND ENVIRONMENT

4.1 Key elements to constructing a wind farm at Carnedd Wen:

4.1.1 The construction elements at Carnedd Wen have been described in detail in the SEI 2013 (Chapter 2, Project Description) and the CEMP. The key works are summarised as follows:

4.1.1.1 Road construction

The geometry of the access tracks follow as far as possinle the natural contours to minimise the requirement for cut (excavation) and fill. For the construction of the track peat and topsoil, where present, and associated vegetation cover (where present) will be cut in large turves and stored beside the track for use in reinstatement of track shoulders during the construction period. It is anticipated that new access track and local improvement and widening of existing tracks will be constructed primarily from material excavated in the proposed borrow pits.

Cut Tracks Appendix 1.1 provides an example of a cut road construction from a typical RWE wind farm construction site and highlights the restoration of the road verges that can be achieved.

Floating Tracks Floating track construction essentially comprises the laying of a geotextile mat and geogrid reinforcements across the peat before creating the track. Appendix 1.2 provides an example of a floating road construction from a typical RWE wind farm construction site and highlights the restoration of the road verges that can be achieved.

4.1.1.2 Turbine foundations

The construction of the turbine bases involves excavation to formation level, blinding, casting of the base and casting of the plinth up-stand. Appendix 2 provides a pictorial representation of the stage by stage process involved in the excavation, construction and restoration of a completed turbine foundation from a typical RWE wind farm construction site.

4.1.1.3 Borrow Pits

The borrow pits will be temporary and will be restored following completion of the construction works. Where peat/soil turves are available from the original borrow pit footprint these will be placed on top of the reinstated peat/soil to aid in the regeneration process.

Appendix 3 provides an example of the operational borrow pit during construction and initial restoration of a borrow pit from a typical RWE wind farm construction site.

4.1.1.4 Turbine delivery and erection

The timing of deliveries of abnormal loads associated with turbine component delivery will be agreed in consultation with Powys County Council, the local police and Welsh Government. The means of access to the trunk road will be constructed to a layout and type and method of construction to be approved by the Welsh Government.

Appendix 4 provides a pictorial representation of the stage by stage process involved in the delivery, offloading and erection of the turbine components from a typical RWE wind farm construction site.

5. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

5.3 The proposed Construction and Environment Management Plan is fit for purpose with regard to accommodating the technical construction requirements of the wind farm, enabling delivery of the habitat restoration objectives, minimising damage to surviving areas of peatland vegetation and minimising other environmental impacts.

The quantities outlined in Chapter 2 of the 2013 SEI, for aggregate for road construction, peat volumes and mass balance, concrete volumes, cabling and other associated materials are accurate and based on values gained from years of experience constructing wind farms.

5.4 I conclude, therefore, that as a result of the thorough and collaborative site investigations and analyses undertaken to inform the wind farm design together with the proposed mitigation measures, integration of the Forestry Management, Construction

and Environment, Peat, Drainage and Habitat Restoration Management Plans will facilitate construction of a wind farm that addresses potential environmental impacts by utilising best construction practice techniques.