Anholt Offshore Wind Farm
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Viden der bringer mennesker videre--- Energinet.dk Anholt Offshore Wind Farm Tourism and Recreational Activities December 2009 Energinet.dk Anholt Offshore Wind Farm Tourism and Recreational Activities December 2009 Ref 977201 0550_07_7_3_001_07 Version 07 Date 2009-12-18 Prepared by SSB/MJK Checked by MBK/JAKK Approved by MBK Ramboll Oil & Gas Teknikerbyen 31 2830 Virum Denmark Phone +45 4598 6000 www.ramboll-oilgas.com Table of content 1. Summary 1 2. Introduction 2 2.1 Background 2 2.2 Content of specific memo 3 3. Offshore wind farm 3 3.1 Project description 3 3.1.1 Site location 3 3.1.2 Offshore components 4 3.1.3 Installation 5 3.1.4 Protection systems 6 3.2 Baseline study 7 3.2.1 Methods 7 3.2.2 Tourism 7 3.2.3 Recreational values and activities 8 3.3 Environmental impacts 14 3.3.1 Method for impact assessment 14 3.3.2 Impacts during the construction phase 14 3.3.3 Impacts during the operation phase 18 3.4 Mitigation measures 22 3.5 Cumulative effects 22 3.6 Decommissioning 22 3.6.1 Environmental impact of decommissioning 23 3.7 Technical deficiencies or lack of knowledge 23 4. Transformer platform and offshore cable 25 4.1 Project description 25 4.1.1 Transformer platform 25 4.1.2 Subsea Cabling 25 4.1.3 Onshore components 26 4.2 Environmental impacts 27 4.2.1 Method 27 4.2.2 Impacts during the construction phase 27 4.2.3 Impacts during the operation phase 28 4.3 Mitigation measures 29 4.4 Cumulative effects 29 4.5 Decommissioning 29 4.6 Technical deficiencies or lack of knowledge 29 5. Conclusion 29 6. References 31 Ref. 977201/ I 1. Summary The recreational values are closely connected to the tourism on both Djursland and Anholt. This memo describes the recreational areas and activities - on shore and offshore, in order to estimate the impacts of the wind farm project on recreational values and tourism. Djursland is known for its many attractions, which are located within short distances of each other. Some of the main attractions are the beaches and the wasteland be- hind the coastline. Along the coast there are several cliffs which are of geological interest and therefore popular recreational sites as well. The marinas along the coast of Djursland are used by pleasure sailors, anglers and divers. There are several loca- tions along the coast and further from the shore which are popular sites for angling, diving and hunting. This makes the offshore activities around Djursland very diverse. On Anholt the landscape, beaches and unspoilt seaview are some of the key factors making the island a popular destination. There are only 160 residents but during summer the number of people reaches up to 6000 a day. The island has a harbour serving as an industrial harbour as well a marina. The impacts during the construction phase are primarily connected to visual impacts, noise and restrictions in access to the project area. The safety zone of 500 metres around the project area may include the entire construction area or a rolling safety zone. This will primarily have an impact on sailors and the route of the ferry. Im- pacts on divers, anglers and hunters are estimated to be minor. The visual impacts and noise impacts are primarily an issue in Grenaa, due to the possible storage, handling and transportation of elements from the harbour. During operation the primary impacts are the visual impacts. The wind farm will be visible from the coasts of Djursland and Anholt, which will change the seaview and the experience of the landscape radically. This may also result in impacts on tourism, depending on how the project is perceived. Experiences from other projects show that the tourists and the public often tend to have a positive view on similar projects due to the environmental advantages. However, it is difficult to predict the actual impacts on tourism. Noise calculations on selected areas on land using WindPro show that the noise gen- erated by the turbines does not affect the coastal lines of neither Djursland nor An- holt. Safety zones will be applied for the wind farm area or parts hereof. This will have en impact on pleasure boating and to some extent diving, angling and hunting. Ref. 977201/0550_001 1/32 2. Introduction 2.1 Background In 1998 the Ministry of Environment and Energy empowered the Danish energy companies to build offshore wind farms of a total capacity of 750 MW as part of ful- filling the national action plan for energy, Energy 21. One aim of the action plan, which was elaborated in the wake of Denmark’s commitment to the Kyoto agree- ment, is to increase the production of energy from wind power to 5.500 MW in the year 2030. Hereof 4.000 MW are to be produced in offshore wind farms. In the years 2002-2003 the two first wind farms was established at Horns Rev west of Esbjerg and Rødsand south of Lolland, consisting of 80 and 72 wind turbines re- spectively, producing a total of 325,6 MW. In 2004 it was furthermore decided to construct two new wind farms in proximity of the two existing parks at Horns rev and Rødsand. The two new parks, Horns Rev II and Rødsand II, are going to produce 215 MW each and are expected to be fully operational by the end 2010. The 400 MW Anholt Offshore Wind Farm constitutes the next step of the fulfilment of aim of the action plan. The wind farm will be constructed in 2012, and the expected production of electricity will cover the yearly consumption of approximately 400.000 households. Energinet.dk on behalf of the Ministry of Climate and Energy is respon- sible for the construction of the electrical connection to the shore and for the devel- opment of the wind farm site, including the organization of the impact assessment which will result in the identification of the best suitable site for constructing the wind farm. Rambøll with DHI and other sub-consultants are undertaking the site de- velopment including a full-scale Environmental Impact Assessment for the wind farm. The present report is a part of a number of technical reports forming the base for the Environmental Impact Assessment for Anholt Offshore Wind Farm. The Environmental Impact Assessment of the Anholt Offshore Wind Farm is based on the following technical reports: • Technical Description • Geotechnical Investigations • Geophysical Investigations • Metocean data for design and operational conditions • Hydrography including sediment spill, water quality, geomorphology and coastal morphology] • Benthic Fauna • Birds • Marine mammals • Fish • Substrates and benthic communities • Benthic habitat • Maritime archaeology Ref. 977201/0550_001 2/32 • Visualization • Commercial fishery • Tourism and Recreational Activities • Risk for ship traffic • Noise calculations • Air emissions 2.2 Content of specific memo This memo contains a baseline study of the tourism and recreational activities in the areas near Djursland and Anholt which potentially can be affected by the construc- tion and operation of Anholt Offshore Wind Farm. Potential impacts are assessed and topics like mitigation measures, cumulative effects and decommissioning are also enlightened in the memo. The recreational interests include activities on shore as well as offshore. The information serves as a basis for the description and impact assessment of the tourism and recreational activities in the final EIA for the Anholt Offshore Wind Farm. 3. Offshore wind farm 3.1 Project description This chapter and the later chapters 3.6 and 4 describe the technical aspects of the Anholt Offshore Wind Farm. For a full project description reference is made to /1/. 3.1.1 Site location The designated project area for the Anholt Offshore Wind Farm is located in Kattegat between the headland Djursland of Jutland and the island Anholt - see Figure 3-1. The project area is 144 km2, but the planned wind turbines must not cover an area of more than 88 km2. Ref. 977201/0550_001 3/32 Figure 3-1 Location of the Anholt Offshore Wind Farm project area. 3.1.2 Offshore components 3.1.2.1 Foundations The wind turbines will be supported on foundations fixed to the seabed. The founda- tions will be either driven steel monopiles or concrete gravity based structures. Both concepts have successfully been used for operating offshore wind farms in Denmark. The monopile solution comprises driving a hollow steel pile into the seabed. A steel transition piece is attached to the pile head using grout to make the connection with the wind turbine tower. The gravity based solution comprises a concrete base that stands on the seabed and thus relies on its mass including ballast to withstand the loads generated by the off- shore environment and the wind turbine. Ref. 977201/0550_001 4/32 3.1.2.2 Wind turbines The maximum rated capacity of the wind farm is limited to 400 MW by the authori- ties. The farm will feature from 80 to 174 turbines depending on the rated energy of the selected turbines corresponding to the range of 2.3 to 5.0 MW. Preliminary dimensions of the turbines are not expected to exceed a maximum tip height of 160 m above mean sea level for the largest turbine size (5.0 MW) and a minimum air gap of approximately 23 m above mean sea level. An operational sound power level is expected in the order of 110 dB(A), but will depend on the selected type of turbine. The wind turbines will exhibit distinguishing markings visible for vessels and aircrafts in accordance with recommendations by the Danish Maritime Safety Administration and the Danish Civil Aviation Administration.