A Scoping Study on: Research into Changes in Sediment Dynamics Linked to Marine Renewable Energy Installations Laurent Amoudry3, Paul S. Bell3, Kevin S. Black2, Robert W. Gatliff1 Rachel Helsby2, Alejandro J. Souza3, Peter D. Thorne3, Judith Wolf3 April 2009 1British Geological Survey Murchison House West Mains Road Edinburgh EH9 3LA
[email protected] www.bgs.ac.uk 2Partrac Ltd 141 St James Rd Glasgow G4 0LT
[email protected] www.partrac.com 3Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory Joseph Proudman Building 6 Brownlow Street Liverpool L3 5DA, www.pol.ac.uk 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This study scopes research into the impacts and benefits of large-scale coastal and offshore marine renewable energy projects in order to allow NERC to develop detailed plans for research activities in the 2009 Theme Action Plans. Specifically this study focuses on understanding changes in sediment dynamics due to renewable energy structures. Three overarching science ideas have emerged where NERC could provide a significant contribution to the knowledge base. Research into these key areas has the potential to help the UK with planning, regulation and monitoring of marine renewable installations in a sustainable way for both stakeholders and the environment. A wide ranging consultation with stakeholders was carried out encompassing regulators, developers, researchers and other marine users with a relevance to marine renewable energy and/or sediment dynamics. Based on this consultation a review of the present state of knowledge has been produced, and a relevant selection of recent and current research projects underway within the UK identified to which future NERC funded research could add value. A great deal of research has already been done by other organisations in relation to the wind sector although significant gaps remain, particularly in long term and far-field effects.