Towards Integration of Low Carbon Energy and Biodiversity Policies
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Towards integration of low carbon energy and biodiversity policies An assessment of impacts of low carbon energy scenarios on biodiversity in the UK and abroad and an assessment of a framework for determining ILUC impacts based on UK bio-energy demand scenarios SUPPORTING DOCUMENT – LITERATURE REVIEW OF IMPACTS ON BIODIVERSITY Defra 29 March 2013 In collaboration with: Supporting document – Literature review on impacts on biodiversity Document information CLIENT Defra REPORT TITLE Supporting document – Literature review of impacts on biodiversity PROJECT NAME Towards integration of low carbon energy and biodiversity policies PROJECT CODE WC1012 PROJECT TEAM BIO Intelligence Service, IEEP, CEH PROJECT OFFICER Mr. Andy Williams, Defra Mrs. Helen Pontier, Defra DATE 29 March 2013 AUTHORS Mr. Shailendra Mudgal, Bio Intelligence Service Ms. Sandra Berman, Bio Intelligence Service Dr. Adrian Tan, Bio Intelligence Service Ms. Sarah Lockwood, Bio Intelligence Service Dr. Anne Turbé, Bio Intelligence Service Dr. Graham Tucker, IEEP Mr. Andrew J. Mac Conville, IEEP Ms. Bettina Kretschmer, IEEP Dr. David Howard, CEH KEY CONTACTS Sébastien Soleille [email protected] Or Constance Von Briskorn [email protected] DISCLAIMER The project team does not accept any liability for any direct or indirect damage resulting from the use of this report or its content. This report contains the results of research by the authors and is not to be perceived as the opinion of Defra. Photo credit: cover @ Per Ola Wiberg ©BIO Intelligence Service 2013 2 | Towards integration of low carbon energy and biodiversity policies Annex A Table of Contents 1.1 Nuclear 10 1.1.1 Overview of the technology 10 1.1.2 Use in the UK 11 1.1.3 UK biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 13 1.1.4 International biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 20 1.1.5 Conclusions 20 1.2 Coal 23 1.2.1 Overview of the technology 23 1.2.2 UK biodiversity impacts from coal mining and their mitigation 24 1.2.3 UK biodiversity impacts from coal combustion and their mitigation 27 1.2.4 International biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 30 1.2.5 Conclusions 30 1.3 Oil and gas 33 1.3.1 Overview of the technology 33 1.3.2 UK biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 33 1.3.3 International biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 40 1.3.4 Conclusions 41 1.4 Carbon capture and storage (CCS) 43 1.4.1 Overview of the technology 43 1.4.2 Use in the UK 47 1.4.3 UK biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 50 1.4.4 International biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 56 1.4.5 Conclusions 56 1.5 Hydroelectric power 57 1.5.1 Overview of the technology 57 1.5.2 Use in the UK 58 1.5.3 UK biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 59 1.5.4 International biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 63 1.5.5 Conclusions 63 1.6 Onshore wind 66 1.6.1 Overview of the technology 66 1.6.2 Use in the UK 67 1.6.3 UK biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 68 Towards integration of low carbon energy and biodiversity policies | 3 Supporting document – Literature review on impacts on biodiversity 1.6.4 International biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 72 1.6.5 Conclusions 72 1.7 Offshore wind 73 1.7.1 Overview of the technology 73 1.7.2 Use in the UK 75 1.7.3 UK environmental impacts 76 1.7.4 International environmental impacts 81 1.7.5 Conclusions 81 1.8 Microgeneration of electricity 83 1.8.1 Overview of the technology 83 1.8.2 Use in the UK 87 1.8.3 UK biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 87 1.8.4 International biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 89 1.8.5 Conclusions 89 1.9 Crop-derived biofuels 90 1.9.1 Overview of the technology 90 1.9.2 Use in the UK 91 1.9.3 UK biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 93 1.9.4 International biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 97 1.9.5 Conclusions 100 1.10 Biomass from dedicated energy crops and primary wood production 103 1.10.1 Overview of the technology 103 1.10.2 Use in the UK 104 1.10.3 UK biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 105 1.10.4 International biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 108 1.10.5 Conclusions 111 1.11 Biomass from agricultural and forestry residues 115 1.11.1 Overview of the technology 115 1.11.2 Use in the UK 116 1.11.3 UK biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 116 1.11.4 International biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 118 1.11.5 Conclusions 119 1.12 Biomass from genuinely residual wastes 120 1.12.1 Overview of the technology 120 1.12.2 Use in the UK 121 1.12.3 UK biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 123 4 | Towards integration of low carbon energy and biodiversity policies Annex A 1.12.4 International biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 124 1.12.5 Conclusions 125 1.13 Geothermal electricity 126 1.13.1 Overview of the technology 126 1.13.2 Use in the UK 127 1.13.3 UK biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 127 1.13.4 International biodiversity impacts and their mitigation 129 1.13.5 Conclusions 129 1.14 Tidal stream 131 1.14.1 Overview of the technology 131 1.14.2 Use in the UK 131 1.14.3 UK Environmental Impacts 133 1.14.4 International environmental impacts 136 1.14.5 Conclusions 137 1.15 Tidal range 138 1.15.1 Overview of the technology 138 1.15.2 Use in the UK 139 1.15.3 UK environmental impacts 140 1.15.4 International environmental impacts 143 1.15.5 Conclusions 144 1.16 Wave power 146 1.16.1 Overview of the technology 146 1.16.2 Use in the UK 148 1.16.3 UK biodiversity impacts 149 1.16.4 International impacts 151 1.16.5 Conclusions 151 1.17 Future technologies 154 1.17.1 Overview of the technologies 154 1.17.2 Description of the technologies and their impacts/mitigation 154 1.17.3 Conclusions 156 1.18 Energy grid – transmission and storage 157 1.18.1 Overview of the technology 157 1.18.2 Description of the technologies and their impacts/mitigation 157 1.18.3 Conclusions 160 Towards integration of low carbon energy and biodiversity policies | 5 Supporting document – Literature review on impacts on biodiversity List of Tables Table 1: Power reactors operating in the UK 12 Table 2: Nuclear power environmental impacts – by operation 14 Table 3: Summary of potential biodiversity impacts per unit of energy produced from nuclear energy in the UK 22 Table 4: Summary of potential biodiversity impacts per unit of energy produced from the use of coal for UK energy requirements 32 Table 5: Produced water discharges containing oil between 2005 and 2009 36 Table 6: Oil and chemical releases from offshore installations and pipelines in the UK 37 Table 7: Summary of potential biodiversity impacts per unit of energy produced from the use of oil and gas for UK energy requirements 41 Table 8: Summary of potential biodiversity impacts per unit of energy produced from the use of fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage for UK energy requirements 56 Table 9: Total installed capacity and gross electricity generation from hydropower in the UK in 2010 59 Table 10: The number of possible future hydroelectricity sites in England and Wales classified according to their potential fish impacts 62 Table 11: Summary of potential biodiversity impacts per unit of energy produced from the use of hydropower for UK energy requirements 65 Table 12: Summary of potential biodiversity impacts per unit of energy produced from the use of onshore wind for UK energy requirements 72 Table 13: Offshore windfarm projects in the UK (March 2012) 76 Table 14 Summary of potential biodiversity impacts per unit of energy produced from the use of offshore wind for UK energy requirements 82 Table 15: Summary of potential biodiversity impacts per unit of energy produced from microgeneration of energy in the UK 90 Table 16: UK biofuel volumes per feedstock from the UK (DfT 2011) 91 Table 17: UK land areas used for agriculture and crops for biofuels 92 Table 18: UK biofuel volumes per feedstock imported 93 Table 19: Summary of potential biodiversity impacts per unit of energy produced from the use of crop-derived biofuels for UK energy requirements 101 Table 20: Summary of potential biodiversity impacts per unit of energy produced from the use of dedicated energy crops for UK energy requirements 112 6 | Towards integration of low carbon energy and biodiversity policies Annex A Table 21: Summary of potential biodiversity impacts per unit of energy produced from the use of biomass from agricultural and forestry residues for UK energy requirements 119 Table 22: Summary of potential biodiversity impacts per unit of energy produced from the use of genuinely residual wastes for UK energy requirements 125 Table 23: Summary of potential biodiversity impacts per unit of energy produced from the use of geothermal power for UK energy requirements 130 Table 24: Summary of potential biodiversity impacts per unit of energy produced from tidal stream energy production in the UK 137 Table 25: Summary of potential biodiversity impacts per unit of energy produced from the use of tidal range energy in the UK 144 Table 26: Summary of potential biodiversity impacts per unit of energy produced from the use of wave power derived energy in the UK 152 Table 27: Summary of potential biodiversity impacts per unit of energy produced from energy transmission and storage in the UK 160 Towards integration of low carbon energy and biodiversity policies | 7 Supporting document – Literature review on impacts on biodiversity List of Figures Figure 1: Power generation in a nuclear plant 10 Figure 2: Power generation in a coal-fired power station 24 Figure 3: Mine fields in the UK 25 Figure 4: Changes in soil pH across England and Wales between 1978 and 2003;