Saorgus Energy Limited Dublin Array DUBLIN ARRAY An Offshore Wind Farm on the Kish and Bray Banks Environmental Impact Statement Addendum (February 2013) TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 3 2 Addendum to Chapter 2 of Dublin Array EIS (Description of the Proposed Development) ............ 7 3 Addendum to Chapter 4 of Dublin Array EIS (Physical Environment) ....................................... 9 3.1 Introduction................................................................................................................ 9 3.2 Outline Description and Results of Hydrodynamic Modelling Assessment............................10 3.3 Review of Potential Impacts and Significance in Context of Hydrodynamic Modelling Assessment 12 4 Addendum to Chapter 9 of Dublin Array EIS (BIRDS) ............................................................13 4.1 Introduction...............................................................................................................13 4.2 Species Accounts........................................................................................................16 4.2.1 Red-throated Diver ...............................................................................................16 4.2.2 Great Crested Grebe .............................................................................................17 4.2.3 Fulmar ................................................................................................................18 4.2.4 Cormorant...........................................................................................................19 4.2.5 Shag...................................................................................................................21 4.2.6 Waders and Waterbirds .........................................................................................23 4.2.7 Black Headed Gull ................................................................................................24 4.2.8 Herring Gull .........................................................................................................25 4.2.9 Lesser Black-backed Gull .......................................................................................27 4.2.10 Kittiwake .............................................................................................................29 4.2.11 Tern Species (Common Tern, Arctic Tern and Roseate Tern) ......................................31 4.2.12 Auks (Guillemot, Razorbill and Puffin) .....................................................................34 4.2.13 Gannet................................................................................................................36 4.2.14 Manx Shearwater .................................................................................................38 5 Addendum to Chapter 10 of Dublin Array EIS (Marine Mammals and Turtles) ..........................40 5.1 Introduction...............................................................................................................40 5.2 Summary of Information presented in Report by BEC Consultants ....................................41 5.3 Review of Potential Impacts of Dublin Array and their significance for Marine Mammals in the context of additional information provided in the BEC Consultants Report ...................................46 6 Addendum to Chapter 12 of the Dublin Array EIS (Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment)....48 6.1 Introduction...............................................................................................................48 6.2 Detailed Landscape Impact Assessment ........................................................................52 6.2.1 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 1 ..............................................................52 6.2.2 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 2 ..............................................................53 6.2.3 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 3 ..............................................................54 6.2.4 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 4 ..............................................................55 6.2.5 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 5 ..............................................................56 6.2.6 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 6 ..............................................................57 211008/RCD/13B/Addendum/27.02.2013 MRG Consulting Engineers Ltd. Page i Saorgus Energy Limited Dublin Array 6.2.7 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 7 ..............................................................58 6.2.8 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 8 ..............................................................59 6.2.9 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 9 ..............................................................60 6.2.10 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 10 ............................................................61 6.2.11 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 11 ............................................................62 6.2.12 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 12 ............................................................63 6.2.13 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 13 ............................................................64 6.2.14 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 14 ............................................................65 6.2.15 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 15 ............................................................66 6.2.16 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 16 ............................................................67 6.2.17 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 17 ............................................................68 6.2.18 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 18 ............................................................69 6.2.19 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 19 ............................................................70 6.2.20 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 20 ............................................................71 6.2.21 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 21 ............................................................72 6.2.22 Landscape Impact Assessment from VRP 22 ............................................................73 Appendix A: Draft Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan Appendix B: Hydrodynamic Modelling Assessment Appendix C: Assessment of Potential Impacts on Seabirds (Ecology Ireland) Appendix D: Report on Marine Mammals in relation to the Dublin Array (BEC Consultants) Appendix E: Methodologies used in preparation of viewsheds and photomontages (MacroWorks) TABLE OF TABLES Table 4.1 Peak monthly Tern counts....................................................................32 Table 12.1 Description of Viewshed Reference Points (VRP’s) .................................49 Table 12.2 Assessment of Landscape Sensitivity of Viewshed Reference Points.........50 Table 12.3 Summary of Landscape Impact from each of the VRPs ..........................51 TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 5.1 Boundary of the Rockabill to Dalkey Island pcSAC ................................43 Figure 5.2 Area of Rockabill to Dalkey Island pcSAC within 15km range of piling operations at northwest, mid-west and southwest corners of Dublin Array. This is area of potential aversive behaviour in harbour porpoise for unmitigated piling..................................45 Figure 5.3 Area of Rockabill to Dalkey Island pcSAC within 10km range of piling operations at northwest, mid-west and southwest corners of Dublin Array. This represents reduced area of potential aversive behaviour in harbour porpoise using cofferdam during piling operations to reduce sound transmission into water column. ...................................45 211008/RCD/13B/Addendum/27.02.2013 MRG Consulting Engineers Ltd. Page ii Saorgus Energy Limited Dublin Array 1 Introduction Kish Offshore Wind Ltd and Bray Offshore Wind Ltd propose to develop an offshore wind farm, to be known as Dublin Array, on the Kish and Bray Banks approximately 10 km off the coasts of Dublin and Wicklow. The proposed development will comprise up to 145 wind turbines with a maximum blade tip height of 160m (max. rotor diameter of 130m and max. hub height of 100m) above mean sea level and associated infrastructure including the turbine foundations, inter- turbine/export cabling and offshore substation. It will be located within an area of 54 km2 in water depths ranging from 2 to 30m. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was compiled on behalf of the project promoters to accompany the application for the Foreshore Leases for the project. The full Environmental Impact Statement described in detail the need for the development, the process of site and cable route selection and the design, construction, operation and eventual decommissioning of the wind farm. It also assessed the environmental impacts of the proposed development on the physical, biological and human environments and identifies appropriate mitigation measures and monitoring. Following initial feedback from the Marine Licensing Vetting Committee (MLVC), who reviewed the original EIS documentation on behalf of the Department, further surveys and assessments were commissioned in order to facilitate a detailed response to the additional information requested by the MLVC and in late 2011 MRG Consulting Engineers Limited were engaged by the project promoters to review and update the Environmental Impact Statement accordingly. The