Blyth Offshore Demonstration Project Phase 2 – Supporting Environmental Information DOCUMENT REFERENCE: 1233849 NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED PAGE 1 OF 147 Blyth Offshore Demonstrator Phase 2 Works EDF RENEWABLES BMS DOCUMENT REF : 1233849 1 Document Control SIGN OFF Name (Role) Signature Date Mark Hazelton 14/12/2020 DOCUMENT CONTROL Document Number 1233849 Document Title Phase 2 – Supporting Environmental Information Rev. Date Description Prepared Checked Approved [dd mmm yyyy] 001 14/12/2020 Issue for submission SL RH MH NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED PAGE 2 OF 147 Blyth Offshore Demonstrator Phase 2 Works EDF RENEWABLES BMS DOCUMENT REF : 1233849 Contents 1 Document Control ....................................................................................................................................................... 2 Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................................................................ 6 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................ 8 2 Purpose of Report ....................................................................................................................................................... 9 3 Background and Project Description .......................................................................................................................... 10 3.1 Site Location and Layout ............................................................................................................................... 10 4 Consultation To Date ................................................................................................................................................. 19 4.1 Marine Management Organisation ............................................................................................................... 19 4.2 Natural England ............................................................................................................................................ 19 4.3 Maritime Coastguard Agency and Trinity House ............................................................................................ 20 4.4 Port of Blyth ................................................................................................................................................. 21 4.5 Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and Recreational Users .............................................................................. 21 4.6 Newcastle International Airport and Ministry of Defence .............................................................................. 21 4.7 Ministry of Defence ...................................................................................................................................... 22 4.8 Northumberland County Council ................................................................................................................... 22 4.9 Northumberland IFCA ................................................................................................................................... 22 4.10 Commercial Fishermen ................................................................................................................................. 23 5 Linkages between Marine Licences and Variations at Blyth Offshore Demonstrator .................................................... 24 5.1 Array 2 build out and remaining assessment parameters for Phase 2 works ................................................... 27 6 IMPACT ASSESSMENTS .............................................................................................................................................. 33 6.1 Screening and Approach to Assessments....................................................................................................... 33 6.2 Phase 2 Works and Impacts to be Assessed ................................................................................................... 33 6.3 Benthic Ecology ............................................................................................................................................ 36 6.4 Fish Ecology ................................................................................................................................................. 42 6.5 Marine Mammals ......................................................................................................................................... 48 6.6 Ornithology .................................................................................................................................................. 55 6.7 Commercial Fisheries.................................................................................................................................... 66 6.8 Navigation Risk and Marine Users ................................................................................................................. 76 6.9 Seascape, Landscape and Visual Impact ........................................................................................................ 91 7 SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................................................. 111 References ........................................................................................................................................................................ 112 Appendices ....................................................................................................................................................................... 115 Appendix A: MMO and NCC Communications .......................................................................................................... 115 Appendix B: Natural England Advice Letter (24 February 2020)................................................................................. 116 Appendix C: Habitat Regulations Assessment ........................................................................................................... 117 NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED PAGE 3 OF 147 Blyth Offshore Demonstrator Phase 2 Works EDF RENEWABLES BMS DOCUMENT REF : 1233849 Appendix D: Biofoul Monitoring Methodology ......................................................................................................... 143 Appendix E: Updated Collision Risk Modelling .......................................................................................................... 144 Appendix F: Navigation Risk Assessment .................................................................................................................. 145 Appendix G: Phase 2 Comparative Wirelines ............................................................................................................ 146 Figures Figure 3.1.1: Blyth Offshore Demonstrator project consented site boundary and array locations .................................................... 11 Figure 3.1.2 Typical semi-submersible platforms, - Windfloat, courtesy of Principle Power 2020 (left); Barge platform, courtesy of Ideol (right) .................................................................................................................................................................................. 13 Figure 3.1.3: Typical Shallow Water Mooring (sourced from Science Direct at https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/single-point-mooring) ................................................................................... 14 Figure 3.1.4: Typical Shallow Water Mooring (courtesy of Principle Power 2020) ........................................................................... 15 Figure 3.1.5: Typical drag embedment anchor (source SMI Offshore) ............................................................................................. 15 Figure 3.1.6: Mooring Prelay - drag embedment anchors (left) and clump weights (right) (courtesy of Principle Power 2020) ......... 16 Figure 3.1.7: Potential configurations of array cables (right) (sourced from https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Sketch-of- catenary-and-lazy-wave-umbilical-shape_fig4_338743324) ........................................................................................................... 17 Figure 6.7.1 UK VMS Vessel demersal trawl average value (£) 2013 – 2017 (MMO VMS Data) and, wider Farne Deeps Nephrops fishery as defined by Catchpole et al. (2006) ................................................................................................................................. 72 Figure 6.7.2 Figure 10.2 of Appendix 8.3 of the ES (2012) .............................................................................................................. 73 Figure 6.7.3 Northumberland IFCA Commercial vessel sightings data 2016 -2019 (NIFCA, 2020) and, wider Farne Deeps Nephrops fishery as defined by Catchpole et al. (2006) ................................................................................................................................. 74 Figure 6.8.1: Main navigational routes impacted by Array 4 ........................................................................................................... 77 Figure 6.8.2: Effective widths of sea-room between Array 2, 3a, and 4. Buffer distances shown from array boundaries of 0.5 nm and 1 nm ...........................................................................................................................................................................................