SCOTTISH FUTURES TRUST INTERNATIONAL FIBRE OPTIC CABLE LANDING DESK TOP STUDY 2682-GMSL-G-RD-0001_01 REVISION DATE ISSUE DETAILS PREPARED CHECKED APPROVED 01 01/11/2018 Draft issue MW, AR, JW SW MW 02 14/11/2018 Final issue MW, AR BP MW Document Filename: 2682-GMSL-G-RD-0001 Version Number: 02 Date: November 2018 AUTHOR OF REVISION SECTION PAGES BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF CHANGES CHANGE Additional information on the fishing vessel 7.3.3 81 AR anchorage offshore of Port William Harbour. 7.8.1 89 Inserted note regarding planned cables. MW Additional content added in the Scottish permit 9.3.1 109 AR summary. 10.1 120 Updated RPL revisions. MW 02 An existing duct that is 150mm in diameter is 13.2 154 available on the east of Bottle Hole Bridge added to AR site visit report 13.8 160 Model Option and Licence Agreements included as AR 13.9 162 additional appendices. 13.10 162 Updated RPL revisions. MW Page 2 of 164 Document Filename: 2682-GMSL-G-RD-0001 Version Number: 02 Date: November 2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................... 12 1.1 Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 12 1.2 Route Overview ........................................................................................................................ 13 1.3 Executive Summary Table ........................................................................................................ 14 2.0 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 18 2.1 Project Overview ...................................................................................................................... 18 2.2 Objective .................................................................................................................................. 18 2.3 Deliverables and Timelines ....................................................................................................... 19 3.0 DATACENTRE CONNECTION ............................................................................................ 19 3.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 19 3.2 Identified Datacentres .............................................................................................................. 19 3.3 Terrestrial Connection .............................................................................................................. 19 3.4 System Design Effects ............................................................................................................... 20 4.0 INITIAL LANDING POINT SELECTION ................................................................................ 20 4.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 20 4.2 Transatlantic Connection ......................................................................................................... 20 4.3 Republic of Ireland ................................................................................................................... 21 4.4 Isle of Man ................................................................................................................................ 21 4.5 Scotland .................................................................................................................................... 22 4.5.1 Dunnet Bay, Caithness ................................................................................................ 22 4.5.2 Ullapool, Ross and Cromarty ....................................................................................... 23 4.5.3 Muasdale, Kintyre ....................................................................................................... 23 4.5.4 Irvine, North Ayrshire ................................................................................................. 24 4.5.5 Girvan, South Ayrshire ................................................................................................ 24 4.5.6 Portpatrick, Dumfries and Galloway ........................................................................... 24 4.5.7 Port William, Dumfries and Galloway ......................................................................... 24 5.0 GEOPHYSICAL INFLUENCES ............................................................................................. 24 5.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 24 5.2 Geology and Geomorphology of the Region ............................................................................ 25 5.3 Shallow Geology and Seabed Sediments .................................................................................. 28 5.3.1 Seabed Sediment Distribution .................................................................................... 28 5.4 Bathymetric and Geological Risks to Cable Security that Impact on the Route ....................... 29 5.4.1 Sediment Transport .................................................................................................... 30 5.4.2 Rock Outcropping ....................................................................................................... 31 5.4.3 Earthquakes ................................................................................................................ 32 5.4.4 Mass Wasting, Sediment Slumping and Turbidity Currents ........................................ 33 5.4.5 Submarine Canyons .................................................................................................... 34 5.4.6 Tsunamis ..................................................................................................................... 34 5.4.7 Pockmarks and Depressions ....................................................................................... 37 5.4.8 Gas Cemented Hardground ........................................................................................ 37 5.4.9 Gas Hydrates ............................................................................................................... 38 5.5 Summary for Geological Routeing and Installation Report ...................................................... 39 6.0 METOCEAN INFLUENCES ................................................................................................. 41 6.1.1 Irish Sea and North Channel Oceanography ............................................................... 41 6.1.2 Irish Sea and North Channel Meteorology .................................................................. 44 6.1.3 Irvine ........................................................................................................................... 45 6.1.4 Girvan .......................................................................................................................... 48 Page 3 of 164 Document Filename: 2682-GMSL-G-RD-0001 Version Number: 02 Date: November 2018 6.1.5 Muasdale .................................................................................................................... 49 6.1.6 Portpatrick .................................................................................................................. 51 6.1.7 Port William ................................................................................................................ 52 6.1.8 Peel ............................................................................................................................. 54 6.1.9 Port Grenaugh ............................................................................................................. 56 6.1.10 Loughshinny and Portmarnock ................................................................................... 58 6.1.11 Dunnet Bay ................................................................................................................. 59 6.1.12 Ullapool ....................................................................................................................... 61 6.1.13 Metocean Summary .................................................................................................... 62 7.0 HUMAN HAZARDS .......................................................................................................... 64 7.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 64 7.2 Fishing ...................................................................................................................................... 64 7.2.1 Fishing Methods .......................................................................................................... 64 7.2.2 Evidence of Bottom Fishing ........................................................................................ 71 7.2.3 Distribution of Fishing Effort and Fishing Fleets ......................................................... 72 7.2.4 Summary for Fishing Impact ....................................................................................... 78 7.3 Shipping and Anchorages ......................................................................................................... 78 7.3.1 Introduction to Shipping and AIS Technology ............................................................