Arklow Bank Wind Park Marine Site Investigations Natura Impact Statement Comprising a Stage One screening appraisal for appropriate assessment, and a Stage Two appraisal for appropriate assessment Arklow Bank Wind Park (ABWP) ABWP Marine Site Investigations Natura Impact Statement Final F01 11 March 2020 Arklow Bank Wind Park (ABWP) | Natura Impact Statement | Final F01 www.rpsgroup.com Approval for issue James McCrory 11.03.2020 CEcol CEnv MCIEEM CBiol MRSB Prepared by: Prepared for: RPS Ireland Ltd (NI) Sure Partners Limited James McCrory Eimear Lenehan Senior Associate Lead Consent Manager Elmwood House, 74 Boucher Road Red Oak South, South County Business Park Belfast, Co. Antrim BT12 6RZ Leopardstown, Dublin 18, D18 W688 T +44 28 9066 7914 T +44 28 9033 9119 E [email protected] E [email protected] Copyright © Copyright RPS Ireland Limited. All rights reserved. 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MHC-22113574-1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Appropriate Assessment .......................................................................................................... 2 1.1.1 The Habitats Directive ........................................................................................................ 2 1.1.2 Irish Legislation .................................................................................................................. 2 1.1.3 The Appropriate Assessment Process ............................................................................... 3 1.2 Objective of the Document ....................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Document Structure .................................................................................................................. 5 1.3.1 Methodology and Guidance ............................................................................................... 5 1.3.2 Proposed Development ..................................................................................................... 5 1.3.3 Stage One Screening Appraisal ......................................................................................... 5 1.3.4 Stage Two Appraisal for Appropriate Assessment ............................................................. 5 1.4 Directly connected with or necessary to the management of the site ....................................... 5 2 Methodology .................................................................................................................................. 6 2.1.1 Published guidance on Appropriate Assessment ............................................................... 6 2.1.2 Likely Significant Effect ...................................................................................................... 7 2.1.3 Mitigation Measures ........................................................................................................... 7 2.1.4 Consideration of Ex-situ Effects ......................................................................................... 8 2.1.5 Conservation Objectives .................................................................................................... 8 2.1.6 In-combination Effects ....................................................................................................... 9 3 The Proposed Development ........................................................................................................ 10 3.1 Location of the Project ............................................................................................................ 10 3.1.1 Site Location .................................................................................................................... 10 3.1.2 Foreshore Application Area.............................................................................................. 10 3.2 Marine Surveys Proposed ...................................................................................................... 11 3.3 Description of the Proposed Survey Works ............................................................................ 14 3.3.1 Survey Schedule .............................................................................................................. 14 3.3.2 Survey Vessels ................................................................................................................ 15 3.3.3 Geotechnical Survey ........................................................................................................ 19 3.3.4 Wind Resource Survey (Floating LiDAR) ......................................................................... 23 3.3.5 Sediment dynamics measurement ................................................................................... 23 4 Stage One Screening Appraisal for Appropriate Assessment ...................................................... 25 4.1 European sites........................................................................................................................ 25 4.2 Ascertaining Whether Impact Pathways Exist ........................................................................ 33 4.3 Possible Effects ...................................................................................................................... 33 4.3.1 Habitat Loss ..................................................................................................................... 33 4.3.2 Water Quality ................................................................................................................... 37 4.3.3 Underwater Disturbance .................................................................................................. 42 4.3.4 Aerial Disturbance ............................................................................................................ 55 4.4 In-Combination Effects ........................................................................................................... 59 4.4.1 Arklow Bank Wind Park.................................................................................................... 61 4.4.2 Arklow WwTP ................................................................................................................... 62 4.4.3 Energia Wind Farm .......................................................................................................... 63 4.4.4 Codling Bank Wind Park .................................................................................................. 64 4.4.5 Kilmichael Point ............................................................................................................... 64 4.5 Conclusion of the Screening Appraisal ................................................................................... 65 5 Stage Two Appraisal for Appropriate Assessment ....................................................................... 71 5.1 Underwater Disturbance ......................................................................................................... 71 5.2 Water Quality .......................................................................................................................... 71 5.3 Mitigation Measures ............................................................................................................... 72 6 Conclusion of the Habitats Directive Appraisals .......................................................................... 77 Appendix 1: Foreshore Licence Map .............................................................................................. 79 Appendix 2: Conservation Objectives ............................................................................................. 81 Appendix 3: Physical Processes Baseline Report ........................................................................ 118 ABWP Marine Site Investigations | Natura Impact Statement | 11 March 2020 www.rpsgroup.com i LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1 Step-wise procedure of Article 6 of the Habitats Directive (from EC, 2019) ..................... 4 Figure 3.1: Location of the Proposed Development ............................................................................ 11 Figure 3.2: Plan of Arklow Harbour area for site investigation survey ................................................. 12 Figure 3.3: MV Geoquip Saentis; an example of a DP2 geotechnical drillship ..................................