RECORD OF THE HABITATS REGULATIONS ASSESSMENT UNDERTAKEN UNDER REGULATION 61 OF THE CONSERVATION OF HABITATS AND SPECIES REGULATIONS 2010 Project Title: Port Talbot Internal Power Generation Date: 8 December 2015 1 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................ 4 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................. HABITATS REGULATION ASSESSMENT (HRA) ..................................................................................... THE RIES AND STATUTORY CONSULTATION ....................................................................................... DEVELOPMENT DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................................................... 6 DEVELOPMENT STAGES .................................................................................................................. Construction ............................................................................................................................ Operation and Maintenance ................................................................................................... Offshore Decommissioning...................................................................................................... DEVELOPMENT LOCATION AND DESIGNATED SITES ....................................................................................... 10 EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONAL SITES ............................................................................................. LIKELY SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS TEST .................................................................................................................. 12 LIKELY SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS TEST ................................................................................................... POTENTIAL IMPACTS ..................................................................................................................... LIKELY SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS ........................................................................................................... Crymlyn Bog SAC and Ramsar ................................................................................................. Kenfig Special Area of Conservation (SAC) .............................................................................. Cefn Cribwr Grasslands SAC ................................................................................................... APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT ....................................................................................................................... 2222 CRYMLYN BOG SAC AND RAMSAR ................................................................................................................. 23 PHYSICAL DAMAGE ....................................................................................................................... IN COMBINATION ......................................................................................................................... CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................... HABITATS REGULATIONS ASSESSMENT CONCLUSIONS .............................................................................. 2829 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................... 30 2 TABLES TITLE PAGE 1 European Sites and features screened for LSE 13 2 Long-term Cumulative PCs (μg/m³) to Ecological Receptors for the Abernedd, Biomass 15 II and Prenergy Power Stations in Combination with the change in PC from the Project (TATA) site under each development Option based on ELV 3 Percentage of Critical Loads for Other Projects and Combined Process Contributions 16 for Other Projects and the Project (TATA), Options 1 and 2 4 SoS Conclusions on LSE 21 5 Conservation Objectives for Crymlyn Bog SAC Transition Mire and Quaking Bog 23 Feature FIGURES TITLE PAGE 1 Project Location and Boundaries 10 3 Introduction Background 1.0 This is a record of the Habitats Regulation Assessment (“HRA”) that the Secretary of State (“SoS”) for Energy and Climate Change has undertaken under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 (“the Habitats Regulations”) in respect of the Development Consent Order (“DCO”) for the Internal Power Generation Enhancement for Port Talbot Steelworks and its associated infrastructure (the 'Project’). For the purposes of the Habitats Regulations the SoS is the competent authority. 1.1 The Project consists of the construction and operation of an electricity generating station which would largely utilise waste gases from the Port Talbot Steelworks, South Wales. The Applicant proposes to enhance the existing 115.7 MW generating capacity at Port Talbot Steelworks through the installation of two new boilers and two new steam turbine sets which will be fired predominately by currently flared steelmaking gases with natural gas imported as back-up fuel. When operating the proposed development, the Project will have a gross generating capacity of up to 150MW (with an average generating capacity of 130 MW due to the variable cycle of process gas production on the steelworks site). 1.2 The principal objective of the proposed development is to burn the currently flared residual gases from the steelmaking process in order to self-generate electricity and thereby reduce the amount of electrical power that is being imported from the national grid. Only surplus electrical energy that cannot be used in the steel-making process will be returned to the national grid. 1.3 The Project application is described in more detail in Section 2. 1.4 In England and Wales, energy generating stations with a capacity greater than 50 MW onshore constitute nationally significant infrastructure projects (“NSIPs”) and applications for consent are subject to the requirements of the Planning Act 2008. This Project constitutes an NSIP as it has a generation capacity of up to 150 MW. The proposed development will enhance the electrical generation capacity of the steelworks up to a maximum of 245 MW. 1.5 The Project was accepted by the Planning Inspectorate (“PINS”) on 2 September 2014 and an Inspector was appointed as the Examining Authority (“ExA”) for the application. The examination of the Project application began on 10 December 2014 and completed on 9 June 2015. The ExA submitted its report of the examination, including its recommendation (“the ExA’s Report”), to the SoS on 9 September 2015. 1.6 The SoS conclusions on habitats issues contained in this HRA report have been informed by the ExA’s Report, and further information and analysis, including a Report on the Implications for European Sites (“RIES”) and written responses to it. 4 Habitats Regulation Assessment 1.7 Council Directive 92/43/EC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (“the Habitats Directive”) and Council Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds (“the Birds Directive”) aim to ensure the long-term survival of certain species and habitats by protecting them from adverse effects of plans and projects. 1.8 The Habitats Directive provides for the designation of sites for the protection of habitats and species of European importance. These sites are called Special Areas of Conservation (“SACs”). The Birds Directive provides for the classification of sites for the protection of rare and vulnerable birds and for regularly occurring migratory species. These sites are called Special Protection Areas (“SPAs”). SACs and SPAs are collectively termed European sites and form part of a network of protected sites across Europe. This network is called Natura 2000. 1.9 The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance 1972 (“the Ramsar Convention”) provides for the listing of wetlands of international importance. These sites are called Ramsar sites. UK Government policy is to afford Ramsar sites in the UK the same protection as European sites. 1.10 In the UK, the Habitats Regulations transpose the Habitats and Birds Directives into national law as far as the 12 nm limit of territorial waters. Regulation 61 of the Habitats Regulations provides that: …..before deciding to undertake, or give any consent, permission or other authorisation for, a plan or project which (a) is likely to have a significant effect on a European site or a European offshore marine site (either alone or in combination with other plans or project), and (b) is not directly connected with or necessary to the management of that site, [the competent authority] must make an appropriate assessment of the implications for that site in view of that site’s conservation objectives. 1.11 This Project is not directly connected with, or necessary to, the management of a European site or a European marine site. The Habitats Regulations require that, where the project is likely to have a significant effect (“LSE”) on any such site, an appropriate assessment (“AA”) is carried out to determine whether or not the project will have an adverse effect on the integrity (“AEoI”) of the site in view of its conservation objectives. In this document, the assessments as to whether there are LSEs, and, where required, the AAs, are collectively referred to as the HRA. 1.12 The HRA takes account of mitigation measures which