Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Environmental Scoping Assessment April 2014 Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Environmental Scoping Assessment 2 Notice This document and its contents have been prepared and are intended solely for its information and use in relation to Kincardine Offshore Windfarm ATKINS Ltd assumes no responsibility to any other party in respect of or arising out of or in connection with this document and/or its contents. This document has 157 pages including the cover. Document history 1. Job number: Document ref: Revision Purpose description Originated Checked Reviewed Authorised Date Rev 1.0 Initial Scoping Document IB/NW/RW/ RL/SK ML AM 03/12/13 Rev1.1 Amendment following RW IB ML AM 19/12/13 TCE comments Rev 2.0 Amended following MS- RW IB ML AM 26/03/14 LOT comments Rev 3.0 Amended following MS- RW IB ML AM 15/04/14 LOT comments Client signoff Client Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Ltd Project Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Document title Kincardine Offshore Windfarm - Environmental Scoping Document Job no. 5121646.6970.001 Copy no. Version 3.0 Document 5121646.04.Kincardine Environmental Scoping reference Atkins Kincardine Offshore Windfarm - Environmental Scoping | Version 3 | April 2014 Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Environmental Scoping Assessment 3 Table of contents Chapter Pages Executive Summary 10 1. Introduction 12 1.1. Pilot Offshore Renewables Ltd. 12 1.2. Atkins 12 1.3. The Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Project 12 1.4. Renewable Obligation (Scotland) 13 1.5. The Crown Estate 13 1.6. The Purpose and Objectives of this Scoping Report 14 1.7. Indicative Project Timeline for Project Progression 14 1.8. Policy and Regulatory Background 15 1.9. Consenting and Licensing 17 1.10. SEA of Scottish Territorial Waters for Offshore Wind 18 1.11. Offshore Wind Regulatory Framework 19 1.12. Scope of the Environmental Impact Assessment 21 1.13. Scoping Opinion (Regulation 7) 21 1.14. Provision of information by Consultation Bodies (Regulation 8). 22 1.15. Pre-Application Consultation 22 1.16. EIA Process 23 1.17. Cumulative and In-Combination Impacts 23 1.18. Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) and Appropriate Assessment 24 1.19. Marine Protected Areas 26 1.20. Guidance and Best Practice 27 2. Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Site Selection 28 2.1. Background 28 2.2. Site Selection 28 2.3. Wind Resource 30 2.4. Total Project Area 30 2.5. Seabed conditions 31 2.6. Metocean Conditions 31 2.7. Environmental, Wildlife and Nature Conservation Designations 31 2.8. Navigation and Shipping 32 2.9. Ports 32 2.10. Civil and Military Radar Considerations 33 2.11. Onshore EIA Topics 33 3. Offshore Wind Farm Components and Installation Methods 34 3.1. Introduction 34 3.2. Site Selection 34 3.3. Project Schedule 34 3.4. Project Overview 34 3.5. Turbines 35 3.6. Floating sub-structures 36 3.7. Anchors and moorings 38 3.8. Export and Inter-array cables 38 3.9. Scour Protection 40 3.10. Wind Farm Layout 40 3.11. Resource Assessment 41 3.12. Onshore connection to the Grid connection point 43 Atkins Kincardine Offshore Windfarm - Environmental Scoping | Version 3 | April 2014 Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Environmental Scoping Assessment 4 4. Grid 44 4.1. General Description 44 4.2. Inter-array Cable 45 4.3. Potential Cable Crossings 45 4.4. Offshore Cables 45 4.5. Cable Landfall 46 4.6. Grid Connection and Onshore Works 48 4.7. Existing Substation 48 4.8. Overhead Line Connection 48 4.9. Repowering and Decommissioning 49 5. Continuous Consultation 50 5.1. Consultation process 50 6. Construction 51 6.1. Site Access 51 6.2. Lighting and Marking 51 6.3. Pre-Construction activity 51 6.4. Construction Programme 52 6.5. Environmental Management System – Construction 53 6.6. Health and Safety – Construction 54 7. Operation 55 7.1. Site Access 55 7.2. Lighting and Marking 55 7.3. Operation – Radar Interference 55 7.4. Visual Amenity 55 7.5. Other Marine Users 56 7.6. Wind Farm Control 56 7.7. Wind Farm Inspection and Maintenance 57 7.8. Remote Shutdown 57 7.9. Operation Management – Environmental 57 7.10. Health and Safety – Operation 57 8. Decommissioning 59 8.1. Decommissioning Method 59 8.2. Site Access 59 8.3. Post Decommissioning Monitoring 59 9. Approach to Scoping and EIA 60 9.1. Introduction 60 9.2. Assessment Methodology 60 9.3. Cumulative and in-combination Impacts 60 9.4. Impact Identification 60 10. Environment 61 10.1. The Physical Environment 61 10.2. Water and Sediment Quality 65 10.3. Air Quality 67 10.4. The Biological Environment 68 10.5. Site Description 68 10.6. Fish, Shellfish and Benthic Ecology 69 10.7. Ornithology 77 10.8. Cumulative Impact 89 10.9. Marine Mammals (including noise) 90 10.10. Cumulative Impact 100 11. The Human Environment and Other Marine Users 101 Atkins Kincardine Offshore Windfarm - Environmental Scoping | Version 3 | April 2014 Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Environmental Scoping Assessment 5 11.1. Landscape, Seascape and Visuals 101 11.2. Tourism and Recreation 107 11.3. Navigation and Maritime Traffic 110 11.4. Commercial Fisheries 115 11.5. Archaeology 120 11.6. Potential Socio-economics 125 11.7. Other Sea Users 127 11.8. Civil and Military Aviation and Unexploded Ordnance 130 12. Draft Outline of the Environmental Statement 135 12.1. Part 1 - Introduction and Context 135 12.2. Part 2 – The Environmental Impact Assessment 135 13. Next Steps 137 14. References 138 Appendix A. List of COWRIE commissioned reports and other guidance documents 144 Appendix B. Data Sources 147 Appendix C. Summary of Marine Mammal Protection Legislation 151 Appendix D. Fish Landing Values 153 Appendix E. List of Scoping Report Consultees 155 Tables Table 3-1 Summary of WTG options ....................................................................................................... 35 Table 3-2 Summary of corrosion, marking and navigational aids options ............................................... 37 Table 3-3 Summary of mooring system options ...................................................................................... 38 Table 3-4 Summary of Export Cable options ........................................................................................... 39 Table 10-1 Summary of Physical Environment .......................................................................................... 61 Table 10-2 Baseline information – Physical Environment ......................................................................... 61 Table 10-3 Potential impacts on physical processes and sediment dynamics .......................................... 64 Table 10-4 Summary of Water Quality Strategy ........................................................................................ 65 Table 10-5 Baseline information- Water Quality and Sediments ............................................................... 66 Table 10-6 Potential impacts on water and sediment quality. ................................................................... 67 Table 10-7 Summary of Air Quality Strategy ............................................................................................. 67 Table 10-8 Potential impacts on air quality. ............................................................................................... 68 Table 10-9 Summary of Approach ............................................................................................................. 69 Table 10-10 Baseline information – Fish, Shellfish and Benthic ecology .................................................... 69 Table 10-11 Potential impacts on fish and Shell fish ................................................................................... 75 Table 10-12 Potential impacts on benthic ecology ...................................................................................... 76 Table 10-13 Impact assessment strategy for benthic ecology, fish and shell fish ....................................... 77 Table 10-14 Summary of Approach ............................................................................................................. 77 Table 10-15 Baseline information – Ornithology .......................................................................................... 78 Table 10-16 Summary of digital aerial survey effort at the Site between April 2013 and March 2014 ........ 84 Table 10-17 Key conclusions from interim survey data ............................................................................... 87 Table 10-18 Potential impacts on ornithology .............................................................................................. 88 Table 10-19 Impact assessment strategy for ornithology ............................................................................ 89 Table 10-20 Summary of Approach ............................................................................................................. 90 Table 10-21 Baseline information – Marine Mammals ................................................................................ 90 Table 10-22 Summary of abundance of marine mammals within Aberdeen Bay ........................................ 96 Table 10-23 Key conclusions from interim survey data ............................................................................... 97 Table 10-24 Potential impacts on marine mammals .................................................................................... 98 Table 10-25 Impact assessment strategy for marine mammals (including noise) ....................................... 99 Table 11-1 Summary of Approach ..........................................................................................................