Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm – EIA Scoping Report June 2010 Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report Co-ordinated by: Ferdinando Giammichele. Prepared by: Trine Hoffman Sørensen, Ferdinando Giammichele, Nicola Barberis-Negra, Emily Marshall, Thomas Walsh, Shiu-Yeung Hui, Morten Liingaard, and Jennifer Brack. Checked by: Trine Hoffman Sørensen, Brian Juel Jensen, Ferdinando Giammichele, Stuart Livesey, Jesper Krarup Holst, and Hans Lyhne Borg. Approved by: Jesper Krarup Holst. DONG WIND (UK) Ltd., 33 Grosvenor Place, Belgravia, London, SW1X 7HY Additional contributions and review by: PMSS and Bond Pearce LLP. Version: Final. Date: July 6th 2010. Submitted to the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) on July 7th 2010. © DONG Energy A/S, 2010. All rights reserved. This report is also downloadable from the Burbo Bank offshore wind farm website at: www.dongenergy.com/burbo or an electronic copy can be requested by writing to: [email protected] . Pictures: © DONG Energy A/S, 2010. Front cover picture: Burbo Bank offshore wind farm and Another Place sculptures in Crosby, United Kingdom. October 2008. Charts: © DONG Energy A/S, 2010. United Kingdom Hydrographic Office admiralty charts: © SeaZone Solutions Ltd. Licence no. 092008.004 to DONG WIND (UK) Ltd. United Kingdom coastline and background raster tiles (1:250,000 and 1:10,000) contain OS OpenData: Ordnance Survey © Crown Copyright and database rights, 2010. All rights reserved. For other chart data copyright see Appendix C. DONG Energy Page 2 of 103 Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm – EIA Scoping Report June 2010 Table of Contents Summary ................................................................................................................................................ 9 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 10 1.1 The Burbo Bank Extension Offshore Wind Farm Development ..................................................... 10 1.1.1 The Developer ............................................................................................................................ 10 1.1.2 The Existing Offshore Wind Farm ............................................................................................... 10 1.1.3 The Extension Offshore Wind Farm Development ...................................................................... 10 1.2 The Scoping Report ........................................................................................................................... 12 1.2.1 Objectives ................................................................................................................................... 12 1.2.2 Activities and Data ...................................................................................................................... 12 1.3 Policy Background ............................................................................................................................. 13 1.3.1 The UK Energy Policy and the Role of the Renewable Sources of Energy ................................ 13 1.3.2 Round 1 and 2 of Offshore Wind Farm Development ................................................................. 14 1.3.3 The Extensions to Round 1 and 2 Offshore Wind Farms ............................................................ 15 1.4 Planning Consents and Environmental Impact Assessment ......................................................... 16 1.4.1 The Planning Act 2008 ................................................................................................................ 16 1.4.2 The Development Consent Order (DCO) .................................................................................... 16 1.4.3 Consultation Process .................................................................................................................. 17 1.4.4 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) .................................................................................... 19 1.4.5 Conditions in the Existing Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm ....................................................... 20 2. Project Description ................................................................................................................... 22 2.1 Objectives of the Development ......................................................................................................... 22 2.2 Site Layout .......................................................................................................................................... 22 2.3 Foundations for Wind Turbines ........................................................................................................ 22 2.4 Wind Turbines .................................................................................................................................... 22 2.5 Offshore Substation ........................................................................................................................... 24 2.6 Inter-array and Export Cables ........................................................................................................... 24 2.7 Onshore Substation ........................................................................................................................... 25 2.8 Anemometry Mast .............................................................................................................................. 25 2.9 Navigation Radar Mast ....................................................................................................................... 25 3. Scoping of Environmental Impacts ......................................................................................... 26 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 26 3.2 The Offshore Physical Environment ................................................................................................. 27 3.2.1 Overview of the Proposed Site.................................................................................................... 27 3.2.2 Physical Conditions ..................................................................................................................... 27 3.2.3 Meteorology ................................................................................................................................ 28 3.2.4 Water Quality .............................................................................................................................. 29 3.2.5 Offshore Physical Environment – Potential Environmental Impacts............................................ 29 3.2.6 Offshore Physical Environment – Surveys and Studies Undertaken to Date and Proposed Surveys .................................................................................................................................................... 29 3.3 The Offshore Biological Environment .............................................................................................. 32 DONG Energy Page 3 of 103 Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm – EIA Scoping Report June 2010 3.3.1 Benthic Ecology .......................................................................................................................... 33 3.3.2 Intertidal Habitats ........................................................................................................................ 33 3.3.3 Fish and Shellfish ........................................................................................................................ 34 3.3.4 Ornithology ................................................................................................................................. 35 3.3.5 Marine Mammals ........................................................................................................................ 49 3.3.6 Nature Conservation Areas ......................................................................................................... 49 3.3.7 Offshore Biological Environment – Potential Environmental Impacts.......................................... 52 3.3.8 Offshore Biological Environment – Surveys and Studies Undertaken to Date and Proposed Surveys ...................................................................................................................................... 53 3.4 The Offshore Human Environment ................................................................................................... 59 3.4.1 Shipping and Navigation ............................................................................................................. 59 3.4.2 Commercial Fisheries ................................................................................................................. 59 3.4.3 Oil & Gas Exploration and Production ......................................................................................... 60 3.4.4 Pipelines ..................................................................................................................................... 60 3.4.5 Telecommunication Cables, Microwave Links and Radio and Television Masts ........................ 60 3.4.6 Aggregate Dredging .................................................................................................................... 60 3.4.7 Civil Aviation Authority regulated