The Galway Bay Cable Project Environmental Report 24th April 2013 i Version and comments Date Note Author 24/04/2013 Final edits & changes made and The Marine Institute accepted ii Table of Contents 1. NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY .................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. THE PROJECT ............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.3. OFFSHORE ROUTE SELECTION AND LANDFALL OPTIONS ..................................................................................... 2 1.4. INSTALLATION ............................................................................................................................................ 2 1.5. IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................... 3 1.5.1. Human Activity ............................................................................................................................. 3 1.5.2. Designated Conservation Sites ..................................................................................................... 3 1.5.3. Fauna ............................................................................................................................................ 4 1.5.4. Reef habitats ................................................................................................................................ 4 1.5.5. Cultural Heritage .......................................................................................................................... 5 2. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 6 2.1. RATIONALE FOR CABLE PROJECT IN GALWAY BAY ............................................................................................. 6 2.2. BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................................... 9 2.3. WAVE ENERGY CONVERTERS (WECS) .......................................................................................................... 11 2.4. CURRENT CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL OF DEVICES FOR TESTING AT THE ¼-SCALE SITE IN GALWAY BAY ......................... 13 2.4.1. Insurance .................................................................................................................................... 13 2.4.2. Hull Construction/Certification ................................................................................................... 13 2.4.3. Mooring System .......................................................................................................................... 14 2.4.4. Deployment and Recovery Strategy ........................................................................................... 14 2.4.5. Technical ..................................................................................................................................... 14 2.4.6. Safety .......................................................................................................................................... 14 2.5. OUTLINE PROCEDURE FOR DEPLOYMENT OF DEVICES AT THE WAVE ENERGY TEST SITE IN SPIDDAL .......................... 16 2.6. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS OF THE DATA .............................................................................................. 17 2.7. CONTRIBUTORS........................................................................................................................................ 18 2.8. PRE-LICENCE APPLICATION INFORMAL CONSULTATION .................................................................................... 22 3. CONSIDERATION OF OFFSHORE ROUTE SELECTION AND LANDFALL OPTIONS ....................................... 24 3.1. LANDFALL SITES & ONSHORE LOCATION ....................................................................................................... 24 3.2. CABLE END EQUIPMENT (CEE) LOCATION .................................................................................................... 28 3.3. FINAL CABLE ROUTE SELECTION .................................................................................................................. 28 4. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED WORKS .............................................................................................. 30 4.1. SHORE TERMINAL ..................................................................................................................................... 30 4.2. ONSHORE CABLE & SHORE CONNECTION ...................................................................................................... 31 4.3. SYSTEM GROUND ..................................................................................................................................... 33 iii 4.4. SUBSEA CABLE ......................................................................................................................................... 34 4.5. CABLE END EQUIPMENT (CEE) & TEST BERTHS ............................................................................................. 37 4.6. CABLE INSTALLATION ................................................................................................................................ 38 5. BATHYMETRY & SEABED CONDITIONS .................................................................................................. 41 5.1. EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................................................... 41 5.1.1. Bathymetry ................................................................................................................................. 41 5.1.2. Seabed Topography .................................................................................................................... 41 5.1.3. Seabed Sediments ....................................................................................................................... 42 5.1.4. Shallow Geology ......................................................................................................................... 44 5.2. IMPACTS ................................................................................................................................................. 46 5.2.1. Seabed Topography .................................................................................................................... 46 5.2.2. Seabed Sediments ....................................................................................................................... 46 6. OCEANOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................................... 47 6.1. EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................................................... 47 6.1.1. Temperature & Salinity ............................................................................................................... 47 6.1.2. Tides & Currents ......................................................................................................................... 47 6.1.3. Wave climate .............................................................................................................................. 50 6.2. IMPACTS ................................................................................................................................................. 51 7. ECOLOGY ............................................................................................................................................... 52 7.1. EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................................................... 52 7.1.1. Designated Conservation Sites ................................................................................................... 52 7.1.2. Intertidal Communities ............................................................................................................... 54 7.1.3. Subtidal Communities ................................................................................................................. 54 7.1.4. Fish Communities ....................................................................................................................... 55 7.1.5. Marine Mammals ....................................................................................................................... 56 7.1.6. Seabirds & Waterfowl ................................................................................................................ 63 7.2. IMPACTS ................................................................................................................................................. 65 7.2.1. Designated Conservation Sites ................................................................................................... 65 7.2.2. Intertidal Community.................................................................................................................. 65 7.2.3. Subtidal Communities ................................................................................................................