Experience from the first large scale tidal turbine EIA in Europe. How do we work towards effective and proportionate EIA?

Transcription

1 Independent, integrated thinking Experience from the first large scale tidal turbine EIA in Europe How do we work towards effective and proportionate EIA? Liz Foubister IEMA Webinar 30 th July 2014

2 What am I Going to Talk About? 1. Introduction to Xodus 2. The MeyGen Tidal Energy Project 3. Summary of EIA findings 4. What s needed for future effective EIAs 5. How do we move forward? effective in context of EIA for a novel industry

3 Introduction to Xodus Leading energy consultants providing environmental and engineering support to marine renewables (wave and tidal), offshore wind and oil and gas industries Key relevant experience: MeyGen Tidal Array EIA Europe s largest consented tidal project (86 MW) Torr Head Tidal Array Project (TVL) Hywind Scotland Pilot Park Project EIA (Hywind) Brough Head Wave Energy Project EIA (Aquamarine) Costa Head Wave Energy Project EIA (SSE) Siadar Wave Energy Project EIA (Voith Hydro) Tidal and wave demonstrator projects (various) EMEC test facility Strategic advice to government and other organisations

4 Context of Today s Presentation Todays presentation is very much about lessons learned to date Still some way to go, but need to share lessons as early as possible FEED completed Turbine technology specification Application submitted Determination period for application Consent award (Phase 1A - 4 x 1.5MW turbines) Procurement Commence onshore construction Commence offshore installation Operational Saltire Prize generation period TODAY

5 The Project Orkney office 100% owned by

6 The Project SHETL options

7 Offshore Project Components Up to 61 tidal turbines generic design Individual turbine foundations Individual turbine cables to shore Cables bundled = 29 bundles to shore

8 Onshore Project Components 2 potential cable landfalls Horizontally Directionally Drilled landfalls (29 bores 3 cables per bore) Onshore Power Conversion Centre (PCC) 3 x Power Conversion Unit Buildings (PCUBs) 1 x Control Building Underground cables to SHETL grid connection (4-5 km) separate planning

9 SUMMARY OF EIA FINDINGS EIA Scoping Potentially significant impacts pre and post mitigation Proposed environmental monitoring strategy Industry wide strategic monitoring Project specific monitoring

10 EIA Scoping Scoping Opinion >250 issues EIA 16 Topics SHETL options

11 Offshore EIA Studies Impact topic Physical Environment and Sediment Dynamics Benthic Habitats and Ecology Marine Mammals Harbour seals key issue Ornithology Located within an SPA Fish Ecology Potentially significant impact Significant impact post mitigation Strategic monitoring Project monitoring (Note 1) N/a N/a N/a Commercial Fisheries N/a Note 1 reduced monitoring for Phase 1a Comments Validation of modelling / impact assessment Surveys to confirm cuttings dispersion and detect any significant seabed changes Collision potentially significant; large array only Disturbance and displacement; collision risk (marine mammal behaviour around turbines) Inform mitigation for larger arrays Collision not a significant impact Disturbance and displacement; collision risk (diving bird behaviour around turbines) to confirm impact assessment Collision not a significant impact Lack of data on salmonid migration routes Ongoing consultation with local fishermen Marine Cultural Heritage Navigation N/a Tolerable Risk Reporting protocol discovery of unknown marine cultural heritage material Monitoring to establish changes in vessel behaviour e.g. re routing implications

12 Onshore / Other EIA Studies Impact topic Geology, Hydrology and Hydrogeology Potentially significant impact Significant impact post mitigation Strategic monitoring Project monitoring Terrestrial Habitats and Ecology Comments Surface water visual inspections, water quality, environmental clerk of works Pre construction surveys (where required) Landscape, Seascape and Visual N/a N/a Mitigation built into design Onshore Cultural Heritage Tourism and Recreation Socio economic N/a Onshore Transport and Access Onshore Noise and Dust Accidental Events Reporting protocol Ongoing consultation with local stakeholders Economic opportunities Ongoing consultation with local stakeholders Noise surveys during construction and operation -

13 What s Needed to Assist Future EIAs? Need to work towards proportionate and effective EIA First step Standard methodologies urgent need for these Survey methodologies what do we need to know? aid data transfer between sites / technologies / species Impact assessment - birds, fish & mammals what level of assessment appropriate? Environmental monitoring Understand the practical implementation of survey, deploy and monitor Strategic versus project specific monitoring areas Learning from monitoring undertaken to date e.g. MCT, EMEC Project advisory monitoring group if other projects in PFOW go ahead likely to morph into strategic area monitoring group e.g. as for offshore wind Future EIAs can then focus on KEY issues

14 How do we Expediate Evolution? Everyone has a part to play. EMEC / Prototype deployments Ensure timely availability of research Engage further with industry to help scope future research Better data sharing needed for the benefit of everyone Regulators and their advisors, The Crown Estate Adapt advice, guidance & policies quickly in response to findings of: Early EIAs and HRAs Strategic research Early monitoring Strong leadership on focus on key issues Novel issues adopt industry acceptable survey and assessment approaches Well resourced not only manpower, experienced, knowledgeable people Ensure strategic research published as early as possible Where appropriate be less precautionary based on early results Developers and their consultants Buy into results of early EIAs to minimise over scoping of later consent applications Early communication of lessons learned to ensure input to future design Timely publication of monitoring results Collaboration between developers where appropriate

15 THANK YOU