Draft Sectoral Marine Plans for Offshore Renewable Energy in Scottish Waters: Consultation Paper

D. CUMULATIVE CONSIDERATIONS FOR OFFSHORE RENEWABLE Energy in SCOTTISH WATERS

D.1.1 The draft Plan Options have been subject to Strategic Environmental Assessment ( SEA), Habitats Regulations Appraisal ( HRA) and socio-economic assessment. Within each of these assessments, consideration has been given to the potential cumulative and in-combination assessments effects of the existing and planned developments as well as potential future plan options. The sections below contain the key issues arising:

Fig.20 Draft Plan Options - Offshore Renewable Energy

National Issues - SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL

Strategic Environmental Assessment

D.2.1 Cumulative and in-combination effects remain much as effects identified for individual technologies, however development within several draft plan options could increase the potential for adverse effects on a number of environmental receptors and range a number of issues. Key issues include:

• Effects on mobile species such as seals, fish, cetaceans, elasmobranchs, seabirds and diving birds, in particular, as a result of barriers to movement, and collision risk. Some species can travel great distances and potentially effected by several draft plan options and more than one type of device.
• Effects on marine habitats as a direct result of construction, but also though any alteration of the water environment such as turbidity, turbulence and changes in patterns of sedimentation.
• Potential for cumulative effects on landscape and seascape character where this is considered to be high, including areas with characteristics of wild land.
• Impacts on submerged archaeology, although mitigation is available in terms of locating devices. In addition there is potential for impacts on the setting of features of the historic environment, in particular, coastal designations and important sites inclusive of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site ( WHS).
• Other environmental effects, including pollution and contamination risk, and effects on coastal areas may be more localised and less significant on a cumulative basis.

Draft Habitats Regulations Appraisal

D.2.2 The ongoing HRA considers in combination effects with a number of plans and projects including coastal development projects, planned developments and areas of lease, and strategies for renewable energy in UK waters. Key impacts pathways under consideration are:

• Direct and indirect physical damage to the habitats, in particular was the presence of the structures on the seabed acting as Fish Aggregating Device ( FAD) being a positive impact on interest features;
• Physical loss/gain of habitats;
• Physical damage to species due to collision risk;
• Non-physical damage to species due to the barrier effect, noise and vibration effects and effects from Electromagnetic Fields ( EMF); and
• Non Toxic contamination due to elevated turbidity and reduction in water quality.

Socio-economic Assessment

D.2.3 Table 10 presents quantified impacts for wind, wave and tidal Draft Plan Option areas at a national level.

Table 10: Present value ( PV) costs for all technologies at a national level, £m (costs discounted over assessment period, 2012 prices, values rounded to nearest £0.01m)

Activity	Description of Measurement	Scenarios
		Low	Central	High
Carbon Capture and Storage	Costs of additional cable crossings	1.85	4.32	9.27
Commercial Fisheries	Loss of GVA associated with possible reduction in fish landings	1.37	3.26	6.99
Recreational boating	Additional fuel costs	0.05	0.72	0.97
Shipping	Additional fuel costs	4.87	66.02	141.87
Tourism	Reduction in expenditure	-	0.26	1.00
Water Sports - Sea Angling	Reduction in expenditure	-	-	0.92
Total PV Costs		8.14	74.58	161.02

D.2.4 At a national level, the combined impact of the commercial fisheries sector in terms of impacts to GVA as a result of potential reductions in landings is estimated to be less than 1% of total GVA and thus insignificant in a national context. Cost impacts to shipping interests are potentially more significant both in absolute terms (maximum annual cost impact of around £13.0m) and relative terms, although no specific figure is available for the value of shipping to the Scottish economy.

D.2.5 On a lesser scale, the impact of renewable development sites on recreational boating is recognised as a deterrent ( i.e., the prospect of increased danger which affects planned passages) and partly economic where the passage is attempted, but a deviation is encountered to avoid development areas. A number of potential impacts have been identified for competing offshore renewables technologies, both in relation to competition for space and cable land falls. The combined impact of these interactions is uncertain. Impacts to CCS and Dredge Material Disposal sites only occur in one region and national impacts will therefore be no greater than the regional impacts to these activities. The social impacts are not expected to be noticeable at the national level.

D.2.6 Illustrative maps within each Region contain the following developments where applicable:

D.2.7 The key issues emerging from the Sustainability Appraisal listed in relation to each region. Further explanation is provided within the Sustainability Appraisal Report with a full breakdown of the issues contained within the respective socio-economic and environment assessments.

D.3 EAST

D.3.1 The East Region includes no draft Plan Options for Offshore Wind, Wave and Tidal Energy.

D.3.2 The East Region contains the following existing options:

Offshore Wind

Blues Seas Green Energy:

• Forth Array*
• Inch Cape
• Neart na Gaoithe

*Forth Array has been withdrawn for development by The Crown Estate Commissioners

DECC Round 3:

• Firth of Forth

Fig.21 East Region - Existing planned development

D.3.3 The Sustainability Appraisal indicates the following cumulative issues to be of particular significance in this region:

• Carbon Capture & Storage
• Shipping and navigation
• Commercial Fisheries
• Biodiversity
• Aviation & Radar activities
• Defence activities
• Social impacts
• Landscape and Seascape

D.4 NORTH EAST

D.4.1 The North East Region has the following draft Plan Options for Offshore Wind, Wave and Tidal Energy.

• OWNE1
• OWNE2

D.4.2 The North East Region contains the following existing options:

Offshore Wind

Blue Seas Green Energy:

• Beatrice

DECC Round 3 Area:

• Moray Firth

Other:

• European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre

Fig.22 North East Region - Draft Plan Options and existing planned development

D.4.3 The Sustainability Appraisal indicates the following cumulative issues to be of particular significance in this region:

• Shipping and navigation
• Fishing
• Biodiversity
• Seascape
• Aviation & Radar activities
• Defence activities

D.5 NORTH

D.5.1 The North Region has the following draft Plan Options for Offshore Wind, Wave and Tidal Energy:

• OWN1
• OWN2
• WN1
• WN2
• WN3

D.5.2 The North Region contains the following existing options:

Wave

Saltire Prize Scoping & RLG:

• South West of Shetland
• West of Shetland

Pentland Firth Strategic Leasing Area

• Costa Head
• Brough Head
• Marwick Head
• West Orkney Middle South
• West Orkney South
• Farr Point

Further Scottish Leasing Round:

• Aegir

Tidal

Saltire Prize Scoping & RLG Tidal Sites:

• South West of Shetland
• West of Shetland

Pentland Firth Strategic Leasing Area - Tidal

• Westray South
• Cantick Head
• Brough Ness
• Inner Sound
• Ness of Duncansby

Fig.23 North Region - Draft Plan Options and Existing Planned Development

D.5.3 The Sustainability Appraisal indicates the following cumulative issues to be of particular significance in this region:

• Shipping and navigation
• Commercial Fisheries
• Biodiversity
• Aviation and radar
• Defence activities
• Cultural Heritage
• Recreation
• Social impacts
• Community engagement
• Landscape and Sea scape

D.6 NORTH WEST

D.6.1 The North West Region has the following draft Plan Options for Offshore Wind, Wave and Tidal Energy:

• OWNW1
• WNW1

D.6.2 The North West Region contains the following existing options:

Wave

Saltire Prize Scoping & RLG Wave Sites:

• North of Lewis
• North-West of Lewis

Further Scottish Leasing Round Wave Sites:

• Galson Wave Site

• North West Lewis

Tidal

Saltire Prize Scoping & RLG Tidal Sites:

• North of Lewis
• North-West of Lewis

Demonstration Sites:

• Kyle Rhea Tidal Array

Fig.24 North West Region - Draft Plan Options

D.6.3 The Sustainability Appraisal indicates the following cumulative issues to be of particular significance in this region:

• Shipping and navigation
• Commercial Fisheries
• Biodiversity
• Recreation
• Defence activities
• Cultural Heritage
• Community engagement
• Seascape

D.7 WEST

D.7.1 The West Region has the following draft Plan Options for Offshore Wind, Wave and Tidal Energy:

• OWW1
• OWW2
• OWW3
• WW1
• WW2
• WW3
• WW4
• TW1
• TW2

D.7.2 The West Region contains the following existing options:

Offshore Wind

Blues Seas Green Energy:

• Argyll Array
• Islay

Wave

Saltire Prize Scoping & RLG Wave Sites:

• North West of Tiree

• West of Colonsay

Tidal

Saltire Prize Scoping & RLG Tidal Sites:

• Mull of Kintyre

• South West of Islay

Demonstration Sites:

• Sound of Islay Tidal Array

Fig.25 West Region - Draft Plan Options and existing planned development

D.7.3 The Sustainability Appraisal indicates the following cumulative issues to be of particular significance in this region:

• Communities
• Shipping
• Commercial Fisheries
• Biodiversity
• Recreation
• Defence
• Landscapes and Seascapes
• Aviation
• Cultural Heritage
• Social impacts
• Coastal processes

D.8 SOUTH WEST

D.8.1 The South West Region has the following draft Plan Options for Offshore Wind, Wave and Tidal Energy:

• OWSW1
• OWSW2
• TSW1

D.8.2 The South West Region contains the following options and developments:

Offshore Wind

Other:

• Robin Rigg Demonstrator.

Fig.26 South West Region - Draft Plan Options

D.8.3 The Sustainability Appraisal indicates the following cumulative issues to be of particular significance in this region:

• Communities
• Shipping
• Biodiversity
• Recreation
• Landscapes and Seascapes
• Cultural Heritage
• Coastal processes