ISLE OF WIGHT COUNCIL SOEC EIA Scoping Report

Issue v 1.1 January 2013 ITP/REF – UKP1169

SOEC EIA Scoping Report V 1.1

Isle of Wight Council Client contract No.: PO 3500137551 IT Power reference: UKP1169 SOEC EIA Scoping Report January 2013 Contractor: IT Power IT Power St. Brandon’s House 29 Great George Street Bristol, BS1 5QT, UK Tel: +44 117 214 0510 Fax: +44 117 214 0511 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.itpower.co.uk

Document control File path & name

I:\Data\0WorkITP\0Projects\1169 SOEC EIA Scoping Report\2 Work

Author

Hannah Bush, Joe Hussey, Mairead Atcheson

Project Manager

Joe Hussey

Approved

Ned Minns

Date

17/01/2013

Distribution level

Public domain

Template: ITP REPORT Form 005 Issue: 07; Date: 12/03/2012

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Isle of Wight Council together with its project partners are seeking to exploit the powerful tidal resource offshore of St. Catherine’s Point on the Isle of Wight, for the generation of renewable energy. The objective of the Solent Ocean Energy Centre (SOEC) is to develop a managed test / demonstration facility for tidal energy developers; suitable for the deployment of up to full scale single units and small arrays from prototype to precommercial. To provide maximum flexibility to prospective customers, a number of ‘berths’ with varying capacity will be provided. Project construction is anticipated to start in 2015, with operations scheduled for 2016. The project will involve the installation of numerous subsea components such as an export cable(s), an inter-device cable network, a connection hub and cable protection systems. The construction of a terrestrial project substation and associated terrestrial infrastructure will also be necessary as will the installation of navigational / monitoring / survey equipment. After assuming the need for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), this scoping report represents the first formal stage in the EIA process and outlines potential impacts and areas of uncertainty associated with the project. The environmental baseline conditions have been assembled based on existing and available data and the following environmental and social receptors identified: 

Metocean conditions



Marine flora and fauna



Ornithology



Terrestrial ecology



Soil, sediments and water quality



Fisheries and fishing activity



Navigation and shipping



Landscape and visual environment



Archaeology and cultural heritage



Socio-economics

The proposed development site is located just south of the South Wight Maritime Special Area of Conservation, designated for the presence of Annex I habitats: reefs, vegetated sea cliffs and subsea caves. A Site of Special Scientific Interest also extends around St. Catherine’s Point, which has Heritage Coast status and is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The cliffs provide important nest sites for some seabirds and the area is popular with recreational users, with high density sailing activities taking place around the Island. Commercial fishing also takes place in and around the proposed development site. The most significant impacts of the project are expected to be those associated with the introduction of an exclusion zone and the installation of the export cable(s). This report identifies the importance of thorough stakeholder consultation to ensure that all impacts are considered and the necessary mitigation measures applied. Various environmental and habitat surveys have been recommended to fill the gaps in the existing data. Visual landscape assessments are also recommended to ensure that the

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integrity of the key environmental features local to the proposed development area are not harmed. The need for a cumulative impact assessment is identified due to the potential impacts that may occur from the deployment of multiple devices, tidal arrays and interactions with other local developments such as the Navitus Bay Wind Park. Findings of the assessments and surveys will be used to inform the overall design of the SOEC development. Desk studies and consultations with local interest groups such as fishermen and the Royal Yachting Association are strongly recommended. The relevant stakeholders and interest groups have been identified and a robust stakeholder management plan is to be implemented.

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ABBREVIATIONS AFL

Agreement for Lease

AONB

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

BAP

Biodiversity Action Plan

BHA

Bembridge Harbour Authority

CCO

Channel Coastal Observatory

CEFAS

Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science

CHC

Cowes Harbour Commission

DECC

Department of Energy and Climate Change

DEFRA

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

EU

European Union

EIA

Environmental Impact Assessment

EMEC

European Marine Energy Centre

EMF

Electro-Magnetic Field

ES

Environmental Statement

FEED

Front End Engineering Design

Ha

Hectares

HATT

Horizontal Access Tidal Turbine

HCA

Homes and Communities Agency

IFCA

Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority

IOW

Isle of Wight

IWC

Isle of Wight Council

km

Kilometres

km2

Kilometres squared

kV

Kilovolts

m

Metres

m/s

Metres per second

MCZ

Marine Conservation Zone

MEHRA

Marine Environmental High Risk Areas

MMO

Marine Management Organisation

MOD

Ministry of Defence

MPS

Marine Policy Statement

MW

Megawatt

NGO

Non-Governmental Organisation

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O&M

Operation and maintenance

RIB

Rigid Inflatable Boats

rMCZ

Recommended Marine Conservation Zone

RNLI

Royal National Lifeboat Institution

rRA

Recommended Reference Area

RYA

Royal Yachting Association

SAC

Special Area of Conservation

SCADA

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition

SCANS

Small Cetacean Abundance in the North Sea and Adjacent Water

SEA

Strategic Environmental Assessment

SOEC

Solent Ocean Energy Centre

SPA

Special Protection Area

SSSI

Site of Special Scientific Interest

TEC

Tidal Energy Converter

TRL

Technology Readiness Level

WGS

World Geodetic System

YHC

Yarmouth Harbour Commissioners

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GLOSSARY Acoustic Doppler current profiler

A current measurement instrument using high frequency acoustic signals in the water. The current is determined by a Doppler shift from the echo signal from backscatter suspended in the water, assumed to be moving at the same speed as the current.

Agreement for Lease

A contract in which the right to investigate the possibility of developing a wave or tidal energy projects for a specific area, for a specific period of time. This is granted by the Crown Estate.

Appropriate Assessment

An assessment must be carried out if the project is anticipated to affect the conservation objectives and integrity of a Natura 2000 site. This is in conjunction with the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010.

Array

A number of tidal energy converter devices that are positioned in close proximity to one another.

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

An area designated to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of an area, protecting natural features such as trees, fields and open spaces as well as settlements and working environments that are unique characteristics of the countryside.

Berth

Designated location in the test facility for siting tidal energy converter devices.

Biodiversity Action Plan

A plan to address threatened species and habitats, designed to protect and restore biological systems.

Busbar

A strip or bar of copper, brass or aluminium that conducts electricity within an electrical apparatus.

Crown Estate

The Crown Estate manages property owned by the monarch and returns revenues to the UK Treasury. The Crown Estate owns almost the entire seabed around the UK.

Department of Energy and Climate Change

The UK Government department responsible for sustainable energy and coordinating the response to climate change.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The UK Government department responsible for policy and regulations on the environment, food and rural affairs.

Development Site

The study area for the SOEC project (grid reference SZ 510 730; Easting 142514, Northing 55719; 50.55N Lat. 1.28W Long.) lies to the south of the Isle of Wight, approximately 2.5km (at the nearest point) off St. Catherine’s Point.

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Device wake

Area of disturbed water downstream of a turbine caused by the interaction of the turbine and structure with the flowing water.

Environmental Impact Assessment

The process that examines the environmental consequences of a development, in advance of its construction.

Environmental Statement

The product of the EIA process that is submitted along with all applications for consents.

Exclusion Zone

A zone established by a sanctioned body to prohibit specific activities in a specific geographical area.

Export cable

A cable that exports the power generated by a tidal energy converter(s) to the onshore substation.

EMEC

A marine energy test and research facility located in Orkney, Scotland.

Front End Engineering Design

Basic engineering which follows the conceptual design or feasibility study.

Intertidal zone

The zone between the mean higher high water and mean lower low water lines.

Landfall site

Location where the export cable comes ashore.

Littoral zone

The area of sea between the high water mark and the shoreline that is permanently submerged.

Marine Conservation Zone

An offshore area of conservation protecting nationally important marine wildlife, habitats, geology and geomorphology.

Marine Environmental High Risk Areas

Areas of environmental sensitivity at risk from shipping.

Met Office

The UK’s national weather service

Natura 2000 site

The European wide collective name for SACs and SPAs.

Natural England

An executive non-departmental public body responsible to the Secretary of State for environment, food and rural affairs.

Navitus Bay Wind Park

An offshore wind farm, located off the east coast of the Isle of Wight with an estimated generating capacity of 1,100MW.

Neap tides

Tidal currents of decreasing speed occurring semi-monthly when the Moon is positioned at 90° to the Sun.

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Recommended Marine Conservation Zone

A new type of site classification created by the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009.

Recommended Reference Area

A different type of Marine Conservation Zone aimed to protect natural conditions and provide information on the reference conditions of the environment and habitats for designated locations.

SCANS-II

A European survey to estimate the abundance of small cetaceans in European Atlantic waters and North Sea.

Screening

The process which determines whether or not an EIA is necessary.

Scoping

The process which determines, of all the potential impacts of a project, those which are likely to have a significant effect.

Sessile species

Species permanently fixed to the seabed

Site of Special Scientific Interest

A conservation designation denoting a protected area in the UK.

Special Area of Conservation

An area of conservation designated under the EU Habitats Directive to protect rare and vulnerable species and habitats.

Special Protection Area

An area of conservation designated under the EU Birds Directive to protect rare and vulnerable birds.

Spring tides

Tidal currents of increasing speed occurring semi-monthly as a result of a new or full Moon.

Stakeholder

A person, group or organization that is affected or can be affected by the proposed development plans.

Strategic Environmental Assessment

A broad form of EIA used at a strategic level in planning, policy and programme making, ensuring that environmental consequences are considered in the earliest appropriate stage of the decision making process.

Sublittoral zone

The area of sea below the low tide mark where the shoreline is permanently submerged.

Technology Readiness Level

Measure of the maturity of evolving technologies. TRL 9 is representative of a fully matured technology. This is representative of multi-device demonstration of tidal energy converters.

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Tidal diamond

Symbols on British admiralty charts that indicate the direction and speed of tidal streams.

Tidal Energy Converter

A device that generates electricity from the power of the tides

WGS84 coordinates

Reference coordinate system used by the Global Positioning System.

Yaw

Rotation around a vertical axis.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ................................................................................. ii Abbreviations ........................................................................................ iv Glossary ............................................................................................... vi 1

2

3

4

5

6

Introduction ................................................................................. 1 1.1

Background.......................................................................... 1

1.2

Purpose of Scoping ................................................................. 1

1.3

Document Structure ............................................................... 1

Policy, Legislative and Development Context .......................................... 3 2.1

Policy Context ...................................................................... 3

2.2

Legislative Context ................................................................ 3

2.3

Other Permissions, Consents and Licences ..................................... 4

2.4

Local Development Plans ......................................................... 4

Proposed Project............................................................................ 6 3.1

The Project ......................................................................... 6

3.2

Development Site (not including cable route(s)) .............................. 9

3.3

Details of the Proposed Development ........................................... 10

Environment Baseline ...................................................................... 16 4.1

Metocean Conditions .............................................................. 16

4.2

Marine Flora & Fauna .............................................................. 18

4.3

Ornithology ......................................................................... 22

4.4

Terrestrial Ecology ................................................................. 22

4.5

Soil, Sediments and Water Quality .............................................. 23

4.6

Fisheries and Fishing Activity .................................................... 23

4.7

Navigation and Shipping ........................................................... 24

4.8

Landscape and Visual Environment .............................................. 27

4.9

Archaeology and Cultural Heritage .............................................. 27

4.10

Socio-economics.................................................................... 28

Scoping ....................................................................................... 31 5.1

Potential Impacts .................................................................. 31

5.2

Scoping Matrix ...................................................................... 31

Recommendations for Environmental Impact Assessment ............................ 34 6.1

Metocean Conditions .............................................................. 34

6.2

Marine Flora & Fauna .............................................................. 35

6.3

Ornithology ......................................................................... 37

6.4

Terrestrial Ecology ................................................................. 37

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6.5

Soil, Sediments and Water Quality .............................................. 37

6.6

Fisheries and Fishing Activity .................................................... 38

6.7

Navigation and Shipping ........................................................... 38

6.8

Landscape and Visual Environment .............................................. 39

6.9

Archaeology and Cultural Heritage .............................................. 39

6.10

Socio-economics.................................................................... 40

6.11

Further Recommendations ........................................................ 41

6.12

EIA Methodology .................................................................... 45

Stakeholder Engagement .................................................................. 48 7.1

Preliminary consultation .......................................................... 48

7.2

Planned Stakeholder Engagement ............................................... 48

Annex A – Data Sources ............................................................................. 51 Annex B - Potential Impacts Table ................................................................ 55 Annex C – Stakeholder Identification ............................................................. 62

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LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Proposed location of the SOEC development ........................................... 6 Figure 2: Photograph taken from 50°33'32" N and 1°17'50" W looking north to St. Catherine’s Point. ...................................................................................... 7 Figure 3: Indicative SOEC project layout ........................................................... 8 Figure 4: Onshore infrastructure at Ventnor ...................................................... 12 Figure 5: Onshore infrastructure at Niton ......................................................... 12 Figure 6: Example of axial-flow tidal stream devices under development. .................. 14 Figure 7: Examples of cross-flow tidal stream devices under development .................. 14 Figure 8: Example of a reciprocating hydrofoil tidal stream device ........................... 15 Figure 9: Designated sites on the Isle of Wight ................................................... 19 Figure 10: Balanced Seas recommended MCZs and recommended reference area – Map 6 Solent and Isle of Wight .............................................................................. 20 Figure 11: Commercial fishing constraints around the Isle of Wight ........................... 24 Figure 12: Commercial shipping constraints around the Isle of Wight ......................... 25 Figure 13: Northern Petroleum licence map (including the Isle of Wight) .................... 27 Figure 14: Recreation and tourism on and around the Isle of Wight ........................... 29 Figure 15: Marine dredging areas around the Isle of Wight ..................................... 30

LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Boundary coordinates for the proposed SOEC development site ..................... 9 Table 2: Tidal diamond ‘G’ from Admiralty Chart 2045 – Outer Approaches to the Solent. 17 Table 3: Scoping matrix .............................................................................. 33 Table 4: Summary of recommended baseline surveys and initial consultations.............. 45 Table 5: Recommended EIA methodology ......................................................... 47 Table 6: Data sources used in the collection of environmental baseline data ............... 51 Table 7: Potential impacts table .................................................................... 55 Table 8: Stakeholder groups ......................................................................... 62

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1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background The marine energy industry is moving towards commercialisation, highlighted by the recent surge in the deployment of prototype devices at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), to the point where the facility is fully booked. Full-scale test facilities have been, and will continue to be, one of the key features acting to stimulate growth of the UK’s marine energy industry. In order to continue to support the emerging marine energy industry, it is necessary to increase the capacity of such facilities and to develop facilities to support the growth of the sector including facilities to test pre-commercial arrays. The Solent Ocean Energy Centre (SOEC) will provide developers with the opportunity to test and prove their technologies; a critical step towards the development of the industry. SOEC will provide a managed test / demonstration facility for tidal energy developers who have reached a technology readiness level (TRL) of between 6 and 9 (prototype demonstrator to commercial prototype); suitable for the deployment of up to full scale single units and small arrays from prototype to pre-commercial demonstrators. The offshore facility will be a 20MW test / demonstration site of no greater than 5 km2 located to the South of St. Catherine’s Point, and will include grid connection via subsea cables as well as navigation aids and monitoring equipment. Figure 1 shows the proposed location. The terms defined in the Crown Estate lease means that turnover of devices is anticipated to be low; deployment periods could average 5 years with up to 5MW per technology type. This means that there could be as little as 4 deployments in each 5 year cycle.

1.2 Purpose of Scoping Screening is the first stage of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process and determines whether or not a project will require a full EIA. Scoping is the subsequent stage and details the potential impacts that a project may have. This document, the product of the scoping process, is a scoping report which is submitted to all relevant statutory consultees; the responses and feedback are used to determine which of the impacts identified are likely to have a significant effect on the environment. Recommendations for further studies to be included in the full EIA are defined, allowing control and mitigation measures to be established. The scoping process ensures that all parties that are likely to be affected by the development are consulted, minimising the likelihood that unexpected impacts will be encountered during the latter stages of the project.

1.3 Document Structure Section 1: Introduction This section gives a brief description of the project and defines the purpose of scoping. Section 2: Policy, Legislative and Development Context This section discusses the status of renewable energy in the UK as well as the development aspirations for the Isle of Wight and outlines the current legislation that ensures compliance in the industry. Section 3: Proposed Project

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This section provides a detailed overview of the project and the local area. Section 4: Environmental Baseline This section reviews the existing environmental baseline conditions in and around the proposed development site, allowing data gaps and areas requiring further specialist studies to be identified. Section 5: Scoping This section highlights the environmental and social receptors that have the potential to be affected by the various project phases and considers which are likely to be the most significant. Section 6: Recommendations for EIA This section discusses the most significant potential impacts of the proposed project and makes recommendations for further work. Receptors unlikely to be affected by SOEC are discussed and justification given for why they should not feature predominantly in the EIA. Section 7: Stakeholder Engagement This section outlines the preliminary consultations that have taken place, identifying the relevant statutory consultees, as well as local stakeholders to be consulted as part of the wider stakeholder management plan.

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2

POLICY, LEGISLATIVE AND DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT

2.1 Policy Context The UK Government is committed to increasing the deployment of renewable energy technologies, with the ambition to become a world class centre of expertise in marine renewable energy. In the 2011 Renewable Energy Roadmap for the UK, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) pledges an investment of £20 million over the next four years for pre-commercial marine array demonstration in an effort to facilitate the development of marine energy technologies, suggesting that up to 300MW could be deployed in the UK by 2020. The UK Marine Policy Statement (MPS) 2011 sets out a framework for the general environmental, social and economic considerations that need to be taken into account in marine planning, ensuring consistency for marine licensing throughout the UK. The MPS has been adopted for the purposes of section 44 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. Whilst the importance of renewable energy generation is significant, of equal importance is ensuring that the environment is not harmed in the process. As such, the European Commission implemented the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive (85/336/EC) stipulating that projects which are likely to have a significant environmental impact are subject to an EIA. The UK Government has introduced legislation to put the EIA Directive into practice. This legislation is discussed in more detail below.

2.2 Legislative Context Formal consent will need to be sought under the following legislation before the project can proceed: 2.2.1 Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 consolidates the Food and Environmental Protection Act 1985 (Part II) (Deposits to sea) and the Coastal Protection Act 1949. The SOEC development will require a license from the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) under this Act. 2.2.2 Electricity Act 1989 Offshore developments with a generating capacity in excess of 1MW are obliged under Section 36 of the Electricity Act (construction etc. of generating stations) to obtain consent from the MMO. Prior to 1 April 2010, consent was granted by the Local Authority. Consent will also need to be sought under Section 36a for a marine safety zone around the proposed development site. 2.2.3 The Town and Country Planning Act 1990 Planning permission will need to be sought from the Local Authority as the proposed development is subject to Section 36 consent of the Electricity Act and is likely to require the construction of onshore infrastructure. 2.2.4 The Marine Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2007 These Regulations implement the European Commission’s EIA Directive (85/337/EEC), referring to Annex I projects that require mandatory EIA and Annex II projects which may be subject to an EIA, should certain thresholds be exceeded. Preliminary consultation has resulted in the assumption that an EIA will be

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necessary for SOEC and therefore the requirements of the Marine Works Regulations will be met within the EIA process. The Marine Works Regulations are similar to the Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2000, but apply the legislation in relation to marine licences.

2.3 Other Permissions, Consents and Licences 2.3.1 The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Compliance with the Wildlife and Countryside Act is necessary to ensure that no species listed under this Act are negatively affected by the proposed development. 2.3.2 The Planning Act 2008 The Planning Act is relevant for projects >100MW and so will not be applicable for the proposed SOEC development. 2.3.3 The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 In response to the European Commission’s Habitats Directive, the UK implemented the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 (as amended), more commonly referred to as ‘the Habitats Regulations’. Under the Habitats Regulations, if a project has the potential to affect the conservation objectives of a Natura 2000 site, competent authorities are required to carry out an Appropriate Assessment. A screening opinion will be sought from the MMO to determine if an Appropriate Assessment is necessary for SOEC. 2.3.4 Marine Strategy Framework Directive An assessment may be necessary to ensure that SOEC is compliant with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive’s goal of achieving ‘Good Environmental Status’ by 2020 across Europe’s marine environment. 2.3.5 The Water Framework Directive A Water Framework Directive assessment may be necessary to assess the ecological and chemical status of the coastal waters as terrestrial aspects of the proposed development fall within the South East river basin district. 2.3.6 The Site Waste Management Plans Regulations 2008 In order to comply with the MMO’s best practice for EIA, a site waste management plan may need to be prepared.

2.4 Local Development Plans The Isle of Wight’s local authority, the Isle of Wight Council (IWC), is committed to achieving a sustainable economy. In the IWC’s Core Strategy 20121, the Council recognises renewable energy generation as a priority and supports the Eco Island target for the Isle of Wight to be self-sufficient in electricity from renewable energy by 2020. Within the Core Strategy, the IWC states that it will support proposals for the utilisation, distribution and development of renewable sources of energy. It stipulates that new developments will be required to: 1

Isle of Wight Council, 2012, Island Plan: The Isle of Wight Council Core Strategy (including Minerals & Waste) and Development Management Policies DPD

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

Be informed by a landscape character assessment.



Demonstrate how the provision of renewable energy in the proposed location contributes to the viability and financial sustainability of Island businesses and communities.



Reflect the capacity and sensitivity of the landscape of the Island, in line with the policy on ‘Landscape, Seascape, Biodiversity and Geodiversity’.

These points will be incorporated into the development of the SOEC project. As part of the Council’s commitment to sustainable energy, a review of potential renewable energy resources2 was commissioned to identify the Island’s capabilities for grid connection and to locate potential sites for renewable energy projects. Based on the conclusions of a Tidal Energy Resource Atlas for the South East3, the grid connection study proposed St. Catherine’s Race as a suitable location for a tidal energy scheme. Following further studies and development activities, plans are now underway to develop this site and harvest the abundant resource that is there.

2

Review of Potential for Connection of Embedded Generation Sources into Existing Public Electricity Supply Distribution System, 2011; Grontmij 3

Atlas of the Tidal Energy Resource on the South East Coast of England, 2007; SEEDA

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3 PROPOSED PROJECT 3.1 The Project The Solent Ocean Energy Centre (SOEC) is a managed test / demonstration facility for tidal energy technologies; suitable for the deployment of up to full scale single units and small arrays from prototype to pre-commercial demonstrators. The proposed development site lies to the south of the Isle of Wight, approximately 2.5km (at the nearest point) off St. Catherine’s Point, with the onshore element of the SOEC facilities falling within the planning authority area of the Isle of Wight Council. The location and extents of the proposed SOEC development site is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Proposed location of the SOEC development Figure 2 gives a visual indication of the distance of the proposed development site from St. Catherine’s Point. St Catherine's Lighthouse is in the centre of the image.

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Figure 2: Photograph taken from 50°33'32" N and 1°17'50" W looking north to St. Catherine’s Point. Photograph taken by Mark Francis, 8th November 2012

The proposed configuration of the facility is shown in Figure 3 and consists of a maximum 5km2 area with an aggregated 20MW export capacity. In order to provide sufficient flexibility to prospective customers, a number of ‘berths’ with varying capacity will be provided. The size, number and layout of these berths will be defined during the consenting process in close collaboration with potential customers and stakeholders. Currently, the number of berths is provisionally limited to ten and individual berths will not exceed 5MW capacity. A Rochdale Envelope for the site will also be defined during this time, defining the maximum extents in terms of the design, size, type and number of tidal devices that could be deployed at the site, as well as installation and recovery methods.

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Figure 3: Indicative SOEC project layout © Crown Copyright and/or database rights. Reproduced by permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office and the UK Hydrographic Office (www.ukho.gov.uk).

The development and operation of SOEC will be carried out in 3 phases:   

Phase 1: Development and Consent Phase 2: Procurement, Construction and Commissioning Phase 3: Operations

3.1.1 Phase 1: Development and Consent Phase 1 was initiated following the award of an Agreement for Lease (AFL) from the Crown Estate in November 2012, and is expected to conclude towards the end of 2014. Phase 1 incorporates streams of consenting, technical and commercial activities. During Phase 1, the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) of the facility will also be carried out. Data from the EIA assessments and surveys will inform the FEED, as will the outputs of the consenting process and discussions with suppliers, customers and stakeholders. 3.1.2 Phase 2: Procurement, Construction and Commissioning Phase 2 incorporates procurement, construction and commissioning; commencing in 2014/15 once full consents have been achieved. Construction will commence in

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2015, and is anticipated to last no longer than 12 months. Once construction is completed, the facility will be commissioned during 2016. 3.1.3 Phase 3: Operations Phase 3 is the operational phase for the facility, during which time tenants of SOEC, the ‘customers’, will deploy their technology at the site. Activity at the site will therefore consist of installation, testing and decommissioning of tidal devices, as well as operation and maintenance activities associated with these machines and the SOEC infrastructure itself. Lease terms are provisionally limited to 5 years for each customer.

3.2 Development Site (not including cable route(s)) The development site study area for the SOEC project (grid reference SZ 510 730; Easting 142514, Northing 55719; 50.55N Lat. 1.28W Long.) lies to the south of the Isle of Wight, approximately 2.5km (at the nearest point) off St. Catherine’s Point, in water depths of 33 to 75m. The boundary coordinates for the development site as per the Crown Estate AFL are as follows (the reference numbers correspond to the points shown in Figure 3): Reference

Latitude

Longitude

1

50.546199

-1.320070

2

50.555301

-1.279539

3

50.554401

-1.269209

4

50.561599

-1.239809

5

50.557201

-1.237499

6

50.540901

-1.293529

7

50.539798

-1.316210

Coordinates are in WGS84 decimal degrees format

Table 1: Boundary coordinates for the proposed SOEC development site The export cable route options are shown in Figure 3 and will connect the proposed development site to the project substation onshore. These cable routes are located outside of the development site detailed in Table 1. In order for the proposed development to be viable for testing different tidal technologies, the following requirements needed to be satisfied:      

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A sufficient tidal resource of minimum 2 m/s mean spring peak (MSP) flow; A benign location with exposure to wind and waves that does not restrict operations; Sufficient depth to allow the deployment of full scale tidal devices; Sufficient space to minimise conflicts; Close proximity to suitable port infrastructure for installation and service vessels; A grid connection with sufficient capacity.

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The proposed SOEC site meets all of these criteria.

3.3 Details of the Proposed Development The SOEC facility consists of a grid connected 20MW offshore test / demonstration site located to the south of St. Catherine’s Point, encompassing the following key offshore infrastructure elements:     

Subsea export cable(s) Subsea device cable network Subsea connection unit Cable protection systems Navigational / monitoring / survey equipment

These are explored in more detail in the following sections. The area will be subdivided into a number of berths, which will be assigned to customers at the site in which they can deploy and test their technology. The exact number (provisionally, up to a maximum of ten), capacity and layout of the berths will be determined throughout the development and consent phase. Up to six berths are planned to be made available initially. 3.3.1 Cabling and Subsea Electrical Systems A report to investigate options for the subsea electrical system for the proposed SOEC development was completed in December 20124. The report investigates the subsea electrical layout options as a starting point for the FEED study. In general, the initial concept design for the subsea electrical system currently consists of the following:  





Export cables o Currently planned to consist of a 33kV cable laid via either of the three cable routes shown in Figure 3, a maximum distance of 7km. Device cable network o Currently planned to consist of a network of 11kV cables connecting individual machines to the export cable. o Up to 20 lengths of cable, including the main export cable(s) and cables to individual machines, are anticipated once the facility reaches maximum capacity. The longest cable could be 5km. Subsea connection unit o At this stage, it is assumed that a single subsea connection unit (hub) will be deployed to connect each of the berths to the export cable. o The hub is expected to be a watertight container housing busbars that join the power cables together and junction boxes for the fibre optic communications cables. Cable protection o This will be informed by seabed surveys; it is currently expected that concrete mattresses or strategic rock placement will be used over the full length of the export cables.

3.3.2 Grid Connection Grid connection options are currently being reviewed, and will be decided after completion of the grid connection study in Q2 2013. Three potential locations for

4

‘Isle of Wight Council - STEC Electrical System Options’, 2012, ITP.

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bringing the export cables to shore are currently under consideration, these are shown in Figure 4 and Figure 5:  

Ventnor: either connecting into the 11kV substation, via a Tee into one of the 33kV lines serving the adjacent 33kV substation, or directly into the existing 33kV substation. Niton: which would tee into the existing 11kV line to Ventnor, or entail a new dedicated line to Ventnor.

The most likely option (option 1, Figure 3) is a direct offshore route to Ventnor, where there is ample capacity to accommodate SOEC’s 20MW rating. 3.3.3 Terrestrial Infrastructure Terrestrial infrastructure will consist of the following elements: 

 

Dedicated project substation (potential new build), including: o 11/33kV transformer and power conditioning equipment; o Circuit breakers and metering equipment; o Fibre optic cables, SCADA system and other control equipment; o Ancillary monitoring, metering, control and communications equipment; o Location dependant on chosen cable route; most likely location is Ventnor. Onshore cabling and cable joint: o Directional drilling for the cable duct and / or new overhead lines (dependant on chosen cable route). SOEC Headquarters o Will be located in existing office space, possibly in Council property in Newport; o Meeting rooms and individual offices for clients.

Additional offshore infrastructure, such as navigational marking buoys and monitoring equipment, will be deployed at the site. The nature of this equipment will be informed through consultation with key stakeholders and potential customers.

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Figure 4: Onshore infrastructure at Ventnor Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2012

Figure 5: Onshore infrastructure at Niton Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2012

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3.3.4 Site Works Construction and installation work for the SOEC infrastructure, during phase 2 of the project, will consist of: 

   

Laying of export cables via the selected cable route. Where sediment thickness allows, cables will be buried, otherwise protection in the form of concrete mattresses or rock placement will be used. The total length of cable that will require protection will be informed by a cable route survey. Direction drilling and/or trenching of export cables onshore and in the intertidal zone. Installation of additional terrestrial electrical infrastructure including potential construction of new project substation (as discussed in section 3.3.3). Hub installation – expansion of the site will be facilitated through the installation of a subsea hub to collect the individual cables to each machine and join them to the export cables. Cable installation – laying of cables from individual machines to the subsea hub / export cables.

Installation and recovery of tidal devices during phase 3 of the project will consist of:   

Foundation installation – drilling of piles or placement of gravity foundations (see section 3.3.6 for further details of these sorts of foundations). Device installation – onto the foundations (see section 3.3.5 for further details on the type of tidal devices that are likely to be installed at SOEC). Decommissioning of devices – removal of infrastructure and restoration of seabed.

3.3.5 Tidal Devices The tidal stream energy industry is still largely in the research and development phase and a single device design has not been converged on. As a test facility, several different tidal projects and devices will be deployed at SOEC over its 18-19 year operational life span. The main methods of extracting tidal stream energy under development are axial-flow turbines, cross-flow turbines and reciprocating hydrofoil systems. A brief summary of each of these is given in the sections that follow. During the consenting process, an operational envelope for the site will be established, defining the maximum extents in terms of design, size, type and number of machines, as well as installation and recovery methods. By September 2012, nine different tidal stream energy devices had been deployed and grid connected in the UK. In addition, there is a range of innovative and varying tidal energy technologies in the design and testing phases. The next stage of development for the tidal stream energy industry as a whole is the deployment of multi-device arrays. Axial-flow Turbines Axial-flow turbines extract energy from moving water in much the same way as wind turbines extract energy from moving air. These devices are often referred to as horizontal axis tidal turbines (HATTs). Generally, HATTs are composed of a number of blades which are connected to a hub. The turbine is aligned so that it

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points into the flow with the axis parallel to the flow. HATTs are the most well developed type of tidal energy converter (TEC) technology, with a number of device concepts at a pre-commercial stage. Rotor diameter size appears to be converging on 18m for devices rated at 1MW. Next generation machines are likely to be rated at 1.5 to 2MW, and are likely to be tested at SOEC. A variety of permutations exists for different HATT technologies under development, for example:   

A

Devices can be housed within ducts to channel the incoming flow onto a turbine; Some devices can turn (yaw) the turbine to face into the flow; Some also vary the pitch of their turbine blades to optimise the performance of the device in a bi-directional tidal flow.

Some examples of HATT devices under development are presented in Figure 6. These include the Marine Current Turbines (MCT) B C device, SeaGen; OpenHydro’s D Open-Center turbine; Hammerfest Strom’s HS1000 device and the Atlantis Resources Corporation AR-1000 device.

Figure 6: Example of axial-flow tidal stream devices under development. Source: A: Marine Current Turbines, B. OpenHydro, C. Andritz Hydro Hammerfest, D. Atlantis Resource Corporation

Cross-flow Turbines Cross-flow devices consist of a number of blades rotating about an axis perpendicular to the direction of the tidal flow, mounted either vertically or horizontally. As with axial-flow turbines, some designs also make use of ducts to enhance flow. Devices typically have a lower hydrodynamic performance than axial-flow turbines, but have other benefits such as directionality, a rectangular ‘swept area’ and scalability (up to multi-MW devices). Current machines are small, rated at a few hundred kW; next generation machines are likely to be rated at 1 to 3MW, and are likely to be tested at SOEC. Examples of cross-flow turbines include those being developed by Kepler Energy and Neptune Renewable Energy Ltd (Figure 7).

Figure 7: Examples of cross-flow tidal stream devices under development Source: ORPC, Neptune Renewable Energy, Kepler Energy

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Reciprocating hydrofoil devices Reciprocating hydrofoil devices utilise a hydrofoil attached to an arm. The hydrofoil is forced to move up and down repeatedly by a lift force caused by flow over the hydrofoil. Reciprocating hydrofoil device concepts are not as common as rotating devices.

Figure 8: Example of a reciprocating hydrofoil tidal stream device Left: Pulse Tidal Ltd.’s 100kW proof of concept prototype. Right: Pulse’s pre-commercial, 1.2MW Pulse Stream tidal energy device. Source: Pulse Tidal Ltd.

3.3.6 Support structures for tidal energy converter (TEC) devices A tidal energy converter must be securely placed so that it can capture energy from the tidal flow and to ensure it remains in place and does not become a hazard to other sea users. In general, a device is either fixed or floating. Fixed structures Common methods of fixing a tidal device to the seabed are monopoles, gravity based foundations or jacket structures (three or four legged structures made of cylindrical steel tubes). Piling is a well-known method of securing structures to the seabed and has dominated in the installation of offshore wind farms to date. One or more steel tubular piles (2–3m in diameter for monopiles and 1-2m in diameter for jacket piles) are driven into the seabed; the penetration depth is designed to suit the environmental and soil conditions. Gravity foundations rely on the sheer weight (1000-2000 tonnes) of a large base of concrete to hold the turbine in place. A gravity base structure does not require drilling into the seabed, but some means of levelling the foundation is required. Floating structures A floating tidal stream energy conversion device uses moorings and anchors to tether the device to the seabed. Floating devices have the freedom to move, allowing the device to align with the direction of the tidal flow. Floating systems also have the advantage that they can be deployed in very deep tidal sites.

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4 ENVIRONMENT BASELINE A desk study of the available data for the proposed development site and local area has been reviewed to provide an understanding of the environmental baseline conditions. Later in this report, the existing data is discussed and where data gaps in the baseline have been identified, further research is recommended. The environmental and social receptors identified in the baseline study, discussed below, include: 

Metocean conditions



Marine flora and fauna



Ornithology



Terrestrial ecology



Soil, sediments and water quality



Fisheries and fishing activity



Navigation and shipping



Landscape and visual environment



Archaeology and cultural heritage



Socio-economics

4.1 Metocean Conditions There is a UK Met Office observation point located at St. Catherine’s Point. Hourly observations of weather, temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, visibility and pressure are available at this weather station. 4.1.1 Temperature The annual mean air temperature at St. Catherine’s Point is 11.2 oC, with annual mean highs of 13.5 oC and mean lows of 8.8 oC. Water temperatures recorded at the proposed development site during EGS (International) Ltd’s ADCP survey5 from September to October range from a minimum of 14.4 oC and a maximum of 18 oC. 4.1.2 Precipitation St. Catherine’s Point is subject to an annual rainfall of 700.2mm, experiencing 112.8 days per annum with rainfall greater than 1mm. 4.1.3 Air According to DEFRA, the Isle of Wight Council currently has no Air Quality Management Areas in place.

5

Isle of Wight ADCP Survey – ADCP Static Deployment Survey, November 2012, Earth Sciences and Surveying (EGS) (International) Ltd.

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4.1.4 Wind Historic wind data is not freely available from the weather station at St. Catherine Point. Real time hourly wind speed and direction information at St. Catherine’s Point is available to view on the Met Office website. 4.1.5 Tides and Bathymetry The nearest tide station to the proposed development site is located on the Victoria Jetty in Portsmouth Royal Naval Base, 24km from Ventnor. The tidal diamond “G” on Admiralty Charts 2045 ‘Outer Approaches to the Solent’ provides an overview of tidal velocities at the proposed site. The geographical position of the tidal diamond ‘G’ is at coordinates 50°33’.5 N, 1°16’.7 W (WGS 84 positions). Table 2 illustrates the flow rates at tidal diamond ‘G’ during spring and neap tides.

Hours

Direction of

Current speed during neap tides

knots

m/s

knots

m/s

72

2.3

1.18

1.2

0.62

-5

70

3.7

1.90

1.8

0.93

-4

80

3.3

1.70

1.6

0.82

-3

19

2.9

1.49

1.5

0.77

-2

77

2.4

1.23

1.2

0.62

-1

66

0.3

0.15

0.1

0.05

High Water

0

262

2.4

1.23

1.2

0.62

1

257

3.4

1.75

1.7

0.87

2

252

3.8

1.95

1.9

0.98

3

260

3.4

1.75

1.7

0.87

4

255

2.3

1.18

1.2

0.62

5

247

0.8

0.41

0.4

0.21

6

75

1.6

0.82

0.8

0.41

Hours after high water

-6 Hours before high water

stream (degrees)

Current speed during spring tides

Table 2: Tidal diamond ‘G’ from Admiralty Chart 2045 – Outer Approaches to the Solent The Isle of Wight Council commissioned detailed tidal and bathymetric surveys during 2012. EGS (International) Ltd. have undertaken flow measurements using acoustic Doppler measurement instruments at the proposed development site. An ADCP transect survey was carried out to locate current ‘hotspot’ locations6, followed by seabed mounted deployments at three different locations within the

6

Isle of Wight ADCP Survey – ADCP transect survey, July 2012, Earth, Sciences and Surveying (EGS) (International) Ltd.

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proposed development site area to monitor flow conditions at the site over a complete tidal cycle7.

4.2 Marine Flora & Fauna 4.2.1 Designated Sites The waters off the southern coast of the Isle of Wight, including St. Catherine’s Point, are designated under the South Wight Maritime SAC (Figure 9) due to the presence of the following Annex I habitats, as listed under the EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC): 

Reefs



Vegetated sea cliffs of the Atlantic and Baltic coasts



Submerged or partially submerged sea caves

The reefs in this area are distinct due their variety (chalk, limestone and sandstone) and the associated communities that they support. On the south and south western coast of the Island there are important subtidal British chalk reefs and the area of large boulders off the coast of Ventnor supports other significant subtidal reef habitats. The cliffs are one of the longest stretches of naturally-developing soft cliffs on the UK coastline and also include a number of submerged or partially submerged sea caves, formed by an energetic wave climate, which support rare algal species. In the western extremity of the Isle of Wight where the South Wight Maritime SAC joins the Isle of Wight Downs SAC, examples of south England’s best chalk grassland under maritime influence can be found. The primary reason for the designation of the Isle of Wight Downs SAC is due to the presence of the Annex II species Early gentian (Gentianella anglica). Further inland, there is a SAC at Briddlesford Copse, designated for the presence of the Annex II species Bechstein`s bat (Myotis bechsteinii). Other SACs in and around the Isle of Wight include the ‘Solent and Isle of Wight Lagoons’ SAC and the ‘Solent Maritime’ SAC. These are designated due to the presence of important habitats such as coastal lagoons, the nearest of which to the proposed development site is at Bembridge, where estuaries, spartina swards and Atlantic salt meadow habitats are also present. A number of Special Protection Areas (SPAs) are located along the northern coast of the Island under the ‘Solent and Southampton Water’ SPA. These areas are designated due to the Annex I bird species, listed under the EU Birds Directive (79/409/EEC), that use the estuarine areas for feeding, breeding and wintering. An SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) extends around the coast at St. Catherine’s Point, designated for the national geological and ecological significance of the chalk cliffs and landslips. Figure 9 shows the location of the SSSI.

7

Isle of Wight ADCP Survey – ADCP Static Deployment Survey, November 2012, Earth Sciences and Surveying (EGS) (International) Ltd.

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Figure 9: Designated sites on the Isle of Wight The Balanced Seas Regional Stakeholder Group completed a stakeholder-led collaborative project to recommend Marine Conservation Zones (rMCZs) in the south-east of England8. Four MCZs and seven recommended reference areas (rRAs) were identified in the vicinity of the Solent and Isle of Wight (see Figure 10).

8

Balanced Seas, 2011, Balanced Seas Marine Conservation Zone Project – Final Recommendations

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Figure 10: Balanced Seas recommended MCZs and recommended reference area – Map 6 Solent and Isle of Wight Source: Balanced Seas, 2011, Balanced Seas Marine Conservation Zone Project – Final Recommendations

The rMCZs identified in the vicinity of the Solent and Isle of Wight are: 

rMCZ 19 Norris to Ryde



rMCZ 22 Bembridge



rMCZ 23 Yarmouth to Cowes



rMCZ 20 The Needles

The rRAs identified in the vicinity of the Solent and Isle of Wight are: 

rRA 18 St Catherine’s Point West (also within the South Wight Maritime SAC)



rRA 20 Stalked Jellyfish (within Alum Bay)



rRA 19 Newton Harbour



rRA 16 Wooton Old Mill Pond



rRA 17 King’s Quay



rRA 15 Tynes Ledges



rRA Culver Split

The proposed development site does not lie within any of the rMCZ or rRAs recommended by the Balanced Seas report. The closest rMCZ to the proposed

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development site is rMCZ 22 Bembridge. The coastal region within this rMCZ is very diverse, including habitats such as seagrass beds, rocky ledges and reefs. This varied environment hosts a range of species, including seahorses, lagoon worms, stalked jellyfish and a variety of seaweeds. St Catherine’s Point West (rRA 18) is the closest rRA to the proposed development site. The aims of rRAs are to protect the natural conditions and provide information on the reference conditions of the environment and habitats for designated locations. 4.2.2 Marine Mammals The number of marine mammals in the English Channel is low and sightings off the Isle of Wight are not commonly reported. Scarce cetacean species associated with the rocky shores and sublittoral rock of the southern coast, identified in the Isle of Wight BAP include: harbour porpoise (Phocena phocoena); bottlenosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus); pilot whale (Globicephala melas) and killer whale (Orcinus orca). During the last five years, the only cetacean sightings near St. Catherine’s Point reported to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust were of a group of four bottlenose dolphins in March 2012 and a pod of thirty bottlenose dolphins sighted four miles offshore in May 2007. Other independent accounts have detailed sightings of a leatherback turtle and thresher sharks near St. Catherine’s Point. The regional Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA 8) reports sightings of minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and common bottlenose dolphin in the English Channel but their presence is rare and unspecific to the southern offshore waters of the Isle of Wight. The European SCANS-II survey did not record any harbour porpoise sightings. Recent research9 carried out by the University of Southampton indicates that current, submarine, ambient noise levels at the proposed development site are not harmful to marine mammals. 4.2.3 Marine Ecology The highly energetic tidal environment off St. Catherine’s Point provides unfavourable conditions for the colonisation of benthic ecology and due to the expense associated with surveying the seabed, there is a lack of detail about the species that exist there. The area does however have SAC designation due to the presence of the rocky, sub-tidal reef habitats that extend into the SAC’s intertidal zone. The Marine Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) identifies a number of species that are associated with the rocky shores and sublittoral rock of the southern coast, these include: six species of molluscs (Native oyster [Ostrea edulis]; Lagoon snail [Palludinella littorina]; Dogwhelk [Nucella lapillus]; Lagoon cockle [Cerastoderma glaucum]; Variable scallop [Chlamys varia] and a sea slug [Aeolidiella alderi]), one bryozoan (Epistomia bursaria) and one cnidarian (Isozoanthus sulcatus) as well as

9

Putland, R., Summary report of the background noise recordings and analysis, St. Catherine’s SOEC site, 2012

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four species of algae (Gracillaria bursa-pastoris; Grateloupia filicina var.luxurians, Padina pavonia and Zanardinia prototypus). The SEA for the area (SEA 8) notes the presence of the plankton species Decapoda larvae off the eastern and southern coast of the Isle of Wight. 4.2.4 Fish Ecology The Isle of Wight BAP identifies the following rare and scarce fish species associated with the intertidal and littoral reef habitats off the southern maritime cliffs and slopes: Common goby (Pomatoscistus microps), Sand goby (P. minutes), Twaite shad (Alosa fallax), Smelt (Osmerus eperlanus), Basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus), Tope (Galearhinus galeus), Porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus), Common skate (Raja batis) and Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax).

4.3 Ornithology Unlike the rich intertidal substrates of the Isle of Wight’s northern coast, the rocky outcrops, sheer cliffs and slumped grasslands of the Island’s southern tip do not provide the nutritious feeding grounds observed in the more sheltered estuaries and coastal lagoons of the Solent. Instead, the many crevices and ledges of the cliffs around St. Catherine’s Point provide important nesting sites for seabirds. The Isle of Wight BAP identifies five bird species that nest in the maritime cliffs and slopes, these include: Razorbill (Alca torda), Herring gull (Larus argentatus), Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) and Guillemot (Uria aalge). According to English Nature’s Nature Area Profile for the Isle of Wight, the Peregrine Falcon is also known to use the cliffs on the southern coast for nesting. The Dartford Warbler is listed under Annex I of the EU Birds Directive and uses the scrub on the chalk grassland for breeding. The Technical Report on Offshore Seabirds and Waders in the SEA 8 Area notes the presence of the Mediterranean Gull on the Isle of Wight, an Annex I species as listed on the EU Birds Directive, however St. Catherine’s Point is not noted to be of importance for this species.

4.4 Terrestrial Ecology The UK BAP has identified ‘maritime cliffs and slopes’ as a priority habitat, noted to be of particular importance for the specialised and rich invertebrate fauna that it supports. The exposure of the south coast has resulted in a typical maritime-influenced grassland community with the mild climate in the area facilitating the establishment of invasive species. The Isle of Wight BAP notes the invasion of buddleia which is threatening the open ground habitats around St. Catherine’s Point and competing with a native species of liverwort. A number of national priority species associated with the ‘maritime cliffs and slopes’ priority habitat that extends around the coast at St. Catherine’s Point, have been identified. These include one species of reptile, three species of butterfly and moth, eleven other invertebrate species, one species of vascular plant and five species of non-vascular plant. The chalk grassland on the southern coast is home to the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia), a UK BAP priority species which is not naturally found elsewhere in the UK.

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The Isle of Wight BAP also identifies a number of local BAP species, which include five species of bird, twelve species of moth, thirty-eight other invertebrate species, twenty-nine species of vascular plant and seventeen species of nonvascular plant. Frequent cliff slippages result in the creation of isolated micro-habitats, putting pressure on colonies via range contraction and threatening the localised extinction of species.

4.5 Soil, Sediments and Water Quality 4.5.1 Soil The onshore geology observed across the southern half of the Isle of Wight stems from the Cretaceous era. Around St. Catherine’s Point, a permeable layer of greensand (composed of sandstones, clay sands and chert-rich layers) overlays an impermeable gault formation of stiff, blue clay. Water is unable to permeate through the clay and thus forms planes of weakness between the two rock types, causing instability and erosion. This has a resulted in an extensive landslip zone between St. Catherine’s Point and Bonchurch, one of the biggest in North West Europe and is termed ‘the Undercliff’. As a result, the soil is a mix of calcareous earth with more acidic greensands and cherts. Landslides in the Niton and Reeth Bay area have been known to occur and as a result rock armour has been installed to secure the cliffs. Several footpaths in Niton and surrounding area have been closed due to coastal erosion. 4.5.2 Sediments The intertidal reefs off the Undercliff area between St. Catherine’s Point and Ventnor form part of the area’s SAC designation. The onshore sediment observed is predominantly large boulders whereas further offshore, the seabed is composed of littoral and sandy gravels, typical of high velocity tidal current environments. Recent grab samples managed by the Channel Coastal Observatory indicate that the seabed in the proposed development area is predominantly sedimentary bedrock, overlain with sand and gravel deposits. 4.5.3 Water Quality The Isle of Wight falls under the Environment Agency’s South East River Basin Management Plan. Both the ecological and chemical status of the moderately exposed, macro-tidal coastal waters off St. Catherine’s Point have ‘good’ status.

4.6 Fisheries and Fishing Activity DECC reports high density fishing activity in all offshore waters of the Isle of Wight. Figure 11 illustrates the commercial constraints around the Island. Ventnor Haven is the closest port to the proposed development site, from which a commercial shellfish industry operates. The port is also used by chartered and casual angling vessels and managed by Cheetah Marine. The Isle of Wight falls under the Southern IFCA (Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority) district. Fishing in this area is an important contributor to local economies, with crustacea and molluscan shellfish contributing to 80% of the landings in the area. Sales in the district are estimated to bring in more than £5

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million. In March 2012 there were 424 licensed fishing vessels in Southern IFCA area10. A small community of fisherman also operate from Niton.

Figure 11: Commercial fishing constraints around the Isle of Wight

4.7 Navigation and Shipping 4.7.1 Island Ferries A number of ferries operate from the Isle of Wight, transporting passengers and vehicles to and from the mainland. All routes launch from the northern coast of the Island, with regular crossings embarking from ports at Yarmouth, East Cowes, West Cowes, Fisborne and Ryde. Ferry routes: Yarmouth to Lymnington, East Cowes to Southampton, West Cowes to Southampton, Fisborne to Portsmouth, Ryde to Portsmouth, Ryde to Southsea. 4.7.2 Commercial Shipping Equipped with four cruise terminals (with a fifth pending), a five berth container terminal and multiple car terminals, Southampton is one of the UK’s busiest deep water ports with the capacity to accommodate almost any kind of vessel. Nearby Portsmouth is another busy port, historically of military importance, which now provides a vital lifeline to mainland Europe as a continental ferry port.

10

Southern IFCA Annual Plan, 2012 – 2013

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The Isle of Wight’s proximity to these two maritime hubs means that the Island is close to various international shipping lanes and as a result shipping density in the area is high. DECC maritime data indicates that cargo ships cause the highest density south of the Isle of Wight. The proposed SOEC site is not located within any commercial shipping lanes. There are also RNLI stations on the Isle of Wight at Bembridge, Cowes and Yarmouth. Figure 12 illustrates the commercial shipping constraints around the Isle of Wight.

Figure 12: Commercial shipping constraints around the Isle of Wight 4.7.3 Ports and Harbours Ventnor Haven is the closest port to St. Catherine’s Point with the potential to provide operation and maintenance facilities. Additional portside and support facilities available in the Isle of Wight include:

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Venture Quays, East Cowes (HCA)



Kingston Boatyard, East Cowes (CHC)



Kingston Marine Park, East Cowes (HCA)



Newport Harbour, Newport (IWC)



Stag Lane, Newport (IWC)



Medina Wharf, Cowes (PD Ports)

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

Medina Yard, Cowes (Harrison Trust)



Yarmouth Harbour, Yarmouth (YHC)



Fort Victoria, Yarmouth (IWC)



Bembridge Harbour, Bembridge (BHA)



Clarence Boat Yard, East Cowes (Christopher Bland and Bob Cheek)

There are also a number of suitable facilities outside of the IOW, but within the Solent area. These include: 

Hythe Marine Park, Southampton – 4.9 ha



Marchwood Industrial Park, Southampton – 2.43 ha



Drivers Wharf, Southampton – 5 ha



Daedulus, Gosport – 80 ha



Tipner, Portsmouth – 18 ha

4.7.4 Military Activity The seabed south of St. Catherine’s Point and west of the Isle of Wight is marked for use as a submarine exercise area by the Ministry of Defence. There is a disused World War II munitions dump to the east of the proposed development site at St. Catherine’s Deep (Figure 15). If left undisturbed it is not thought to pose a threat to the marine environment or public health. 4.7.5 Cables and Pipelines There are no telecommunication cables or gas / oil pipelines within the vicinity of St. Catherine’s Point. The nearest subsea infrastructure of this sort is an active telecommunications cable which traverses the English Channel, running parallel along the median line between the English and French coasts. 4.7.6 Oil and drilling Two UK offshore licenses to drill for oil (98/13 and 98/14) were awarded to NP Solent Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Northern Petroleum Plc in the UK’s 26th Licensing Round, announced in January 2012. The licences are located off the west coast of the Isle of Wight and adjacent to Northern Petroleum’s Isle of Wight onshore license (PEDL 240) awarded in May 2008 (Figure 13). There is no confirmed drilling commitment attached to the license awarded.

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Figure 13: Northern Petroleum licence map (including the Isle of Wight) Source: http://www.northpet.com/operations/northern-awarded-uk-offshore-licence/

4.8 Landscape and Visual Environment St. Catherine’s Point and the surrounding area fall within the Isle of Wight’s 191km2 of AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) (Figure 9). The 34km of coastline from Steephill Cove in Ventnor clockwise to Widdick Chine at Totland has Heritage Coast status. According to the AONB Management Plan for the Isle of Wight, the landscape character of the area surrounding St. Catherine’s Point is Undercliff, defined as ‘dramatic inland vertical craggy cliffs, slumped grasslands, coastal pasture, exotic ornamental planting, Victorian villa and modern suburban housing in highly manicured gardens and unmanaged natural woodland regeneration’. The Island’s AONB Partnership acknowledges support for energy sustainability and the Eco Island initiative, which aims to create a centre of excellence for renewable energy. The Partnership accepts that there should be no reason why renewable energy production cannot be sensitively blended with the conservation and enhancement of the AONB, without compromising the objectives of the AONB designation.

4.9 Archaeology and Cultural Heritage 4.9.1 Wrecks The nearest wreck to the proposed development site, as protected under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973, is located off the western coast of the Isle of Wight at The Needles. Under the Protection of Military Remains Act, there are two designated vessels south of St. Catherine’s Point: HMS Swordfish (19km offshore) and SS Mendi (21km offshore).

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Recent wreck investigations by the Channel Coastal Observatory identified two unprotected wrecks in an area which encompasses the proposed development site. 4.9.2 Listed Buildings and Scheduled Monuments The lighthouse and the Lighthouse Keeper’s Quarters at St. Catherine’s Point are both Listed Buildings. Bowl Barrow on St. Catherine's Down and the lime kiln and medieval lighthouse, which forms the west tower of an oratory, all set within a medieval enclosure on St. Catherine's Hill are the closest Scheduled Monuments to the proposed development site. There are other Listed Buildings and Scheduled Monuments in Ventnor, Niton and the surrounding area. 4.9.3 Fossils The Isle of Wight is one of Europe’s hotspots for dinosaur fossils and attracts amateur and professional collectors alike. Due to the energetic coastal erosion that occurs around St. Catherine’s Point, fresh rock is constantly being uncovered making the area an attractive destination for fossil exploration and excavation.

4.10 Socio-economics 4.10.1 Population The Isle of Wight is home to around 140,500 people. The Chale, Niton and Whitwell ward, which encompasses St. Catherine’s Point, is one of the least populated wards on the Island with a population of less than 3,000. The neighbouring wards of Ventnor West and Ventnor East have a population of 3,000 – 4,000. According to the 2001 census, Niton has a population of 1,142 and Ventnor a population of 5,980. 4.10.2 Tourism With its rolling scenery and attractive beaches, the Isle of Wight is a popular tourist destination. Statistics based on passenger ferry interviews indicate that during the tourist year 2011-2012, 4.4 million return trips were made to the Island, of which 43% were for holiday purposes bringing an estimated £403 million to the Island’s economy. Peak trading season on the Isle of Wight is from mid-July to early September, with the quietest season from January to pre-Easter. The beach at Ventnor is one of the Isle of Wight’s eleven award winning beaches and has ‘Blue Flag’ status. In Ventnor there is also a Heritage Museum, Botanic Gardens and a Park with an 18hole putting course. St. Catherine’s Lighthouse at St. Catherine’s Point is open to visitors and offers guided tours. 4.10.3 Recreation The Isle of Wight is a popular recreational sailing ground with sailing and racing areas circumnavigating the Island. The annual ‘Round the Island Race’ takes place in June each year and attracts over 1,700 boats and around 16,000 sailors, making it one of the largest yacht races in the world and the fourth largest participation sporting event in the UK.

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Under normal conditions, the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) reports medium recreational use around St. Catherine’s Point. The RYA has a yacht club at Ventnor; from here dinghy racing, motor boating, sports boats & RIBs, yacht cruising and yacht racing takes place. The AONB and Heritage Coast status of the area attracts many recreational users, who visit the area to admire the scenic landscape. As a result, the UK BAP ‘maritime cliffs and slopes’ habitat at St. Catherine’s Point is under pressure from recreational use, due to trampling. Figure 14 illustrates the recreation and tourism constraints on the Isle of Wight.

Figure 14: Recreation and tourism on and around the Isle of Wight 4.10.4 Dredging There are no marine dredging areas off the coast of St. Catherine’s Point (Figure 15). The nearest licensed area for extraction is situated more than 20km from the proposed development site.

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Figure 15: Marine dredging areas around the Isle of Wight

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5 SCOPING 5.1 Potential Impacts A list of the potential impacts associated with SOEC have been identified and summarised in Annex B. The environmental and social receptors likely to be affected have been acknowledged and a rating of low (L), medium (M) or high (H) given for both the likelihood of the impact occurring and the significance of the impact, should it occur. The most significant impacts identified are those associated with the introduction of an exclusion zone and the potential for disturbance to designated sites. The EIA will look at all the impacts in more detail, identifying the necessary mitigation measures to be implemented and assessing the significance of any residual impacts.

5.2 Scoping Matrix The scoping matrix (Table 3) provides a cross-comparison of the environmental and social receptors identified in the baseline study and whether they are likely to be affected by the different project phases. This process ensures that all potential impacts of the project are taken into consideration and covered in the EIA. The significance of the potential impacts identified are discussed in Section 6 and where impacts are deemed entirely unlikely and insignificant, they have been ‘scoped out’ and will not need to be included in the EIA. Part 1 of the table relates specifically to the SOEC infrastructure, whereas Part 2 recognises the receptors likely to be affected by the deployment of tidal devices once SOEC is operational. The potential impacts suggested in Part 2 are based on a worst-case scenario of devices; a maximum extent for which will be defined in the Rochdale Envelope (Section 6.11.1). The scoping matrix illustrates all of the environmental and social receptors that have the potential to be affected by the project at some point during the project lifecycle and will therefore need to be covered in the EIA. Some sub categories within these receptors will not need to be included, such as sediments, cables and pipelines, Listed Buildings and Scheduled Monuments and dredging and have thus been scoped out.

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Socioeconomics

Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

Landscape and Visual Environment

Navigation and Shipping

Fisheries and Fishing Activity

Soil, Sediments and Water Quality

Terrestrial Ecology

Ornithology

Activity

Marine Flora & Fauna

Phase

Metocean Conditions

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Part 1 – Activities and impacts associated with the SOEC Development (Phase 2 and 3) Construction

Cable installation

(Phase 2)

Introduction and management of exclusion zone around proposed development site

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

X

X

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Installation of subsea connection hub on seabed

x

x

Marine drilling (installation of cable(s) and mooring systems)

x

x

Transportation of workforce and components to/from site

x

Construction of terrestrial substation Construction of over ground grid connection cables (cable route option 3) Operation & Maintenance

Physical presence of subsea connection hub

(Phase 3)

Operation of terrestrial substation

x

x

Removal of SOEC infrastructure

Accidental events

Vessel collision

x x

x

x

x

x x

x x

x

x

x

x

x

x

X

x

x

x

x

x

Part 2 – Activities and impacts associated with the deployment of tidal devices (Phase 3)

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x

x

Generation of electricity Decommissioning

x

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(Phase 3) Operation & Maintenance (Phase 3) Decommissioning

x

Physical presence of tidal device(s)

x

x x

x

x

x

Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

Socioeconomics x

x

Generation of electricity

x

Removal of tidal devices

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Vessel collision

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Chemical discharge from tidal devices

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Table 3: Scoping matrix

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Landscape and Visual Environment

Navigation and Shipping

x

Installation of tidal devices

(Phase 3) Accidental events

Fisheries and Fishing Activity

Foundation installation (pile drilling or placement of gravity foundations)

Soil, Sediments and Water Quality

Construction

Terrestrial Ecology

Activity

Ornithology

Phase

Marine Flora & Fauna

Metocean Conditions

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6 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT Using the information assembled in the baseline study, gaps in the existing data have been identified. This section discusses the significance of these data gaps and makes recommendations for further specialist research in relation to each of the environmental and social receptors previously discussed. The additional baseline studies will take place in Phase 1 whereas the on-going studies will be carried out during the operational phase of the project. The recommended baseline surveys and initial consultations to take place are summarised in Table 4.

6.1 Metocean Conditions SOEC is not expected to negatively affect the local climate; on the contrary the objectives of the project aim to encourage the development and generation of renewable energy and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. There will however be inherent carbon costs associated with the manufacture of proposed project infrastructure and tidal devices. It is thus recommended that a forecast of the project’s carbon footprint is undertaken in order to identify the more carbon intensive aspects and possible measures to reduce them. Identifying these factors at an early stage can be used to help influence the design phase and ensure that the most carbon efficient approach is adopted. A cumulative impact assessment is recommended and discussed in more detail in section 6.11.4. Key recommendation: Complete a study of the potential climatic benefits of the project alongside an identification of the likely carbon footprint to identify any mitigation measures and carbon efficient design methods that can be employed. 6.1.1 Air Quality At present the Isle of Wight has no Air Quality Management Areas in place, indicating that air pollution is not a problem. The proposed development is likely to bring about a small increase in local marine traffic, which has the potential to increase local pollution levels. Considering the proposed site’s proximity to busy shipping routes in the Solent and English Channel, however, emissions associated with SOEC will be negligible in comparison and therefore air quality will not need to be a predominant consideration in the EIA. A short report of the expected marine vessels that will be necessary during the project lifestyle is recommended. Key recommendation: Produce a report detailing the expected increase in additional marine traffic. 6.1.2 Tides The very purpose of the project denotes that tidal energy will be harvested and thus there is the potential that flow regimes in the vicinity of the site will be affected. Three Acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) have already been deployed to monitor the current velocity at the proposed development site. It is recommended that this monitoring continues once the site is operational. Conclusions drawn from numerical modelling for the EMEC tidal test site, as part of the facility’s EIA, predicted that the presence of test devices would result in a loss of overall tidal stream velocity of 0.25%; perceived to have no modification of the

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marine environment. It is therefore anticipated that tidal regime and coastal processes are not likely to be impacted by the proposed SOEC development. Key recommendation: Continue site surveys using ADCP instruments to monitor the flow regime within the test site.

6.2 Marine Flora & Fauna 6.2.1 Designated Sites Although the development site is located beyond the designation of the South Wight Maritime SAC, the export cables will need to pass through the SAC in order to connect with the onshore substation. This has the potential to impact the Annex I subsea reef habitats, regardless of which cable option is selected, as well as the vegetated sea cliffs habitat if cable route option 3 is chosen. It is therefore recommended that more information is obtained on the specific location of subsea reef habitats, as well as any areas of greater sensitivity within the designation in relation to the anticipated route of the export cable. Ideally the cable route should aim to avoid sensitive areas, however, if the cabling will not be able to avoid such habitats, a screening opinion should be sought to determine if an Appropriate Assessment needs to be completed. This will assess whether the export cable will have a negative impact on the conservation objectives and integrity of the habitat. The information gathered should be completed as part of a pre-construction survey to help decide the most appropriate method of protecting the export cable(s) and to inform the overall design and layout of the project. Key recommendation: Complete an assessment of subsea reef habitats along the preferred cable route(s) as part of a pre-construction survey and request a screening opinion to determine if an Appropriate Assessment under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations is necessary. 6.2.2 Marine Mammals Marine mammal sightings off St. Catherine’s Point are infrequent and official records acknowledge neither species abundance nor areas of sensitivity near to the proposed development site. Noise generated throughout the project lifecycle has the potential to disturb marine mammals and the physical presence of devices may result in collision. Other marine activity in the area (such as aggregate dredging) has not required a marine mammal survey; however a recommendation is made for a one year observational survey of the proposed development site. Mitigation measures should therefore be identified to minimise disturbance. Background noise surveys have already been carried out by the University of Southampton, with results indicating that current ambient noise levels in the proposed development site are harmless to marine mammals. This data can be used as a baseline for the ambient noise environment at the proposed development site and can be compared with further noise monitoring data once the construction of SOEC commences and the site is operational. Best practice from the offshore wind industry will be used to minimise the impact of noise, such as the practice of an incremental start to drilling and piling operations to give marine fauna time to leave the area. It should be noted that any noise resulting from drilling and piling activities will be temporary.

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Current evidence of the effect that the electromagnetic field (EMF) emitted by cables has on marine fauna is limited. There is the potential for electro-sensitive species to be affected by EMF from the inter-array and export cable(s). As such, it is recommended that existing research is used to assess the likelihood of interference to sensitive species and appropriate mitigation measures suggested. Information found can be used to determine the mitigation options available that will cause minimal interference with electro-sensitive species if present at the proposed development site. A comprehensive monitoring programme11 was carried out by Marine Current Turbines, to accompany the deployment of their tidal energy device ‘SeaGen’ in Strangford Lough. The area has SAC designation due to the abundance of harbour seals but even so, during extensive monitoring throughout SeaGen’s lifecycle, no major impacts on marine mammals were detected. The most significant effect appeared to be temporary avoidance during installation. Key recommendation: Carry out a one year field observation study of marine mammal incidence in the area. 6.2.3 Marine Ecology Due to the energetic flow regime at the site, it is unlikely that many species have been able to colonise the seabed and although the disturbance of sediments may cause smothering of some sessile species, the velocity of water at the site renders this impact unlikely. Disturbance to local habitats and communities is therefore not expected when installing devices on the seabed, however, consultation with CEFAS is recommended to determine whether a seabed characterisation survey should be completed. Between the proposed development site and the shore there are areas of reef, a UK BAP Annex I priority habitat. The exact extent of the reef and the species it supports is uncertain, however, Natural England is currently conducting a survey (RP0724 - South Wight Maritime SAC Subtidal Reef Survey) as an initial assessment of the ecology of the reef features. No results of the survey have been publically released to date but it is recommended that, when published, the findings are taken into consideration and used to inform the layout and design of the project. Key recommendation: In conjunction with the habitat assessment recommended in section 6.2.1, evaluate the findings from the RP0724 - South Wight Maritime SAC Subtidal Reef Survey when available and consult with CEFAS on the need for a seabed characterisation survey. 6.2.4 Fish Ecology No priority fish species are known to frequent the proposed development site and surrounding area however a number of important species identified in the Isle of Wight BAP are associated with the rocky reef habitats closer to shore. Consultation with CEFAS is recommended to identify any important migratory routes and/or spawning sites off the southern coast of the Isle of Wight. Subsea infrastructure can sometimes act as an aggregation point for fish, which may be a worthy factor to consider during decommissioning. Key recommendation: Consult with CEFAS to identify any important fish migratory routes and nursery areas within close proximity to the proposed development site.

11

Royal Haskoning, 2011, SeaGen Environmental Monitoring Programme Final Report

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6.3 Ornithology The maritime cliffs on the southern tip of the Isle of Wight are an important nesting area for some bird species. The offshore location of the test facility is unlikely to impact nesting birds, however, if cable route option 3 is selected, disruption may be caused by the installation of the export cable from the seabed to the terrestrial substation. If cable route 3 is selected, installation during the nesting season should be avoided. The area is not noted for diving birds, so an avian survey of the area is not considered necessary as seabird collision with sub-surface infrastructure is unlikely to occur. Key recommendation: Pre-construction survey to inform decision on selecting cable route. If cable route 3 is chosen, avoid nesting season.

6.4 Terrestrial Ecology The maritime cliffs and slopes of St. Catherine’s Point, recognised as a priority habitat by the UK BAP, are significant due to a number of nationally important species that inhabit the area. If cable route 3 is chosen, a survey of important species occurring in the footprint of the cable route and associated terrestrial infrastructure is therefore recommended. Key recommendation: Complete a survey to identify the incidence of nationally and locally important species in the footprint of the preferred cable route(s).

6.5 Soil, Sediments and Water Quality 6.5.1 Soil The south Isle of Wight’s geological composition of impermeable gault overlain with permeable greensand causes frequent and continuous landslips. The Niton Undercliff area is often subject to landslides, therefore cliff stability may be an issue when laying the export cable(s) onshore. Key recommendation: Assess the stability of the Niton Undercliff if chosen cable route and construction techniques require this. 6.5.2 Sediments Remote bathymetry surveys have indicated that the seabed at the proposed development site is flat and due to the strong currents passing through the site, the seabed is mostly smooth bedrock with intermittent deposits of sand and gravel. Due to the lack of sediment it is unlikely that there will be any sediment disturbance, changes to seabed morphology or smothering of benthic ecology and therefore sediments will not need to be a predominant feature of the EIA. 6.5.3 Water Quality According to the Environment Agency’s South East River Basin Management Plan, the water quality offshore of St. Catherine’s Point is ecologically and chemically of ‘good’ status. The importance of maintaining this status is acknowledged. The nature of the test facility means that the specific devices to be deployed at SOEC are unknown but existing knowledge of the tidal industry allows for the types of device likely to be deployed to be categorised (section 3.3.5). Some devices may have hydraulic components and thus there is a risk of accidental release of hydraulic fluids into the marine environment. The use of antifouling paints and possible remobilisation of contaminated sediment during drilling may also have an

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impact on the water quality, so an assessment of the potential impacts and the mitigation measures available should be carried out as part of the EIA. Key recommendation: An assessment of the potential sources of pollutant release into the marine environment, identifying suitable control and mitigation methods and measures to reduce the risk of contamination. Define these as part of the Rochdale Envelope.

6.6 Fisheries and Fishing Activity The value of fishing in the Southern IFCA region is acknowledged, however, there is limited information available at present regarding the commercial value and location of fisheries as well as the value of landings made in local ports such as Ventnor. The presence of costly infrastructure and operational tidal energy devices on site will necessitate an exclusion zone for potting, netting and trawling methods of fishing and perhaps for smaller line fishing boats as well, dependent on the depth at which developers wish to deploy their device. There is also likely to be a localised increase in marine traffic, especially during the construction and device deployment phases of the project. Construction of cable route 1 to Ventnor may involve temporary disruption to local fisherman as it is laid across Ventnor Haven. Thorough consultation with Cheetah Marine, managers of the Haven, and local fisherman will be necessary to ensure minimal disruption. Key recommendation: Consultation with Cheetah Marine and local fishermen to discuss the implementation of an exclusion zone and the installation of the export cable.

6.7 Navigation and Shipping No impacts to the various ferry routes that connect the Isle of Wight to the UK mainland have been identified. Although the proposed development site is located outside official shipping lanes, the high density shipping routes that traverse the Solent and English Channel will necessitate strict navigation aids and cardinal marks as well as the implementation of an exclusion zone. Thorough consultation with Trinity House is recommended to identify the navigation buoys and lighting that will need to be installed. Key recommendation: Consult with key shipping stakeholders to identify current requirements for the navigation aids needed at the proposed development site. 6.7.1 Military Activity The proposed development site is located within a submarine exercise area and therefore it will be of utmost importance to consult with the Ministry of Defence to discuss the implementation of an exclusion zone. The munitions dump at St. Catherine’s Deep poses no hazard, provided the area is avoided. Key recommendation: Consult with Ministry of Defence regarding submarine activities in the area. 6.7.2 Cables and Pipelines No telecommunication cables or gas / oil pipelines are located within the vicinity of the proposed development site and therefore this will not need to feature in the EIA.

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6.7.3 Oil and drilling SOEC is not likely to have an impact on any oil and drilling activities that commence in light of the licences that have been granted, however, there may be cumulative impacts associated with noise and vibrations that could affect marine mammals. Key recommendation: Complete a cumulative impact assessment of the project’s impacts (see section 6.11.4 for more detail).

6.8 Landscape and Visual Environment St. Catherine’s Point falls within an AONB and the coastline has Heritage Coast status. It is important that the integrity of the area is maintained and the special features that give the area its status are not jeopardised. The nearest boundary of the development will be 2.5km from the shore and therefore activity in the area will be visible from land. The English Channel, however, is a busy shipping lane and the traffic necessitated by the project is anticipated to be insignificant in comparison; most project infrastructure will be sub-surface and any buoys or surface piercing devices will be visually inoffensive in the context of the existing marine network. Nonetheless, a visual assessment of the seascape and from the point of view of recreational boats is recommended to confirm the development will not impinge upon the beauty of the area. The most likely impact on the visual environment is where the export cable comes ashore and the potential construction of a terrestrial substation. Taking the cable ashore at Niton (cable route option 3) is likely to require the construction of new grid lines to connect to the grid at Ventnor. The other cable route options will not require additional terrestrial infrastructure other than the construction of a dedicated substation next to the existing one at Ventnor, where there is already ample capacity to connect directly to the grid. Mitigation measures to landscape a new substation should be implemented and visual assessments of the two areas for potential substations and possible over ground cables completed. Key recommendation: Consult with Natural England and complete a visual assessment at St. Catherine’s Point looking towards the proposed development site and two onshore visual assessments as part of a pre-construction survey for the potential terrestrial infrastructure.

6.9 Archaeology and Cultural Heritage 6.9.1 Wrecks The baseline assessment has not revealed any protected wrecks within the proposed development site, however, an expert assessment of any potential maritime archaeology in the area is recommended to confirm this. Key recommendation: Appoint an archaeologist to assess the possibility of any significant archaeological sites in the area of SOEC and the cable routes to shore. 6.9.2 Listed Buildings and Scheduled Monuments There are two Listed Buildings at St. Catherine’s Point and a Scheduled Monument. None are anticipated to be affected by the development, however, consultation with English Heritage is recommended to ensure there are no unforeseen impacts. Cultural heritage should be a consideration of the visual landscape assessment but overall it is anticipated that Listed Buildings and Scheduled Monuments will not require much consideration in the EIA. There are additional Listed Buildings and

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Scheduled Monuments in and around Ventnor, which should also be acknowledged in discussions with English Heritage. Key recommendation: Consult with English Heritage to discuss impacts on cultural heritage and complete visual landscape assessment. 6.9.3 Fossils The cliffs at St. Catherine’s Point attract many fossil enthusiasts due to the frequency of coastal erosion taking place and subsequent exposure of fresh rock. Excavators are not expected to be impacted by the development however a consultation with interested parties is recommended, as areas of the cliff may be inaccessible during the installation of the export cable if route option 3 is selected. Key recommendation: Consultation with the Isle of Wight Council to discuss access restrictions during installation if the cable route requires this.

6.10 Socio-economics 6.10.1 Population Early indications suggest that there is support for SOEC among local populations. Positive effects from the proposed development are anticipated through the creation of jobs and training opportunities, encouraging local investment, diversification of local businesses and improving the Isle of Wight’s economy. The importance of stakeholder engagement is paramount to the success of the project and therefore the development of an extensive stakeholder management plan is recommended in order to provide the opportunity to discuss any wider socioeconomic impacts that the project may have. A socio-economic assessment of the likely impacts of the project will be beneficial in ascertaining the potential benefits such as jobs to be created and GVA (gross value added) generated that will be attributable to SOEC. Noise and access restrictions during construction and operation have the potential to impact local populations and thus a noise assessment for the various stages of the project should be carried out. This should be evaluated against likely periods of sensitivity and appropriate mitigation measures proposed. Key recommendation: Develop a comprehensive stakeholder management plan and complete a mitigation plan for construction and operation phases of the project. 6.10.2 Tourism The impacts on tourism are expected to be minimal; nevertheless seasonal variations in the number of tourists visiting the Isle of Wight will need to be taken into account. As identified in the baseline data, Ventnor beach has ‘Blue Flag’ status and therefore installation of the export cable, if route 1 is selected, should look to be avoided during peak seasons so as not to interfere with beach users. The area’s AONB and Heritage Coast status and the potential impacts on tourism will be considered as part of the visual landscape assessment and consultation with Natural England. Key recommendation: As part of a pre-construction survey, consider tourism statistics and trends to ensure that, where possible, construction and installation phases take place in low season.

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6.10.3 Recreation Sailing is a popular recreational activity in and around the Isle of Wight. A key feature of the aforementioned stakeholder management plan will be thorough consultation with local sailing clubs and organisers of the Isle of Wight’s annual Round the Island Race. The shore side boundary of the development site is 2.5km offshore, which lies south of the typical race route. Consultation with local Royal Yachting Association (RYA) clubs is imperative to discuss the implementation of the exclusion zone. Impacts to any other recreational activities associated with use of the scenic landscape are addressed by the previous recommendation regarding tourism. Key recommendation: Consult with local RYA clubs. 6.10.4 Dredging Dredging activities do not occur close enough to the proposed development site to warrant further assessment and inclusion in the EIA.

6.11 Further Recommendations 6.11.1 Definition of a Rochdale Envelope Rochdale Envelopes are typically used in order that EIAs and Planning Approvals can be sought while there is an element of uncertainty to the project under discussion. Instead of detailed plans, the submission is made with the unknown criteria defined in maximum and minimum terms. Rochdale Envelopes arose from two cases (R. v Rochdale MBC ex parte Milne (No.1) and R. v Rochdale MBC ex parte Tew [1999] and R. v Rochdale MBC ex parte Milne (No. 2) [2000]) regarding the planning application for a business park in Rochdale. Since then their use has become widespread, used for applications under the Planning Act 2008, the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Electricity Act 1989. Rochdale Envelopes are also widely used in the offshore wind industry. The Crown Estate has recently published guidelines12 on their use in the wave and tidal industry, acknowledging that developers will rarely be able to give an exhaustive list detailing the design of their project during the consenting stage. Rochdale Envelopes have been used in marine energy applications to the Scottish Government such as the one for MayGen, and the English Government such as the one for the FabTest Centre. There are several useful documents that detail their use in the offshore sector, including Advice note nine: Rochdale Envelope Introduction: Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) [February 2011]. One aim of SOEC is to provide such a test facility where developers are able to deploy their device for testing in a pre-consented and realistic environment, without having to go through the full consenting procedure. The tidal energy industry is relatively new and technology is developing at a fast pace. As a result, the devices that will be ready for deployment when SOEC construction work concludes cannot be accurately predicted. Consultation with developers in 12

The Crown Estate, 2012, Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Enabling Actions report; Rochdale Envelope Workshop – Wave and Tidal

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addition to an understanding of the industry will allow for forecasts to be made about expected features of the devices. Production of a device matrix will help to understand the variety of devices that may end up being deployed at SOEC. The different device characteristics identified in the matrix can be used to define a maximum extent for each design aspect. The EIA can then be conducted based on these maximum extents; if a developer’s device exceeds these parameters, an independent EIA will be required. Provided consent for SOEC is granted, operational parameters can be set that prevent additional and unforeseen impacts, giving developers sufficient flexibility when deploying at the site. Such parameters may include limitations on the size and number of devices that can be deployed or restrictions on the installation methods to be used. On condition that developers are able to demonstrate their device does not breach the impacts outlined in the worst-case scenario, permission to deploy will be granted without the need to undertake a full EIA. Key recommendation: Define the Rochdale Envelope for critical device characteristics. Undertake a ‘worst case scenario’ assessment of existing tidal devices and produce a device matrix. 6.11.2 Safety, health and environment Project working practices will comply with all relevant EU and UK legislation and measures will be taken to ensure that risks to safety, health and environment (SHE) are as low as reasonably practicable. Key recommendation: Carry out project risk assessment to track risks and ensure that SOEC is compliant with all relevant SHE legislation. 6.11.3 Alternatives Due to the proposed site’s proximity to designated areas of conservation, it is important that alternative options are considered and the most benign scenario chosen. The proposed development site has already been selected and shaped to avoid sensitive areas whilst maximising use of tidal stream energy in the Channel; the cable route to shore however is yet to be decided. A pre-construction survey is recommended, with particular consideration given to the three cable route options to ensure that the option with fewest impacts is selected. If significant impacts and cumulative impacts are identified (section 6.13), it will be necessary to provide justification for the chosen site. Key recommendation: Complete a pre-construction survey to ensure the cable route option with the least impacts is selected. 6.11.4 Cumulative Impacts The environmental impacts of a single device are likely to be less significant than the cumulated impacts of tidal arrays and commercial scale devices. Impacts from SOEC may combine with the impacts of other developments, activities or natural processes which independently are insignificant but cumulatively are detrimental to environmental receptors. For example, the more devices that are deployed at SOEC, the more marine traffic there will be which consumes fuel and risks pollution. Similarly, drilling foundations for a single device is unlikely to have a significant effect but cumulative impacts need to be considered when combined with the operations of nearby oil exploration or Navitus Bay Wind Park.

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Key recommendation: Complete a cumulative environmental impact assessment for the project. Particular consideration should be given to the impact of deploying tidal arrays as well as the development’s interaction with other local developments such as the Navitus Bay Wind Park and the nearby area recently licensed for oil and gas exploration. Table 4 summarises the key recommended baseline surveys and initial consultations to be carried out in phase 1 (see section 3.1.1) of SOEC.

Receptor Metocean conditions

Marine Flora & Fauna

Key recommendation(s) Climate

Complete a study of the potential climatic benefits of the project alongside an identification of the likely carbon footprint to identify any mitigation measures and carbon efficient design methods that can be employed.

Air quality

Produce a report detailing the expected increase in additional marine traffic.

Tides

Using ADCP instruments to monitor the flow regime within the test site.

Designated Sites

Complete an assessment of subsea reef habitats along the preferred cable route(s) as part of a pre-construction survey. Request a screening opinion to determine if an Appropriate Assessment under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations is necessary.

Marine Mammals

Carry out a one year field observation study of marine mammal incidence in the area.

Marine Ecology

In conjunction with the habitat assessment recommended in section 6.2.1, evaluate the findings from the RP0724 South Wight Maritime SAC Subtidal Reef Survey when available Consult with CEFAS on the need for a seabed characterisation survey.

Fish Ecology

Consult with CEFAS to identify any important fish migratory routes and nursery areas within close proximity to the proposed development site.

Ornithology

General

Pre-construction survey to inform decision on selecting cable route. If cable route 3 is chosen, avoid nesting season.

Terrestrial Ecology

General

Complete a survey to identify the incidence of nationally and locally important species in the footprint of the preferred cable route(s).

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Receptor Soil, Sediments and Water Quality

Key recommendation(s) Soil

Assess the stability of the Niton Undercliff if chosen cable route and construction techniques require this.

Water Quality

An assessment of the potential sources of pollutant release into the marine environment, identifying suitable control and mitigation methods and measures to reduce the risk of contamination. Define these as part of the Rochdale Envelope.

Fisheries and Fishing Activity

General

Consultation with Cheetah Marine and local fishermen to discuss the implementation of an exclusion zone and the installation of the export cable.

Navigation and Shipping

General

Consult with key shipping stakeholders to identify current requirements for the navigation aids needed at the proposed development site.

Military Activity

Consult with Ministry of Defence regarding submarine activities in the area.

Oil and drilling

Complete a cumulative impact assessment of the project’s impacts (see section 6.11.4 for more detail).

Landscape and Visual Environment

General

Consult with Natural England and complete a visual assessment at St. Catherine’s Point looking towards the proposed development site and two onshore visual assessments as part of a pre-construction survey for the potential terrestrial infrastructure.

Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

Wrecks

Appoint an archaeologist to assess the possibility of any significant archaeological sites in the area of SOEC and the cable routes to shore.

Socio-economics

Listed Buildings and Scheduled Monuments

Consult with English Heritage to discuss impacts on cultural heritage and complete visual landscape assessment.

Fossils

Consultation with Isle of Wight Council to discuss access restrictions during installation if the cable route requires this.

Population

Develop a comprehensive stakeholder management plan. Complete a mitigation plan for construction and operation phases of the project.

Tourism

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Receptor

Key recommendation(s) statistics and trends to ensure that, where possible, construction and installation phases take place in low season.

Further Recommendations

Recreation

Consult with local RYA clubs.

Definition of a Rochdale Envelope

Define the Rochdale Envelope for critical device characteristics. Undertake a ‘worst case scenario’ assessment of existing tidal devices and produce a device matrix.

Safety, health and environment

Carry out a project risk assessment to track risks and ensure that SOEC is compliant with all relevant SHE legislation.

Alternatives

Complete a pre-construction survey to ensure the cable route option with the least impacts is selected.

Cumulative Impacts

Complete a cumulative environmental impact assessment for the project. Particular consideration should be given to the impact of deploying tidal arrays as well as the development’s interaction with other local developments such as the Navitus Bay Wind Park and the nearby area recently licensed for oil and gas exploration.

Table 4: Summary of recommended baseline surveys and initial consultations

6.12 EIA Methodology In accordance with the MMO’s guidelines, it is recommended that the Environmental Statement should cover the following headings: 

Non-Technical Summary



Method Statement



Conclusions of Scoping Exercise – The Key Issues



Description of the Project, Site and Surroundings - Including Alternatives



Plans and Policies Context



Assessment of Environmental Effects by Topic Area



Inter-Relationships/Conclusions



Appendices – Technical Data

Table 5 summarises the proposed methodology to be used for the EIA. 6.12.1 Use of Best Practice There are a number of similar tidal energy projects in the UK with associated EIAs that can be used as examples of best practice during the consenting phase of SOEC.

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The European Marine Energy Centre’s tidal test site (EMEC) in the Fall of Warness, Orkney, shares the most similarities to SOEC. The environmental statement for the EMEC test site13 is freely available online. The stakeholder engagement process during the scoping phase for EMEC raised a number of concerns related to the project, highlighting the importance of developing and implementing a robust stakeholder management plan for SOEC. Numerical modelling for EMEC, carried out by HR Wallingford, predicted that the presence of test devices would result in a loss of overall tidal stream velocity of 0.25%. This was perceived to have no modification of the marine environment. Similarly, a strict environmental monitoring programme was carried out prior to and during the deployment of MCT’s SeaGen in Strangford Lough. Their report covers a number of similar topics and issues that are likely to be included in the SOEC EIA. The deployment of SeaGen has been particularly useful for studying the behaviour of seals when encountering a tidal turbine. The extensive studies and precautionary measures employed in Strangford Lough found no seal deaths attributable to the device and concluded that the behaviour of seals was not significantly affected by the presence of a tidal turbine. The recently published EquiMar protocols14 provide a section on Environmental Assessment which presents a number of best practice guidelines for preparing and carrying out the necessary assessments for both wave and tidal energy projects. EMEC have also published guidelines15 on writing supporting environmental documentation for developers installing devices at their test sites. The lessons and best practices that have been demonstrated by the aforementioned documents will be applied where relevant throughout the SOEC consenting process. These reports, particularly the EMEC EIA, will provide support for the SOEC EIA and demonstrate the successful award of consent for similar projects.

13

EMEC. (2005). Fall of Warness Tidal Test Site – Environmental Statement

14

Simas, T., et Al. (2011). Environmental Assessment - Protocols for the Equitable Assessment of Marine Energy Converters - EquiMar Deliverable Report. 15

EMEC. (2011). Guidance for Developers at EMEC Grid-Connected Sites: Supporting Environmental Documentation

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Stage

Task

Aim/Objective

Work/Output

On-going consultation throughout EIA process

Consult with statutory and nonstatutory consultees with an interest in the area and development

Local knowledge and information, screening opinion

Primary Data Collection

To identify the baseline/ambient/background/ existing environment

Background data including existing literature and specialist studies, scoping report

Specialist Studies

To further investigate those environmental parameters which may be subject to potentially significant effects

Specialist reports

Impact Assessment

To evaluate the baseline environment in terms of sensitivity

Series of significant adverse and beneficial impacts

EIA

To evaluate and predict the impact upon the baseline To assess the resultant effects of the above impacts Mitigation Measures

Environmental Statement

To identify appropriate and practicable mitigation and enhancement measures

The provision of solutions to adverse impacts

Production of the Environmental Statement in accordance with EIA guidance

Environmental Statement

Feedback into the FEED process, as applicable

Table 5: Recommended EIA methodology

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7 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT 7.1 Preliminary consultation Following an application to the Crown Estate, an Agreement for Lease at the proposed SOEC site has been granted. A pre-scoping consultation has taken place with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). This document will be formally submitted to the MMO, who will consult with the following statutory consultees: 

CEFAS



Natural England



Environment Agency



English Heritage



Maritime and Coastguard Agency



Trinity House



Royal Yachting Association



Local Harbour Authority



Local Planning Authority



Ministry of Defence



The Crown Estate



NATS (National Air Traffic Services)



Chamber of Shipping



UK Civil Aviation Authority and Ofcom



RSPB and local wildlife trusts

7.2 Planned Stakeholder Engagement Alongside seeking a formal scoping opinion from the above statutory consultees, SOEC will develop a thorough stakeholder management plan to engage with and inform the wider stakeholder community. The following local interest groups have been identified:

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Commercial fishermen (potting and netting) as well as relevant associations: Southern Sea Fisheries Committee, Wight Fishing



Recreational sea angling (especially line fishing from boats) – Including the Isle of Wight Sea Angling club, Western Wight Angling Club, Bembridge Angling Club, IW Angling Association



Leisure yachting / recreational water sports – including Ventnor Yacht Club, Shanklin Sailing Club, Yaverland Sailing And Boating Club, Bembridge Sailing Club, Brading Haven Yacht Club, Wight Leisure, Sail for Fun



Environmental interests (NGOs) – including AONB Partnership, Isle of Wight Natural History & Archaeological Society, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, IW RSPB Group, Isle of Wight Biodiversity Partnership, Island 2000

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Trust, IW Rural Community Council, Isle of Wight Ornithological Group, Island Conservation Volunteers, Solent Protection Society, Wight Conservation, Wight Nature Fund

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Diving – including Island Divers, Aqua Diving, Triton Scuba, Diving and marine Services, offshore marine services



Solent Forum (coastal partnership)



Charter boat operators – including Wight Spirit Charters, Island Charters, Matzen Marine, Black Rock, IOW Rib Charters, Cachalot Charters



Local accommodation – including The Royal Hotel, Harbour View, The Burlington, Windsor Carlton, St Maur



Harbour Commissions / asters – including Ventnor Haven Harbour Master, Yarmouth Harbour Commissioners, Cowes Harbour Commission



Parish Councils (Niton & Whitwell and Chale)



Ventnor Town Council



Local landowners



Ventnor Regeneration



Local attractions – including Ventnor Botanic Garden



Local businesses – including Cheetah Marine, Ventnor Haven Fisheries, Wheelers, Island Scientific Limited, Plumbridge Self Storage, Em Cars, Page the Packers



Each stakeholder will be contacted in an appropriate manner. Initial stakeholder engagement has already commenced, with the Isle of Wight Council and its professional advisors discussing plans with various statutory and non-statutory consultees. This, however, has been informal engagement to date, as the formal stakeholder engagement process has not yet commenced. The extent of engagement will be dependent on the potential impact of the proposed development on the relevant stakeholder. Example approaches will include:Inform of the proposal through, for example, letter / flyer / posters / newspaper article / website



Contact with regard to their concerns



Use as a support / interest group



Monitor closely to address concerns and issues



Use other stakeholders possibly in focus groups to explain impacts



Increase their knowledge



Exhibition / event / presentation



Carry out an independent survey or a quick informal study



Provide promotional information



Work together



Development specific strategy to convey information

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The stakeholder management plan will also highlight the order and urgency with which stakeholders should be approached. Summaries of correspondence will be filed under each category.

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ANNEX A – DATA SOURCES

Marine Flora & Fauna

Metocean conditions

Table 6: Data sources used in the collection of environmental baseline data

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Data/reference

Geographical extent

Data source holder

Date

Temperature and precipitation

St. Catherine’s Point

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/

Averages from 19812010

Water temperature

Development site

Isle of Wight ADCP Survey – ADCP Static Deployment Survey, Earth Sciences and Surveying, (EGS (International) Ltd.

2012

Tides

Outer Approaches to the Solent

Admiralty Chart 2045

Air quality

Isle of Wight

http://aqma.defra.gov.uk/maps.php?la_id=134

Designated sites

Isle of Wight

JNCC http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/

-

Balanced Seas, 2011, Balanced Seas Marine Conservation Zone Project – Final Recommendations

2011

Hampshire and Isle of Wight sightings data

2012

Marine mammals sightings data

Isle of Wight

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Geographical extent

Data source holder

Distribution

Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight Nature Area Profile http://www.naturalareas.naturalengland.org.uk/Science/natural/profiles%5CnaProf ile76.pdf

Ornithology

Data/reference

IOW BAP - Maritime Cliffs and Slopes Habitat Action Plan The Technical Report on Offshore Seabirds and Waders in the SEA 8 Area

Terrestrial Ecology

Isle of Wight

Soil, Sediments and Water Quality

2007

Isle of Wight Biodiversity Action Plan

2000

Isle of Wight Natural Area Profile

-

‘Geology of the Isle of Wight’ Ian West

2012

British Geological Survey http://www.bgs.ac.uk/landslides/IsleofWight.html Landslides and Climate Change: Challenges and Solutions, A. Gillarduzzi, J. E. M. Houghton, A. R. Clark, and D. S. Fort

Sediment description

Seabed sediment

Density

2007

http://www.iwight.com/living_here/planning/images/WildlifeoftheIsleofWight.pdf Isle of Wight Natural Area Profile

Development site

Water quality Fisheries and Fishing Activity

IOW BAP Maritime Cliffs and Slopes Habitat Action Plan

http://www.wildonwight.co.uk/publications/WildlifeoftheIsleofWight.pdf Soil and geology

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Date

DECC SEA8

2007

Channel Coastal Observatory

2012

South East River Basin Management Plan, Env Agency South Isle of Wight / English Channel

DECC http://www.maritimedata.co.uk

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Socio-economics

Archaeolo gy and Cultural Heritage

Landscape and Visual Environme nt

Navigation and Shipping

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Data/reference

Geographical extent

Data source holder

Date

Value of industry

Southern IFCA region

Southern IFCA Annual Plan 2012 – 2013 (http://www.southern-ifca.gov.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2012/05/Southern-IFCA-Annual-Plan-2012-to-2013.pdf)

2012/13

Port info

Southampton

ABP http://www.abports.co.uk/www.abports.co.uk//Our_Locations/Southampton http://www.ports.org.uk/

Shipping density

Solent and English Channel

DECC http://www.maritimedata.co.uk

Telecommunicat ions cables

English Channel

Technical Report on the Other Users of the SEA 8 Area

2007

Oil and drilling

Isle of Wight and Solent

Northern Petroleum Plc

2012

Landscape character assessment

Isle of Wight, Undercliff

Isle of Wight AONB Management Plan http://wightaonb.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2011/04/aonb_plan.pdf

Wreck sites

Isle of Wight

http://www.dft.gov.uk/mca/

Listed Buildings and Scheduled Monuments

Isle of Wight

English Heritage

Population

Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight Council Demographics & Population Factsheet October 2011

2011

Niton / Ventnor

UK Census

2001

Population by Ward

Isle of Wight

ONS http://www.iwight.com/council/facts_and_figures/images/PopulationEstimate2010 200312.pdf

2010

Recreational

Isle of Wight

http://www.maritimedata.co.uk/

http://www.northpet.com/operations/northern-awarded-uk-offshore-licence/

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Data/reference

Geographical extent

sailing use Tourism

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Data source holder

Date

http://www.ventnoryc.co.uk/ Ventnor, Niton

http://www.iwight.com/placestogo/default.asp?ls=list&filter=area&area=5

2011

Isle of Wight

http://www.islandbreaks.co.uk/dbimgs/Tourism%20Year%202010_11%20report.pdf Isle of Wight Tourism Monitor Visitor statistics for tourism year 2010/2011

2010/201 1

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ANNEX B - POTENTIAL IMPACTS TABLE The potential impacts associated with phases 2 and 3 of the SOEC development and related activities have been identified (Table 7). The table summarises these potential impacts and illustrates the environmental or social receptors identified in the environment baseline that are likely to be impacted by the project. The likelihood of the potential impact occurring is given a rating of low (L), medium (m) or high (H) as is the significance of this impact, should it occur. Part 1 of the table relates specifically to the SOEC infrastructure, whereas Part 2 recognises the potential impacts associated with the deployment of tidal devices once SOEC is operational. The potential impacts suggested in Part 2 are based on a worst-case scenario of devices; a maximum extent for which will be defined in the Rochdale Envelope (Section 6.11.1). Table 7: Potential impacts table Project phase

Activity

Potential impacts

Environmental or social receptor potentially impacted

Likelihood of potential impact

Significance of potential impact

Part 1 – Activities and impacts associated with the SOEC Development (Phase 2 and 3) Construction (Phase 2)

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Cable installation

Localised disturbance of marine sediments, smothering of benthic and sessile ecology, increased suspended sediment, remobilisation of contaminated sediments

Marine ecology

L

L

Sediments

L

L

Water quality

L

L

Disturbance to offshore features of SAC designation

Designated sites

H

L

Disturbance to onshore features of SAC designation (cable route option 3)

Designated sites

H

L

Disturbance to nesting birds (cable route option 3)

Ornithology

M

L

Increased marine traffic off Ventnor beach (cable route option 1)

Tourism

L

L

Increased marine traffic

Air quality

L

L

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Project phase

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Activity

Potential impacts

Environmental or social receptor potentially impacted

Likelihood of potential impact

Significance of potential impact

Fishing activity

M

L

Navigation and shipping

M

L

Landscape and visual environment

L

L

Recreation

M

L

Avoidance of area

Marine mammals

M

L

Disturbance to undiscovered features of archaeological importance

Archaeology and cultural heritage

L

L

Introduction and management of exclusion zone around proposed development site

Restricted access for sea farers

Fishing activity

H

M

Navigation and shipping

H

M

Recreation

H

M

Installation of subsea connection hub on seabed

Displacement of benthic organisms in immediate footprint, loss of habitat

Marine ecology

L

L

Disturbance of marine sediments, smothering

Marine ecology

L

L

Sediments

L

L

Water quality

L

L

Physical obstruction

Marine mammals

L

L

Increased marine traffic

Air quality

L

L

Fishing activity

L

L

Navigation and shipping

L

L

Landscape and visual environment

L

L

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Project phase

Activity

Marine drilling (installation of cable(s) and mooring systems)

Potential impacts

Environmental or social receptor potentially impacted

Likelihood of potential impact

Significance of potential impact

Recreation

L

L

Avoidance of area

Marine mammals

M

L

Disturbance to undiscovered features of archaeological importance

Archaeology and cultural heritage

L

L

Disturbance to marine mammals from noise and vibrations from drilling, avoidance of area

Marine mammals

M

L

Disturbance of marine sediments, remobilisation of contaminants, smothering

Marine ecology

L

L

Water quality

L

L

Sediments

L

L

Marine ecology

L

L

Water quality

L

L

Air quality

L

L

Fishing activity

L

L

Navigation and shipping

L

L

Landscape and visual environment

L

L

Recreation

L

L

Changes to visual landscape and character

Landscape and visual environment

L

L

Land-take, loss of habitat

Terrestrial ecology

L

L

Noise disturbance and increase in traffic

Local population

L

L

Changes to visual landscape and character

Landscape and visual environment

M

M

Disturbance to breeding areas

Ornithology

L

L

Disposal of waste material

Transportation of workforce and components to/from site

Construction of terrestrial substation

Construction of over ground grid connection

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Increased marine traffic

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Project phase

Operation & Maintenance (Phase 3)

Decommissioning

Activity

Potential impacts

Environmental or social receptor potentially impacted

Likelihood of potential impact

Significance of potential impact

cables (cable route option 3)

Land-take, loss of habitat

Terrestrial ecology

L

L

Disturbance to features of SSSI

Terrestrial ecology

L

L

Physical presence of subsea connection hub

Collision with marine mammals, potential avoidance of area

Marine mammals

L

L

Release of contaminants from anti-fouling paints

Water quality

L

L

Marine ecology

L

L

Operation of terrestrial substation

Noise and vibration

Local population

L

L

Generation of electricity

EMF emitted from inter-array and export cables

Marine mammals

L

L

Fish ecology

L

L

Removal of SOEC infrastructure

Disturbance to any benthic ecology that has colonised subsea infrastructure

Marine ecology

L

L

Disturbance of sediments

Water quality

L

L

Sediments

L

L

Air quality

L

L

Fishing activity

L

L

Navigation and shipping

L

L

Landscape and visual environment

L

L

Recreation

L

L

Water quality

L

M

Marine flora and fauna

L

M

Ornithology

L

M

Terrestrial ecology

L

M

Increased marine traffic

Accidental events (Note: Likelihood of potential impact assumes that accidental activity has

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Vessel collision

Accidental release of contaminants

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Project phase

Activity

Potential impacts

occurred)

Injury, risk to health and safety

Environmental or social receptor potentially impacted

Likelihood of potential impact

Significance of potential impact

Designated sites

L

M

Navigation and shipping

L

M

Fishing activity

L

M

Landscape and visual environment

L

M

Recreation

L

M

Humans

M

M

Part 2 – Activities and impacts associated with the deployment of tidal devices (Phase 3) Construction (Phase 3)

Operation & Maintenance (Phase 3)

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Foundation installation (pile drilling or placement of gravity foundations)

Disturbance to marine mammals from noise and vibrations from drilling

Marine mammals

M

L

Displacement of benthic ecology and habitats

Marine ecology

L

L

Installation of tidal devices

Increased marine traffic

Air quality

L

L

Fishing activity

M

L

Navigation and shipping

M

L

Landscape and visual environment

L

L

Recreation

M

L

Collision with diving birds

Ornithology

L

L

Collision with marine mammals, potential behavioural change and avoidance of area

Marine mammals

L

M

Seabed scour (dependent on structure and type of moorings used), disturbance of sediments, smothering, removal of habitat

Marine ecology

M

L

Sediments

M

L

Energy extraction

Tidal regimes

M

L

Physical presence of tidal device(s)

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Project phase

Decommissioning (Phase 3)

Activity

Potential impacts

Environmental or social receptor potentially impacted

Likelihood of potential impact

Significance of potential impact

Release of contaminants from anti-fouling paints, hydraulic fluids

Water quality

L

L

Marine ecology

L

L

Fish aggregation point

Fish ecology

M

L

Generation of electricity

Generation of renewable energy

Population

H

L

Removal of tidal devices

Restoration of seabed

Marine ecology

L

L

Disturbance to any benthic ecology that has colonised subsea infrastructure

Marine ecology

L

L

Disturbance of sediments

Water quality

L

L

Sediments

L

L

Air quality

L

L

Fishing activity

L

L

Navigation and shipping

L

L

Landscape and visual environment

L

L

Recreation

L

L

Designated sites

L

M

Marine flora and fauna

L

M

Ornithology

L

M

Terrestrial ecology

L

M

Water quality

L

M

Fishing activity

L

M

Navigation and shipping

L

M

Landscape and visual environment

L

M

Increased marine traffic

Accidental events (Note: Likelihood of potential impact assumes that accidental activity has occurred)

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Vessel collision

Release of contaminants

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Project phase

Activity

Chemical discharge from tidal devices

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Potential impacts

Environmental or social receptor potentially impacted

Likelihood of potential impact

Significance of potential impact

Recreation

L

M

Injury, risk to health and safety

Humans

M

M

Release of contaminants and harmful substances

Water quality

M

L

Designated sites

M

L

Marine flora and fauna

M

L

Ornithology

M

L

Terrestrial ecology

L

L

Fishing activity

M

L

Navigation and shipping

M

L

Landscape and visual environment

M

L

Recreation

M

L

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ANNEX C – STAKEHOLDER IDENTIFICATION The following table provides a list of key stakeholders and consultees that are relevant to SOEC, detailing their aims and influences. Table 8: Stakeholder groups Stakeholder

Stakeholder Aims and Influences

Consultation Objectives

CEFAS

Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science. CEFAS makes an important contribution to securing healthy and sustainable marine and freshwater environments so that current and future generations can prosper

Consultation with CEFAS will focus on the impact of the development on the marine environment, and what mitigation measures can be undertaken to minimise impact

Chamber of Shipping

Representing the interests of the shipping industry, they will be ensuring the plans have no major negative implications to the industry

Exploring any direct or indirect impacts of the project on shipping activities in the area, and how these impact can be managed or mitigated throughout the process

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Central Government Department, ensuring the plans strategically fit with the Governments future plans for marine energy

There has already been extensive consultation with DECC, which will continue, to ensure the project is responding to market needs

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Defra is responsible for regulation related to environment, food and rural affairs

Defra will be consulted on environmental impacts of the project

Department for Transport

DfT is responsible for the transportation system, including shipping

The Department for Transport will consulted on any impacts of the project on road transport and shipping

Ensuring the project does not have any negative impacts on England's historic environment

We will work with English Heritage to understand if there are any sites of specific historic interest in the vicinity of the project, and how the project can be developed sensitively to these sites

Environment Agency

Government agency with interests in rivers, flooding and pollution

The Environment Agency will be consulted to ensure the project does not impact the marine environment and that robust pollution mitigation plans are developed

Joint Nature Conservation Committee

Advises the Government on nature conservation issues, JNCC will be ensuring the project does not have significant impacts on areas of conservation in and around the Isle of Wight

Specific consultation will be undertaken regarding the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) that the cabling may run through. The impacts of this will be explored, and appropriate measures for mitigation developed

English Heritage

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Stakeholder

Stakeholder Aims and Influences

Consultation Objectives

Local Planning Authorities (as appropriate) including Isle of Wight Council

The local planning authority will ensure the plans fit with strategically with local priorities and advise and enforce planning laws

The LPA will be consulted through the development programme to ensure the project is delivered within planning laws, and fits with their local planning strategy

Local Sea Fisheries Committee

Representing the interests of the commercial fisheries.

Consultation address any concerns that the construction and operation of the project could have on the fishing industry in terms of exclusion of fishing activities.

Marine Conservation Society

Concerned with the protection and conservation of the marine environment, including, beaches, fish, marine mammals etc

Consultation will focus on potential effects of the project on marine mammals. Particularly addressing concerns around physical impacts and noise.

Marine Management Organisation

Responsible for marine regulation, licensing, and planning. The aim is to ensure a sustainable future for our coastal and offshore waters through managing and balancing the many activities, resources and assets in our marine environment

The MMO will be consulted on marine planning and consenting for the project. Objectives in consultation are to ensure the project is delivered within marine planning regulations and that all the relevant activities are undertaken to allow for marine licences to be granted

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Implementing the Government's maritime safety policy in the UK

To ensure that marine safety protocols are effectively managed for both the construction and operation of the project

Ministry of Defence

Ensuring the project does not impact on any MOD activities

There will be specific consultation with the MOD regarding a munitions dump that is located off the coast of the Isle of Wight as well as submarine activity, and how any risks associated to these could be managed or mitigated

National Federation of Fishermens’ Organisations

Representing the interest of fishermen and ensuring the plans do not significantly impact on fishing activities

Consultation with the NFFO will focus on what impacts the construction and operation of the project could have on the fishing industry. We will work with the NFFO to ensure the project is delivered sensitively to this issue

National Trust

Natural England

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UK conservation charity, protecting historic places and green spaces Natural England works to conserve and enhance the natural environment, for its intrinsic value, the wellbeing and enjoyment of people and economic development

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Consultation with the National Trust will explore whether the project has any impact on National Trust sites in the area The environmental impact of the project on both the terrestrial areas of the development, and the marine environment. We will work with Natural England to ensure impacts are fully explored and issues addressed

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Stakeholder

Stakeholder Aims and Influences

Consultation Objectives throughout the development process

Cowes, Yarmouth, Bembridge, Ventnor, Newport and out with Isle of Wight

O&M support, construction and installation support, development support

Royal Yachting Association

Representing recreational sailing interests

Consultation with the RYA has already been initiated to explore any impact of the project on recreational sailing, and how the project can be developed sensitively to the local sailing community

RSPB

Concerned with the protection and conservation of birds

Consultation with the RSPB will focus on potential effects of the project on sea birds, particularly diving species.

Southern Electric

The local Distribution Network Operator, responsible for the public electricity supply on the Isle of Wight

Consultation with Southern Electric the DNO will focus on grid connection capacity and issues.

The Crown Estate

Owner/manager of the seabed from whom the project will lease the land. Aim to ensure the project fits their strategic plan for marine energy and is delivered in an environmental and socio-economically sustainable way

The Crown Estate will be a major consultee throughout the process. Consultation will continue to ensure the project is developed as per the AfL and lease agreements

Trinity House

Concerned with The safety of shipping, and the well-being of seafarers; also provides aids to navigation to assist the safe passage of a huge variety of vessels.

Trinity House will be a key consultee on navigation issues as well as the health and safety aspects of the project, having input on the necessary safety systems and navigation aids for marine traffic

Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society

Concerned with the protection and conservation of Whales & Dolphins and other marine mammals

Consultation will focus on potential effects of the project on marine mammals. Particularly addressing concerns around physical impacts and noise.

Wildlife Trusts

Concerned with habitat loss

Consultation with the Wildlife trust will focus on concerns around the impact on terrestrial ecology, birds, marine ecology, mammals and cetaceans

WWF

Concerned with the protection and conservation of all wildlife

Consultation with the WWF will focus on concerns around the impact on terrestrial ecology, birds, marine ecology, mammals and cetaceans

Ports and Harbours

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