consultation document # 1 of 5 draft isles spatial plan ... · 2015 consultation on the draft isles...

2015 Consultation on the draft ISLES Spatial Plan and Sustainability Appraisal

ISLES II: TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION

ISLES PROJECT PARTNERS

Consultation Document # 1 of 5

Draft ISLES Spatial Plan and Locational Guidance

# Consultation Document Schedule

1 Draft ISLES Spatial Plan and Locational Guidance

2 Non-technical Summary of Sustainability Appraisal

3 Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

4 Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA)

5 Socio-economic Impact Assessment (SEIA)

The ISLES project is supported by the European Union’s INTERREG IVA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body.

Disclaimer “The views and opinions expressed and the information presented in this consultation document are intended to assist potential investors with their investment decisions, and they do not necessarily reflect the policy position of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in Ireland, the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland or the Special EU Programmes Body. © Crown copyright 2015 You may re-use this information (excluding logos and images) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. This document and further details on the project are available from our website at www.islesproject.eu Published by the Scottish Government, Energy and Climate Change Directorate on behalf of the ISLES project partners, February 2015. The Scottish Government Energy and Climate Change Directorate 5 Atlantic Quay 150 Broomielaw Glasgow G2 8LU

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PART A 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 The Irish-Scottish Links on Energy Study ......................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Background to the ISLES Project ...................................................................................................................... 1

1.3 The Isles Spatial Plan Vision and Objectives .................................................................................................... 2

1.4 Sustainability Appraisal ..................................................................................................................................... 4

1.5 Structure of the Plan & Locational Guidance .................................................................................................... 5

2 Opportunity & Context .................................................................................................................................... 7

2.1 The Opportunity ................................................................................................................................................. 7

2.2 Policy Context .................................................................................................................................................... 7

2.3 Conclusions ..................................................................................................................................................... 11

3 Spatial Planning for Offshore Grid Infrastructure ...................................................................................... 13

3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 13

3.2 Summary of the Locational Guidance and Principles for the Spatial Planning of Grid Infrastructure ............. 13

4 Actions and Next Steps ................................................................................................................................ 19

4.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 19

4.2 Policy Actions .................................................................................................................................................. 19

4.3 Taking the Plan Forward ................................................................................................................................. 20

PART B 5 Approach to Preparing the Locational Guidance ...................................................................................... 23

5.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 23

5.2 Typical Approaches to Developing Electricity Network Infrastructure ............................................................. 23

5.3 Developing the Locational Guidance ............................................................................................................... 24

6 Technology .................................................................................................................................................... 29

6.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 29

6.2 Overview of Electricity Transmission Technologies ........................................................................................ 29

6.3 Offshore Cables ............................................................................................................................................... 30

6.4 Landfalls .......................................................................................................................................................... 33

6.5 Collector Hubs ................................................................................................................................................. 34

7 Generic Effects .............................................................................................................................................. 37

7.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 37

7.2 Generic Environmental & Social Effects.......................................................................................................... 37

8 Routeing Strategy & Mitigation .................................................................................................................... 39

8.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 39

8.2 ISLES Zone Routeing Strategy ....................................................................................................................... 39

8.3 ISLES Zone Routeing Principles ..................................................................................................................... 40

8.4 Generic Mitigation ............................................................................................................................................ 43

9 Network Area 01 ............................................................................................................................................ 47

Table of Contents

9.1 Description of Network Area 01 ....................................................................................................................... 47

9.2 Key Environmental Features, Constraints & Routeing Opportunities ............................................................. 48

10 Network Area 02 ............................................................................................................................................ 59



11 Network Area 03 ............................................................................................................................................ 71



Part A: The Plan

ISLES Spatial Plan & Locational Guidance Consultation Draft

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1.1 The Irish-Scottish Links on Energy Study The Irish-Scottish Links on Energy Study (ISLES) is a major initiative designed to enable the development of interconnected grid networks to enhance the integration of marine and offshore renewable energy between the three ISLES partner countries Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Each of the three partner administrations has significant potential for offshore wind, wave and tidal energy generation. However, planning and licensing, market and regulatory complexities between the three jurisdictions act as a potential challenge to joint development. ISLES is designed to smooth the pathway to future development of high-quality, efficient, renewable energy developments.

The Scottish Government is lead administrative partner for ISLES in collaboration with the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR) in Ireland and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) in Northern Ireland. The ISLES objectives align closely with the EU ambition of increasing renewable energy generation capacity and interconnection.

1.2 Background to the ISLES Project In 2010 the Partner Organisations commissioned ISLES. This considered the feasibility of developing an interconnected offshore electricity network which would help facilitate the development of renewable energy developments in the offshore areas of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. This work, known as ISLES I1, was completed in 2012 and concluded that an offshore network was not only feasible but could also help to connect over 5 gigawatts (GW) of offshore and marine renewable energy as well as realise significant economic benefits.

Since the completion of the original study, ISLES has been identified as a Project of Common Interest (PCI) on a list of 248 key energy infrastructure projects. These projects have been selected by twelve regional groups established by the new guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure (TEN-E). PCIs will benefit from faster and more efficient permit granting procedures and improved regulatory treatment. They may also have access to financial support from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), under which a €5.85 billion budget has been allocated to trans-European energy infrastructure for the period 2014-20.

Following on from this, the Partner Organisations commenced ISLES II, a package of studies (see Figure 1) which build on the work done in ISLES I and help to establish a blueprint for how an offshore electricity network could be taken forward. The ISLES Spatial Plan and Locational Guidance is one of these studies.

Figure 1: ISLES Work Streams (2014 - 2015)

ISLES CONCEPT

ISLES II NETWORK REGULATION &

MARKET ALIGNMENT STUDY

ISLES II SPATIAL PLAN

ISLES I FEASIBILITY STUDY (2010-12)

ISLES II BUSINESS PLAN

1 The ISLES I Study Report is available at: http://www.islesproject.eu/isles-i/

1 Introduction


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1.3 The Isles Spatial Plan Vision and Objectives The overarching vision for the ISLES Spatial Plan is to:

The following high level objectives have been identified for the Spatial Plan:

To provide developers with spatial and location guidance on the most suitable areas for development of offshore and marine electricity grid infrastructure.

To provide a set of principles for spatial planning (which are capable of facilitating future energy developments in the ISLES Zone and more widely within the European Union).

To identify specific measures to avoid, minimise or otherwise mitigate adverse effects on people, the economy and the environment within the study area;

To identify the key strategic environmental, economic and social considerations that developers should take in to account in consents and licences applications for offshore electricity grid initiatives, and in doing so assist developers in reducing consenting risks and give them a head start in planning for an interconnected transmission network.

It is intended that the ISLES Spatial Plan and Locational Guidance, and its accompanying Sustainability Appraisal will provide a mechanism for achieving the vision and objectives and thus support the sustainable development of offshore wind and marine renewable energy resources out to 2030 and potentially beyond.

The ISLES Spatial Plan boundary is shown on Figure 2 below. The rationale for the Spatial Plan study area is as follows:

The starting point is the ISLES Zone, which is the territorial waters of the three Partner countries (Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland) and the waters of Wales, England and the Isle of Man in which grid infrastructure may be needed for the purpose of achieving the ISLES vision described above. The Spatial Plan Study Area is therefore a smaller part of the wider ISLES Zone.

An interconnected offshore grid network that could realistically exist within the timeframe for the Spatial Plan. Therefore the study area captures the areas of offshore and marine renewable energy generation in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland that could conceivably exist prior to 2030. There is little value in widening the study area to locations that would never form part of the interconnected offshore grid network with the timeframe for the Plan.

An assumption underpinning the boundary of the Spatial Plan is that the offshore and marine renewable energy generation is located within the waters of the Partner countries (Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland); the waters and coastlines of England and Wales and the ISLE of Man are included for grid connection purposes.

More specific geographical considerations are as follows:

o Scotland – the northern coastal limit of the study area is Cape Wrath.

o North and West coast of Ireland – the boundary is the territorial waters of Northern Ireland. While the west coast of Ireland is within the ISLES Zone it is assumed that this area would connect directly to the Irish grid and not form part of an interconnected offshore network with projects in the Irish Sea .

o South Coast of Ireland – the coastal limit of the study area in southern Ireland is Cork City and extends due south of Cork until it meets the boundary between Irish and UK territorial waters.

o Wales - the study area extends to Swansea Bay to allow for a number of options for connecting the ISLES network to the grid.

Establish a spatial plan for an interconnected offshore electricity transmission network in the ISLES Zone which facilitates the sustainable development and deployment of renewable energy generation.


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Figure 2: ISLES Spatial Plan Area


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1.4 Sustainability Appraisal In parallel to the preparation of the ISLES Spatial Plan a Sustainability Appraisal is being undertaken. The Sustainability Appraisal is made up of three separate but related assessments:

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA).

Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA).

Socio-economic Impact Assessment (SEIA).

The objective of the Sustainability Appraisal is to describe the likely effects of the Plan and identify measures to ensure a high level of protection to the environment and to contribute to the integration of environmental, economic and social considerations into the preparation and adoption of the Plan. In doing so the Sustainability Appraisal will ensure that the Plan objectives listed above can be achieved. The diagram below shows how the Sustainability Appraisal is integrated into the preparation of the ISLES Spatial Plan. In particular, the Locational Guidance contained in Part B of this Plan is being prepared in tandem with the assessment process, as explained in Chapter 5 below.

Figure 3: ISLES II Study: Sustainability Appraisal & Spatial Plan Process & Inter-relationships


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1.5 Structure of the Plan & Locational Guidance The ISLES Spatial Plan consists of two parts – A and B.

Part A sets out:

The vision, objectives and scope of the Plan,

The opportunity for an interconnected offshore grid network and policy drivers,

A summary of the locational guidance to set out principles for the spatial planning of grid infrastructure,

The proposed actions and next steps in taking forward the ISLES Spatial Plan and Locational Guidance.

Part B provides the Locational Guidance and includes:

The approach to preparing the Locational Guidance,

A summary of offshore grid technology,

The generic environmental, social and economic effects of offshore grid infrastructure,

A routeing strategy and generic mitigation to inform the Locational Guidance, and

Locational Guidance for the three selected Network Areas.


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2.1 The Opportunity Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland have considerable potential for offshore renewable energy developments. All three administrations have published Plans promoting offshore renewable energy, all of which highlight the benefits that would follow from successful deployment:

From an environmental perspective, offshore renewable power will contribute towards action on climate change. Emissions of greenhouse gases should reduce through a shift from the use of carbon based fossil fuels to the production of cleaner and greener energy.

The development of offshore renewable energy will make a contribution to energy security as it will enable greater independence for the supply and generation of energy within the three administrations.

The large scale development of offshore wind represents an opportunity for sustainable economic growth, with significant direct investment, the creation of jobs, and the development of new technologies which can be exported globally.

In addition, and of particular relevance to ISLES, there is significant opportunity to trade and export electricity between the UK and Ireland, and with continental Europe.

There is also a desire across the jurisdictions to increase the level of integration between the all-island system and the GB system. Greater integration should help each system to accommodate a higher penetration of low-carbon generation (including in the ISLES zone) in a secure and affordable manner – thereby helping to meet all three pillars of European energy policy (sustainability, competitiveness and security of supply).

The ISLES project aims to facilitate the sustainable development and deployment of offshore and marine renewable energy generation supported by an interconnected offshore network. In doing so, the ISLES project will help realise these benefits by:

Providing developers with guidance on locating offshore electricity grid infrastructure,

Identifying measures to avoid, minimise or otherwise mitigate adverse effects on people, the economy and the environment, and

Following from the above, assist developers in obtaining consents and give them a head start in planning for an interconnected transmission network.

2.2 Policy Context As stated above, ISLES objectives relate to the sustainable development and deployment of offshore and marine renewable energy generation. The key policy drivers for these objectives are directly linked to the interrelated themes of marine planning, promoting renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and delivering secure and affordable electricity supplies. A summary of key policy drivers from a European and national context is provided below.

European Policy

Marine planning in the UK and Ireland sits within an international regulatory framework which governs a number of aspects of marine management. This includes EU Directives such as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Maritime Spatial Planning Directive and the Water Framework Directive; the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy governing commercial fishing rights and obligations; and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

European policies on energy and climate change are closely related. The context is a commitment made by Member States at the European Council of October 2009 to reduce EU greenhouse gas emissions by

2 Opportunity & Context


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80-95% below 1990 levels by 2050. The Energy Road Map 2050 highlighted the need for urgent action to decarbonise the energy sector to meet the reductions sought.

To complement the firm targets adopted for 2020, Member States reached agreement on a new Energy and Climate Package at an October 2014 meeting of the European Council. Most notably this package included:

An EU wide target to reduce domestic Greenhouse Gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.

An ambition for at least 27% of the energy consumed by the EU in 2030 to come from renewable sources. This will equate to the share of renewable energy in the electricity sector increasing to 45% by 2030.

In support of these goals, the European Commission is required to present a Renewable Energy Roadmap in 2018 for the post-2020 period.

At that October 2014 meeting of the European Council, Member States also agreed a goal of increasing interconnection to 15% of installed production capacity, compared to current levels of 8%, and a 2020 target of 10%.

These European goals are supported by a number of policy documents and initiatives summarised below.

Following European policy, the ISLES partner countries have all set targets for electricity generation from renewable resources. With the exception of Ireland whose targets are based on onshore generation only these targets recognise the potential for a significant contribution from offshore renewable energy.

The ISLES partners are involved in a number of European initiatives to support more coordinated development and operation of interconnected networks, which is expected to play a vital role in helping the partners realise their renewable energy ambition. These initiatives include:

The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) Ten Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP). ENTSO-E promote closer cooperation between European electricity network owners to support the implementation of EU energy policy and achieve Europe’s energy and climate policy objectives in particular the integration of renewable energy sources.

The North Seas Countries’ Offshore Grid Initiative (NSCOGI) which comprises the 10 countries around the North Seas. It was formed to evaluate and facilitate the coordinated development of a possible offshore grid that maximises the efficient and economic use of those renewable sources and infrastructure investments.

The designation of projects as Projects of Common Interest (PCIs), which includes the ISLES project. PCIs may benefit from faster and more efficient permit or licensing procedures, improved regulatory conditions, and possible access to additional financial support from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).

UK Policy

The preparation and development of Marine Plans across the UK was introduced through the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 and the Marine Act (Northern Ireland) 2013. The legislation enables the respective authorities to prepare marine plans for the UK marine area (0 to 200 nautical miles). The devolved administrations (the Scottish Government, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Executive) have jurisdiction over marine planning matters from 0 to 12 nautical miles. In accordance with the 2009 Act, the UK Government and devolved administrations have prepared a joint Marine Policy Statement (MPS). The MPS provides the framework for preparing Marine Plans and decision-making in relation to the marine environment, and establishes policies and objectives for specific sectors and activities.

The United Kingdom has set itself a legally binding target under the Climate Change Act 2008 to cut GHG emissions by 80% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. Within the UK policy with respect to energy generation mirrors that set at the European level. Renewable energy including offshore wind and marine renewables form a major element of the UK’s energy policy underpinning not only the country’s approach to combating climate change and reducing carbon emissions but also diversifying and securing the country’s energy supplies and promoting economic growth. Key energy policy set out in the UK Low


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Carbon Transition Plan (2009), the Renewable Energy Strategy (2009) and UK Renewable Energy Roadmap (2013) establishes how the power sector including electricity generation and transmission will need to change to meet carbon emission reduction targets including producing around 30% of the country’s electricity needs from renewables by 2020. In addition to renewables these energy policy documents also note the potential contribution interconnection between national electricity networks can make to reducing carbon emissions. The potential role of interconnection with the GB market is further recognised through the DECC document “More interconnection: improving energy security and lowering bills” (2013). Whilst its primary aims are around security of supply and reducing costs to consumers it notes that interconnection has a role to play in reducing carbon emissions and meeting European climate change targets.

Policy in Scotland

The Scottish Government’s National Marine Plan was put before the Scottish Parliament in December 2014 and is likely to be adopted by spring 2015. While governed by two pieces of legislation (The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 and the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010) the Scottish and UK Governments agreed that National Marine Plan for both inshore and offshore waters will be published in one document. The Marine Plan sets the statutory framework for the management of Scotland’s Seas. It seeks to assist in managing Scotland’s marine environment, encouraging the economic development of marine industries and incorporating environmental protection and social considerations into marine decision making. Of particular relevance to the development of offshore grid infrastructure, licensing decisions should be made in accordance with the policies contained in the National Marine Plan. For Scotland marine planning will also be implemented at a regional level. The Scottish Marine Regions Order 2013 identifies and established Scottish Marine Regions. Regional marine plans will be developed by Marine Planning Partnerships that take account of local circumstances and smaller ecosystem units.

The “2020 Routemap for Renewable Energy in Scotland” (2013, update) sets out how Scotland will meet an equivalent of 100% demand for electricity from renewable energy by 2020. The Routemap recognises the challenges in meeting the renewable energy targets including planning and consents, however, it also describes the benefits of the development of renewable energy including reduction of carbon emissions, energy security and wider economic benefits including in the manufacturing sector and for local communities. With specific regard to the electricity grid the Routemap notes upgrades to Scotland’s electricity networks and goes on to acknowledge the work undertaken in the first ISLES Study noting that further work will be undertaken to assess barriers to cross border trade in renewable energy, and look at cross-border marine spatial planning. The Routemap is supported by the Electricity Generation Policy Statement (2013) basis for further and on-going modelling of the future electricity generating mix in Scotland, beyond 2020. The Policy Statement reaffirms the role that Scotland can play in developing greater onshore and offshore grid connections within and across the UK and Europe and describes ISLES as a “key building block in delivering sub-sea grid in the Irish Sea”.

Consideration is given to offshore wind and marine renewables in the Scottish Government draft sectoral plans for offshore energy. In 2011 the Scottish Government published Blue Seas – Green Energy - A Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy in Scottish Territorial Waters. Draft Regional Locational Guidance has also been published for offshore wind, wave and tidal energy. The locational guidance gives consideration to detailed environmental, technical and socio-economic and planning issues in relation to the offshore renewable energy regions of Scotland. In 2013 the Scottish Government published Planning Scotland’s Seas: Sectoral Marine Plans for Offshore Wind, Wave and Tidal Energy in Scottish Waters for consultation. These draft sectoral plans explore how offshore wind, wave and tidal energy can contribute to meeting Scotland’s target of generating the equivalent of 100% of electricity demand from renewable sources and also seek to maximise the contribution of these technologies to achieving a low carbon economy. The draft Plans contained ten proposed options for offshore wind energy, ten for tidal energy and eight for wave energy. Following analysis of the consultation responses the draft plans will be finalised in early 2015.

Policy in Northern Ireland

The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 and the Marine Act (NI) 2013 enabled the Department of the Environment (DOE) as the marine plan authority to prepare marine plans for the offshore and inshore


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regions respectively. The combined legislation introduces a management framework for Northern Ireland’s marine area, based on a new system of marine planning. This will ensure that an integrated, coherent marine plan is in place to promote the sustainable development of Northern Ireland’s marine area. It has been agreed that the Marine Plan covering Northern Ireland’s inshore and offshore areas will be published in one document and will be collectively referred to as the Marine Plan for Northern Ireland. However, it is acknowledged that the Marine Plan for Northern Ireland is comprised of two plans made under separate pieces of legislation.

The involvement of those with an interest in the marine area is a critical component in the preparation of the Marine Plan and the DOE through its Statement of Public Participation sets out how and when it means to involve and engage people in the process. The Marine Plan will provide a framework within which decisions on future marine proposals will be taken.

In September 2010, DETI published the Strategic Energy Framework (SEF) for Northern Ireland, covering the period 2010-2020. The SEF identified key policy areas recognising that Northern Ireland is highly dependent on fossil fuels, while having few indigenous reserves, and also has the highest level of fuel poverty in the United Kingdom. The four key areas for NI Energy Strategy are competitiveness; security of supply; sustainability; and infrastructure.

The SEF included the confirmation of the increase in the NI renewable electricity target to 40% consumption by 2020.. DETI will carry out a mid-term review of the SEF in 2015.

With respect to offshore renewable energy in particular, the Marine Plan will build on the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment’s (DETI’s) Offshore Renewable Energy Strategic Action Plan (ORESAP) 2012-2020, and associated non-statutory Regional Locational Guidance. The overall aim of the ORESAP is “to optimise the amount of renewable electricity sustainably generated from offshore wind and marine renewable resources in NI waters in order to enhance diversity and security of supply, reduce carbon emissions, contribute to the 40% renewable electricity target by 2020 and beyond and develop business and employment opportunities for NI companies’.

Policy in Ireland

An integrated marine plan has been developed, Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth: An Integrated Marine Plan for Ireland 2012. This sets out a roadmap for the Government’s vision, high-level goals and integrated actions across policy, governance and business to enable Ireland’s marine potential to be realised. The goals driving the plan are a thriving maritime economy, healthy ecosystems and engaging with the sea. The development of a marine spatial planning framework for Ireland has been prioritised by the Irish Government in order to facilitate the sustainable development and use of ocean resources into the future, In June 2014, the Taoiseach announced his intention that the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government would play a leading role in the development of a maritime spatial planning framework for Ireland.

In July 2013, the government approved the general scheme of the Maritime Area and (Foreshore) Amendment Bill. The aim of this bill is to align the foreshore consent system with the planning system, to provide for a single Environmental Impact Assessment for projects and to provide a coherent mechanism to facilitate and manage development in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and on the Continental Shelf.

Ireland has set a target of reaching 40% renewable electricity by 2020, in support of its 16% renewable energy target under the 2020 EU renewable energy target. In 2014 the Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources (DCENR) published the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan. This provides a framework for the sustainable development of Ireland’s offshore renewable energy resources. The OREDP sets out Government policy in relation to the sustainable development of Ireland’s abundant offshore renewable energy resource.

The OREDP sets out a vision of Ireland’s offshore renewable energy resource contributing to our economic development and sustainable growth, generating jobs for our citizens, supported by coherent policy, planning and regulation, and managed in an integrated manner. The realisation of this requires fully coordinated support from across Government, from research and development, through supply chain development, to commercial deployment.

The Offshore Renewable Energy Steering Group (ORESG) has been established to oversee the implementation of the plan, with three main areas of focus: Environment; Infrastructure and Job Creation.


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ISLES relationship with England, Wales and the Isles Man

The English, Welsh and Isle of Man territorial waters fall within the study area for the ISLES Spatial Plan.

The Welsh Government are currently preparing a National Marine Plan for Wales which is due to be implemented in 2015. They have recently closed consultation on the Statement of Public Participation. . The Isle of Man Marine Plan is due to be implemented in 2015 the plan will outline the Government policies for Manx Territorial Waters that also takes account of the economic, environmental and social issues.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is responsible for preparing marine plans in England. Each marine plan area will have a marine plan with a long-term (20 years) view of activities and will be reviewed every 3 years. In total, there will be ten marine plans including one for the North West marine plan area which will incorporate both inshore and offshore waters, To date, plans have only been completed for the East Inshore and Offshore Marine Plan Areas and work has commenced on the South Inshore and Offshore Marine Plans In the absence of a marine plan, licensing authorities are to have regard to the Marine Policy Statement in making licensing decisions.

Collaboration between Administrations

The summary above highlights the increasing emphasis on the development of offshore renewables and greater network integration, with a growing range of Directives, strategic and policy publications across the EU, UK and Ireland. There is ongoing discussion and consideration of the key issues shared by the administrations including policies linked to offshore renewable energy and grid infrastructure. In addition, through the British – Irish Council, these administrations join with those of the Isle of Man to address areas of mutual interest, including marine energy. As part of the marine plan preparation the Partner Administrations are committed to co-ordinating with other countries sharing the same regional seas, including the sharing of data and consulting with affected authorities.

2.3 Conclusions The ISLES Spatial Plan has been developed taking into account the aims and objectives of ISLES Partners’ existing policies with respect to energy and marine planning as well as drawing on the wider European context. The energy policy aims and objectives follow a consistent theme of delivering secure, affordable and low-carbon energy supplies in line with European and national targets. This is supported by the development of renewable energy including offshore wind and marine renewables, and more coordinated development and operation of network assets on a cross-jurisdictional basis. The ISLES Spatial Plan draws together the aims of the Partner organisations and establishes a common vision for the development of an interconnected offshore electricity transmission network in the ISLES Zone which supports the sustainable development and deployment of renewable energy generation.


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3.1 Introduction The Locational Guidance in Part B of this report is complementary to the ISLES Spatial Plan. The Guidance is intended to assist developers plan for a coordinated offshore electricity network in the ISLES Zone by highlighting strategic environmental, social, economic, and technical constraints or opportunities, potential impacts and mitigation. The Locational Guidance does not replace project-specific routeing or optioneering studies or Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), the latter of which will be required to accompany licence applications. Instead it establishes a strategic starting point from which to help inform the development of an offshore electricity network.

The geographic scope and coverage of the ISLES Spatial Plan is illustrated in Figure 1. The Locational Guidance covers the entire Spatial Plan area but has been described based on three Network Areas (NAs) which are described later in Part B Locational Guidance.

In preparing the Plan, Locational Guidance and Sustainability Appraisal, general principles have been identified that can be used to inform future spatial planning for an interconnected offshore grid network. The principles are capable of facilitating future energy developments in the ISLES Zone and can be applied more widely within the European Union. This Chapter of the Plan provides a summary of the Locational Guidance highlighting the key principles for the spatial planning of ISLES.

3.2 Summary of the Locational Guidance and Principles for the Spatial Planning of Grid Infrastructure The Locational Guidance

In summary, the Locational Guidance establishes a routeing strategy with supporting principles which can be used from an early stage to help inform the development of offshore electricity networks. These principles promote integrated consideration of environmental and social impacts, the need to work with stakeholders, as well as linking to engineering and commercial issues. The approach to the Locational Guidance recognises that current industry practice is well developed and typically helps to design out environmental and social impacts through careful routeing and siting. Consequently, rather than invent a new approach the Locational Guidance frames current practice and sets it out in the context of a Routeing Strategy for the ISLES Plan area.

The objective of the Routeing Strategy is to help inform the development of offshore electricity networks and ensure environmental, social and economic impacts are appropriately mitigated. A set of Routeing Objectives and Principles has been established to underpin the Routeing Strategy. In the first instance these promote the avoidance of sensitive or important environmental, social and economic constraints through careful routeing but it is recognised that in some situations this is not possible. Therefore, outline mitigation considerations have been identified including industry standard mitigation measures.

The Routeing Strategy has been applied to the ISLES Plan area in order to identify strategic constraints and routeing or siting issues. Table 1 below provides a summary of the Locational Guidance highlighting the relative influence each environmental and social topic has on the location of grid infrastructure.

The nature of environmental and social constraints within the ISLES Plan area means that there are very few hard constraints, those constraints which must be entirely avoided. Some constraints such as other material interests, for example, aggregate extraction areas will be avoided both to prevent impacts on the aggregate area well as prevent risks to the network infrastructure itself. In contrast it is preferable to avoid key fishing grounds or protected sites but in some cases this may not be possible. In those instances ensuring cables are buried, timing installation works to avoid sensitive periods and implementing standard

3 Spatial Planning for Offshore Grid Infrastructure


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mitigation measures described within the Locational Guidance will ensure that significant environmental and social effects can be prevented.

Baseline Data Collection and Analysis

Underpinning both the Locational Guidance and the Sustainability Appraisal, and any project level development, is the collection and analysis of data to describe environmental, social and economic baseline conditions. For the purposes of the Locational Guidance and Sustainability Appraisal a strategic baseline has been established in order to identify key constraints and impacts. The resolution of the data collected is sufficient for the purpose of producing the Plan and Locational Guidance and assessing their effects through the Sustainability Appraisal process. The data that has been collected provides a foundation from which to commence the informed development of new grid infrastructure. However, for projects coming forward it will be essential for additional data to be collected relevant to the area of influence of the proposed project as part of the consenting process. The scope and level of detail of data will be agreed with relevant government agencies in ISLES area, and informed by wider stakeholder consultation.

Integration of Locational Guidance and Sustainability Appraisal

The Locational Guidance has been prepared in tandem with the Sustainability Appraisal of the ISLES Plan. The Sustainability Appraisal describes the environmental, social and economic effects that could occur from offshore grid infrastructure and identifies the mitigation measures that should be applied to avoid, reduce or offset these effects. In doing so the Sustainability Appraisal informs the content of the Locational Guidance.

In summary, many of the effects of an offshore electricity network are limited to the installation and construction stages relating to the temporary disturbance this causes. Assuming cables can be buried, and within the majority of the ISLES Plan area cable burial is considered likely to be possible, permanent effects are limited subject to careful routeing. Where cables can’t be buried or where collector hubs are located noticeable permanent effects are possible but these can typically be mitigated through routeing, siting and project level design. In conclusion, the Sustainability Appraisal demonstrates that if the Locational Guidance is applied, ISLES can be developed without significant environmental or social effects.

Stakeholder Consultation to Support Future Planning Activities

Stakeholder consultation is an essential component of the marine planning process. Any given area of the sea will have resource and ecosystem values, and may have a number of uses such as fishing, navigation and recreation. Introducing new infrastructure may therefore may therefore result in conflicts with other sea users or environmental resources. Potential conflicts can only be resolved through consultation and the active participation of stakeholders.

Therefore, in tandem with use of the Locational Guidance it is essential for developers to engage with stakeholders early and continuously in the development of a project. This approach will help to identify concerns and synergies and ensure that these can be addressed through the routeing and siting of network infrastructure as well as inform project level mitigation such as when and how installation is undertaken. The Sustainability Appraisal and Locational Guidance identify the fishing industry and navigation activities as being of particular relevance, primarily because of the considerable potential for overlapping use of areas with the ISLES Zone.

Identification of the Actions Necessary to implement the Plan and Monitor its Effects

A further outcome of the ISLES planning process is the identification of specific actions necessary to successfully implement the Plan and Locational Guidance. The actions highlight the need to integrate the Plan and Locational Guidance into the broader marine spatial planning process; the need for ongoing collaboration to implement the Plan and monitor its effects; and the need for data and knowledge sharing.


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Summary of ISLES Locational Guidance

Topic Locational Objectives Network

Component Locational Influence

Rationale

Biodiversity, Flora & Fauna

Avoid, as much as possible, developing offshore cable routes or positioning collector hubs in areas which would not detrimentally impact on the qualifying features or interests of European or national protected sites and/or impact protected ecological or ornithological species, features, habitats or migratory routes.

Marine Cables Moderate

Whilst it is preferable to avoid protected sites, habitats and species in the routeing of marine cables in some instances this may not be possible. Typically the effects of cables will be temporary limited to the disturbance occurring during installation. By following good practice at a project level such as ensuring cables are buried, using less disturbing installation methods or timing the works to avoid sensitive periods, potential impacts can be effectively mitigated.

Collector Hubs High

Collector hubs should not be sited in protected sites or habitats in order to prevent permanent changes in habitat. Unlike buried cables collector hubs have the potential to permanently alter habitat cover and as such should be located in areas of less sensitive or lower value habitats.

Landfall Locations

Moderate

As with marine cables landfall locations which avoid protected sites or habitats would be preferable but this will not always be possible. At a project level the use of less disturbing landfall installation techniques such as HDD or timing the works to avoid sensitive periods, potential impacts can be effectively mitigated.

Population & Human Health

Avoid, as much as possible, developing offshore cable routes or positioning collector hubs in areas which would not detrimentally impact on commercial and recreational uses of the sea and seabed including commercial fishing and aquaculture, shipping and navigation and recreational uses.

Marine Cables High

Key shipping lanes or important fishing areas should be avoided by cables but in some instances this may not be possible. However, assuming cable burial in most instances the impacts on shipping or fishing activities should be limited to temporary displacement during installation.

Collector Hubs High

Collector hubs must avoid being sited within key shipping lanes or important fishing areas in order to prevent permanent displacement of these activities. When siting collector hubs consideration must be given to the location including exclusion zone in order to prevent displacement.


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Rationale

Landfall Locations

Low

In selecting landfall locations key considerations are the coastal and near-shore activities such as tourism. Whilst landfall selection should seek the least disturbing option potential impacts occur over a small area can be effectively mitigated at a project level.

Water, Soil, Geology & Coastal Processes

Develop, as much as possible, offshore cable routes and collector hubs in areas of optimal conditions which avoid or prevent detrimental environmental impacts and reduce engineering or technical complexity.

Marine Cables High

In order to prevent environmental impacts and provide protection to marine cables it is preferable to seek to bury as much of a cable route as possible. To that end routeing should focus on areas of softer sediment which facilitate cable burial, and hence provide effective protection. Where routeing cannot avoid areas of harder sediment in which cable is surface laid additional protection measures such as rock placement will be required.

Collector Hubs High

Collector hubs should be located within areas in which the underlying sediments support less complex engineering or construction, for example avoiding complex piling requirements.

Landfall Locations

Low

In selecting landfall locations it is preferable to route cables towards open soft sediment beaches. These should provide less complex landfall options with good access from both the sea as well as land.

Cultural Heritage

Avoid, as much as possible, developing offshore cable routes or positioning collector hubs in areas which would detrimentally impact on protected archaeological sites and other heritage interests.

Marine Cables Low

Whilst cultural heritage features should be avoided it is recognised that they occupy relatively small or contained areas on the seabed. . From the outset developers should seek to avoid features such as wrecks but these can be more easily avoided at the project level during detailed routeing and design.


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Rationale

Collector Hubs Moderate

The siting of collector hubs should take account of both the location of wrecks as well as the potential to impact on the setting of protected heritage features such as World Heritage Sites or scheduled monuments in coastal areas. As much as possible hubs should be located in offshore areas where setting effects are prevented.

Landfall Locations

Low

In selecting landfall locations consideration should be given for the potential to archaeological remains of historic landscapes to be present. Such as issues can be effectively mitigated at a project level.

Landscape & Seascape

Avoid, as much as possible, developing offshore cable routes or positioning collector hubs in areas which would detrimentally impact on areas of the highest amenity value.

Marine Cables Low There routeing of marine cables is not informed by consideration of landscape and seascape.

Collector Hubs High

Collector hubs should be located in deeper water offshore where they are less likely to be visible and as such are unlikely to impact on landscape or seascape including designated or protected landscapes.

Landfall Locations

Low

Cable landfalls will be buried with no discernible above ground infrastructure present and temporarily affected land around the landfall can be reinstated. However, careful consideration should be given to landfalls within or adjacent to protected landscapes where there may be a need for significant additional infrastructure.

Material Assets

Avoid, as much as possible, developing offshore cable routes or positioning collector hubs in areas which would detrimentally impact on other users of the sea, seabed and coast including defence interests, other cables and pipelines, offshore

Marine Cables High

Existing and potential developments should be avoided as much as possible in the routeing of marine cables. This will reduce the risk of physical damage to existing assets (or proposed electricity infrastructure) as well as prevent sterilisation of potential resource areas.


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Rationale

power generation, oil and gas and aggregates.

Collector Hubs High

With the exception of energy generation sites which are being connected to new grid infrastructure, existing and potential developments should be avoided as much as possible in the siting of collector hubs.

Landfall Locations

Moderate

It is preferable to select landfall locations in less developed sections of the coast in order to avoid other infrastructure constraints but this will not always be possible. Where other assets are present for example flood defences, developers should use less intrusive installation techniques such as HDD.


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4.1 Introduction The Partner organisations are exploring a number of possible actions in order to ensure that the Plan objectives (as set out in Chapter 2) are achieved, promote the integration of the Locational Guidance into the emerging marine panning process, and to take account of the findings of the Sustainability Appraisal. A number of actions have therefore been proposed under the interrelated themes of:

Collaboration and Co-ordination

Monitoring Requirements

Data, Information and Knowledge Gaps, and

Consenting and Permitting

4.2 Policy Actions

Collaboration and Co-ordination:

Action 1: Development of a mechanism for greater coordination between Partner administrations to improve the effectiveness of the delivery of the Plan. This would include a role for a multi-body ISLES implementation Steering Committee.

Monitoring Requirements:

Action 2: In accordance with the SEA Directive, national SEA Regulations and the Habitats Directive, the committee identified in Action 1 should co-ordinate the activities required to monitoring the environmental effects of the implementation of the Plan. This will ensure that unforeseen adverse effects are identified at an early stage and appropriate remedial action can be taken as required. Monitoring of the socio-economic impacts of the implementation of the Plan should also be undertaken where this is required in law or policy.

Data Collection, Sharing and Knowledge Gaps:

Action 3: In order to support spatial planning for an integrated grid network there is a need for collaboration to reduce data gaps by enhancing the resolution of data, and improving our scientific understanding of the effects of power cables on the environment (e.g. EMF). The Partner administrations should take forward measures for the collation, management and dissemination of data and information collected for the marine environment so that data is made publicly available, and so that it may be taken into account by those developers and bodies involved in the siting, design, consenting and permitting of individual projects.

Consenting and Permitting:

Action 4: Future consenting processes by the relevant authorities should take into account the advice provided in the Locational Guidance (including its routing principles) and broad findings and assessment of this SEA, SEIA and HRA in terms of location and constraints. Incorporation of relevant ISLES Plan components with national sectoral or marine plans would provide a clearer and stronger basis for such national decision making.

Action 5: The consent process should require developers to put in place appropriate monitoring programmes to assess the effectiveness of their mitigation measures used to avoid, reduce or offset the effects of their development.

4 Actions and Next Steps


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Action 6: A Recommendations Report will be produced with the aim of streamlining the SEA and HRA process for cross-jurisdictional offshore electricity network developments in the ISLES Zone. This will take account of and build upon the 2013 European Commission’s guidance ‘Streamlining environmental assessment procedures for energy infrastructure Projects of Common Interest (PCIs)’.

4.3 Taking the Plan Forward This draft is published for consultation purposes. The consultation period will last 10 weeks during which time the Partner administrations will seek comments on the Plan and Locational guidance from a wide range of stakeholders including developers, Government agencies, non-governmental organisations, academics and the wider public including coastal communities. The Plan will then be amended and finalised taking into account the comments received.

Each Partner Country will determine the most appropriate means of adopting the Plan within their respective planning systems. The likely adoption process in each country is as follows:

Scotland In Scotland, it is envisaged that the outputs of the ISLES II Spatial Plan will be integrated into the emerging framework for marine planning. To begin with, the ISLES Plan will provide a basis upon which an overall spatial strategy for the development of grid infrastructure in Scottish Waters can take place. This strategy will likely follow the approach for developing sectoral marine plans (offshore renewable energy), seeking integration and alignment with any established review processes for these plans. It is envisaged that the outputs of the process will, where appropriate, inform the development of the National Marine Plan. The NMP sets the overall framework for managing Scotland’s Seas and is currently reviewed on a 5 year cycle.

Northern Ireland Under the Marine Act (NI) 2013 and the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, the Department of the Environment (DOE) is the marine plan authority for the Northern Ireland inshore and offshore regions respectively. DOE is committed to delivering a Marine Programme for Northern Ireland that will provide a key tool for the future development, management, conservation and use of the NI marine area. The combined legislation introduces a management framework for Northern Ireland’s marine area based on a new system of marine planning. This will ensure that an integrated, coherent marine plan is in place to promote the sustainable development of Northern Ireland’s marine area. The outputs from the ISLES II project will be assessed by DETI.

Ireland In May 2014, the Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources (DCENR) published the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan. This provides a framework for the sustainable development of Ireland’s offshore renewable energy resources.

In July 2013, the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG) published a Maritime Area and (Foreshore) Amendment Bill to align the foreshore consent system with the planning system, to provide for a single Environmental Impact Assessment for projects and to provide a coherent mechanism to facilitate and manage development in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and on the Continental Shelf.

The ISLES Spatial Plan will not be automatically “adopted” in Ireland, but will instead provide important guidance and advice to these areas of policy development.

Part B: The Guidance


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5.1 Introduction The development of offshore electricity cable routes - either as part of an individual grid connection, or as promoted by ISLES as part of an interconnected offshore network - is an iterative process informed by a range of different factors including environmental, social, engineering and commercial considerations. This section describes how the Locational Guidance for ISLES has been developed taking into account existing approaches.

5.2 Typical Approaches to Developing Electricity Network Infrastructure In preparing the Locational Guidance a desktop review has been undertaken of existing approaches to the development of electricity transmission infrastructure, in particular offshore cable routes. The purpose of this review was to draw on established approaches and consider how these could be adapted and applied to the Locational Guidance.

A widely used approach in the development of electricity transmission infrastructure is National Grid’s Option Appraisal method. This promotes integrated consideration of a range of environmental, technical and commercial considerations in developing and assessing projects from initial strategic studies through option appraisal to project level Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The options appraisal method is not directly applicable to the ISLES in its entirety as ISLES is being developed at a strategic level. However, the basic premise of seeking to avoid environmental and social effects whilst balancing technical, engineering and economic considerations is relevant to the preparation of the Locational Guidance.

Guidance which is specific to developing offshore cable routes has been prepared by the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) and the Crown Estate. These identify key offshore cable routeing considerations which include environmental and engineering issues to be considered when developing offshore cable routes. This includes cable burial and protection as well as the effects of Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) on ecological features and shipping.

Existing Guidance for the Routeing of Offshore Cables

International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) Recommendation 2 Cable Routing and Reporting Criteria

International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) Recommendation 3 Telecommunications Cable and Oil Pipeline / Power Cables Crossing Criteria

International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) Recommendation 9 Minimum Technical Requirements for a Desktop Study

Red Penguin Associates (for the Crown Estate), 2012, Export Cables for offshore renewables installations - principles for cable routeing and spacing

5 Approach to Preparing the Locational Guidance


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5.3 Developing the Locational Guidance Typically electricity transmission or grid connection projects are developed with a clear start and end point in mind - start at a new generating station such as an offshore wind farm and make a connection to an agreed point on the existing electricity network onshore. Due to its strategic nature the ISLES has no clearly defined start and end point so in order to develop Locational Guidance Generation Cluster Concepts and Landfall Connections have been identified (see Figure 4 below). These help form the basis of how an offshore electricity network could be developed. These are not intended to be exhaustive but are illustrative of how development in the ISLES Zone may occur recognising the fact that development of an interconnected network is likely to occur incrementally and over a long period of time. In order to inform the preparation of the Locational Guidance the process illustrated below has been followed.

Figure 4: Locational Guidance Preparation Process

1. Generation Cluster Concepts

Generation Cluster Concepts are based on where offshore and marine renewable energy projects can reasonably be expected to come forward. These have been developed from a combination of National Plans, sector-specific plans and spatial strategies2 which identify areas for potential offshore wind, wave & tidal energy development as well as existing or known project-level offshore wind, wave & tidal developments. The Clusters have the potential to:

Comprise multiple connected offshore and marine renewable projects within them (e.g. intra-Cluster networks). Due to the relative proximity of potential generators small scale offshore networks connecting a smaller number of generators could be developed. This is likely to be the case in the short term as an offshore network is developed on an incremental or modular basis.

Comprise multiple connected Generation Cluster Concepts with offshore and marine renewable projects within each of them (e.g. inter-Cluster networks). This would require the interconnection of smaller modular networks connecting a larger number of generators. This is likely to be the case in the longer term as an offshore network grows with increased interconnection across the ISLES Zone.

2 Blue Seas – Green Energy, A Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy in Scottish Territorial Waters, 2011 Planning Scotland's Seas: Draft Sectoral Marine Plans for Offshore Renewable Energy in Scottish Waters, 2013 Northern Ireland Offshore Renewable Energy Strategic Action Plan (ORESAP). 2012 Ireland’s Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP), 2014


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2. Landfall Connections

Landfall Connections have been identified based on sections of the coastline where offshore cables could potentially land taking into account on environmental, engineering and grid considerations. The permanent footprint of a typical landfall is small - in the order of less than 50m2 - consequently there is considerable potential to develop cable landfalls. The ISLES Spatial Plan does not extend onshore so the Locational Guidance extends as far as Landfall Connections only, however, in identifying potential Landfall Connections consideration has been given to the proximity of existing and planned electricity network infrastructure (not available capacity). The exact locations of landfalls will largely depend on where developers are offered a connection to the existing network so it is to be expected that subject to environmental or engineering constraints developers will seek to land offshore cables as close as possible to agreed connections to the electricity network.

For the purposes of the Locational Guidance the process of identifying Landfall Connections has considered the potential proximity to the electricity network followed by coastal landform (which influences engineering) and environmental constraints. In most instances it is to be expected that there will be an engineering solution to developing a landfall, however, this should be balanced against potential environmental impact. This does not necessarily mean that protected sites must be avoided but that less environmentally disturbing installation techniques may be required.

Also it should be noted that whilst it is expected that predominantly power generated will flow west to east and ultimately into areas of high demand in the south of England potential Landfall Connections have also been identified in Ireland and Northern Ireland. This caters for scenarios in which offshore renewable power is connected to Irish and/or Northern Irish networks before being transmitted east to the UK by a point to point transmission link.

3. Network Areas

It is recognised that a multi-terminal or interconnected offshore electricity network extending across the entire ISLES Plan area is a long term vision. In the short to medium term it is more likely that development would be incremental or modular. This provides opportunities for multiple generators either within Generation Cluster Concepts or in adjacent Cluster Concepts to benefit from a coordinated approach to sharing offshore electricity network infrastructure and connections to the wider system onshore. As noted above, in the longer term as modular networks grow there will be opportunities for interconnection across the wider ISLES Zone.

Also it should be noted that whilst it is expected that predominantly power generated will flow west to east and ultimately into areas of high demand in the south of England potential Landfall Connections have also been identified in Ireland and Northern Ireland. This caters for scenarios in which offshore renewable power is connected to Irish and/or Northern Irish networks before being transmitted east to the UK by a point to point transmission link.

4. Routeing Strategy & Principles

To establish a framework which promotes integrated and iterative consideration of environmental, social, and economic constraints in parallel with engineering and commercial factors, a Routeing Strategy and supporting Routeing Principles have been developed and described in detail in Chapter 8 below. To inform the development of these the following have been identified:

Technical Considerations: Typical offshore electricity network technologies and infrastructure.

Environmental, Social & Economic Effects: Generic effects of offshore electricity networks.

Mitigation Opportunities: Good practice approaches to the development of offshore networks.

5. Locational Guidance

The final step is the application of the Routeing Strategy and Principles to the NAs in order to provide guidance on potential environmental and social constraints and/or impacts, mitigation requirements and routeing opportunities. For each NA, the consistent application of the Routeing Strategy and Principles helps to establish strategic areas or routeing corridors which are considered to be suitable for the


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development of offshore electricity networks and which could connect Generation Cluster Concepts to Landfall Connections.


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Figure 5: Illustrative Generation Cluster Concepts, Landfall Connections and Network Areas


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6.1 Introduction To inform the preparation of the ISLES Spatial Plan and this Locational Guidance it is necessary to establish an understanding the types of technology which could or would be deployed in developing an offshore electricity network. During the ISLES I Study a Technology Roadmap3 was prepared which set out an understanding of existing electricity transmission technologies. This Roadmap has formed the basis of the technical assumptions made in preparing the Locational Guidance and has been supplemented with additional information where appropriate.

6.2 Overview of Electricity Transmission Technologies General

Electricity is normally generated, transmitted and distributed as Alternating Current (AC). In contrast the use of Direct Current (DC) is limited to electricity transmission. AC technology is most commonly used as it can be developed as part of a multi-terminal network or used for point to point transmission. DC technology is less common as it is predominantly used for point to point transmission with comparatively very few examples of multi terminal networks. The use of DC technology requires the development of converter stations to convert from AC to DC or vice versa dependent on operation. Both technologies can be used in offshore electricity transmission system and have their relative advantages and disadvantages dependent on particular circumstances.

Alternating Current

AC technology is well established in offshore transmission and is used both as part of the existing electricity transmission and distribution systems and for grid connections for existing and proposed offshore wind farms. A key benefit of AC transmission systems is that they can be developed incrementally and extended or expanded to form a multi-terminal network without the need for converter stations which are required for DC systems. However, at long distances AC cables (underground or offshore) suffer from transmission losses which require reactive compensation equipment to be developed at locations along the cable and/or at the cable terminals. Offshore AC transmission systems beyond approximately 60-100km in length are not considered to be feasible and the costs prohibitive.

Direct Current

DC technology is widely used in offshore transmission for point to point transmission links as well as for grid connections for offshore wind farms which are located at greater distances from land. The key benefit of DC transmission systems is their ability to transfer bulk volumes of power over longer distances with fewer losses than a comparative AC transmission system. However, DC transmission systems are most typically point to point (from one converter station to another) which prevents the incremental development of a multi-terminal network. There are limited examples of multi-terminal DC transmission systems but it is an area of active research and development. The increased capital costs resulting from the requirement for converter stations means that offshore DC transmission systems are not cost efficient at shorter distances.

3 The ISLES I Study Report is available at: http://www.islesproject.eu/isles-i/

6 Technology


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6.3 Offshore Cables Description

The physical characteristics of AC and DC offshore cables are broadly similar, however, in developing AC and DC systems the numbers of cables required for each will differ. DC systems will require fewer cables than AC systems. For example a DC system would require two cables, one cable per phase whereas an equivalent AC system of the same capacity could require six cables comprising of three cables per phase. This means that AC cable systems will in general require a larger footprint during installation and operation.

Cable Installation

The specific installation methods will depend on the environment into which cables are being installed but can typically be divided into shallow and deep water installation methods as summarised below. Shallow water cable installation methods which comprise simultaneous lay and burial (e.g. the cable is buried at the same time it is laid) and post lay burial (e.g. the cable is buried sometime after it is laid on the seabed) can prove to be the most complex and time consuming aspect of overall cable system installation due to the potentially challenging conditions encountered.

Shallow Water Installation Methods

Simultaneous Lay & Burial Systems

These provide immediate protection to the cable and can be achieved using a number of different burial tools such as ploughs, which are commonly used or vertical injectors.

Ploughs create and place the cable within a trench which immediately backfills. This approach is generally accepted as the least destructive of the burial methods. The plough share, which creates the trench, will vary in width and although immediate backfill occurs, the disturbed area can be as wide as 1m, especially if a jetting share is used to fluidise the soil. Additionally, as the plough skids (feet) rest on the seabed, top soil disturbance can occur over a swathe up to 4m wide.

The vertical injector is similar to a plough in that the cable passes through and is buried by a share. However, the share is of modular construction and is attached to the side of the installation vessel. The vertical injector can achieve burial depths of up to 15m compared to the standard depths of 2-3m which are achieved by ploughs, however, this injector tool can only operate in water depths of approximately 25m or less. It is standard to have a jetting system on the front of the vertical injector, and the trench remains open after burial until trench wall collapse occurs. Trench widths for the vertical injector can be in the region of 1.5m

Post Lay Burial

A number of installation tools are common to both approaches. This includes jetters and trenchers which bury the cable post installation as can ploughs which can load the cable subsea and commence burial. Mechanical excavators can be particularly useful in lowering the cable to the target depth in the intertidal zone and beach area. In areas where adequate burial cannot be achieved – such as where plough skips occur, at cable crossings or areas of hard substrate, lay cable protection methods include sleeving, rock placement and mattressing. As the burial or protection is installed post lay, there is a period where the cable remains on the seabed surface and guard vessels may be required to protect the cable until the installation in complete.

Deep water cable installation methods are similar to those used in shallow water and include plough and jet burial as well as rock cutting in areas of harder substrate. The choice of method can be influenced by a number of factors including seabed conditions and the length of cable, for example long systems may require too much cable for it to fit on an individual installation vessel and/or cables may require to be installed in sections and then cable joints developed.


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Deep Water Installation Methods

Plough Burial The ploughed burial solution is the most widely used technique. However there are areas where the seabed conditions may not allow for the use of ploughs and may require additional cable protection measures such as sleeving, matresssing or rock placement. There are two types of plough burial, displacement ploughs and non displacement ploughs.

Displacement ploughs create an open v-shaped trench into which the cable is laid and are suitable for most types of sediment including soft rock. The trench may be back filled by the use of back fill blades at the rear of the machine, left to backfill naturally or by the use of a separate backfill plough. The displacement plough can make a trench of up to 5m in width and the footprint of the plough itself can be up to 10m. The equipment can only be used in water depths of greater than 10m due to its large size and is therefore not suitable for shallow water installation.

A non-displacement plough uses a thin blade-like device that slices through the seabed without creating an open trench and causes minimal disturbance to the seabed. The cable runs through the bottom of the blade. The non-displacement plough can make narrow trenches of between 0.3-1.0m and the footprint of the plough itself is normally 5-10m depending on the size of the equipment. A non-displacement plough performs well in most sediment types but is not best for use in sandy sediments where frictional forces are high.

Jet Burial Jet trenching machines use water jets, mounted in “swords” lowered either side of the cable, to disturb the seabed underneath the cable, forming a trench full of liquefied sandy material or “cutting” very soft to soft clays. The cable sinks into the trench under its own weight or is directed into it by a special device. There is little or no trench created by the jetting machine, whilst the seabed is normally left to naturally backfill. Jetting is most effective in sandy sediment and it not possible to use in areas where stiff to hard seabed sediments or gravels are present.

Mechanical Trencher or Rock Cutting

This is used in harder substrates where plough and jet burial may not be effective as it can dig a pre-burial trench, simultaneous lay and bury, or post lay bury. The progress of these machines can be slow especially if attempting to cut a trench through rocky areas.

These machines are usually mounted on tracked vehicles and use chain saws or wheels armed with tungsten carbon steel teeth to cut a defined trench. The open trench can be back filled or left to refill naturally. A typical mechanical trencher can make a trench of 0.3-0.7m in width and the footprint of the mechanical trencher is approximately 5-10m. Mechanical trenchers can work in all sediments including weak bedrock.

Shallow Water Installation Methods

Simultaneous Lay & Burial Systems

These provide immediate protection to the cable and can be achieved using a number of different burial tools such as ploughs, which are commonly used or vertical injectors.

Ploughs create and place the cable within a trench which immediately backfills. This approach is generally accepted as the least destructive of the burial methods. The plough share, which creates the trench, will vary in width and although immediate backfill occurs, the disturbed area can be as wide as 1m, especially if a jetting share is used to fluidise the soil. Additionally, as the plough skids (feet) rest on the seabed, top soil disturbance can occur over a swathe up to 4m wide.

The vertical injector is similar to a plough in that the cable passes through and is buried by a share. However, the share is of modular construction and is attached to the side of the installation vessel. The vertical injector can achieve burial depths of up to 15m


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compared to the standard depths of 2-3m which are achieved by ploughs, however, this injector tool can only operate in water depths of approximately 25m or less. It is standard to have a jetting system on the front of the vertical injector, and the trench remains open after burial until trench wall collapse occurs. Trench widths for the vertical injector can be in the region of 1.5m.

Comparison of Offshore Cable Installation Methods

Displacement

Plough

Non-Displacement

Plough Jet Burial Rock Cutting

Limiting turbidity and disturbance to seabed ● ● ● ●

Limiting the space used on the seabed ● ● ● ●

Reinstatement ● ● ● ●

Cost of installation ● ● ● ●

Reducing risks to the cable and other sea users ● ● ● ●

●High efficiency/suitability

●Medium efficiency/suitability

●Low efficiency/suitability

Installation Vessels

Cable vessels and cable barges using anchors are both used to install offshore cable systems. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Cable barges require the placement of anchors to move and position the vessel. This can be a slow process in shallow water and this would typically be expected to lengthen as water depths increase. Additionally, anchor deployments, recoveries and their associated patterns will require careful planning with regards to other subsea assets such as pipelines or other cables. The maximum pull force generated by a cable vessel is less than that of an anchored barge. The use of anchors also presents more potential issues should the installation spread be placed through or adjacent to areas used by shipping, as the area occupied by the anchors will be unavailable to shipping for the duration of installation works.

Cable Protection Measures

The preferred protection technique is to bury offshore cables along their entire length. However there may be areas where burial is not possible for example at crossing of other cables and pipelines or where seabed characteristics such as a rocky seabed mean that burial is not possible. Where burial is not possible cable protection measures are required. These can take the form of concrete and frond


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mattresses or rock dumping. The amount of mattressing or rock dumping will depend on the cable route and the seabed characteristics of the cable route in question.

Operation of Offshore Cables

Once installed, offshore cables do not require routine maintenance, however, their performance may be monitored to provide an early indication of any faults. It is likely that routinely, particularly in the initial few years of operation, and should the local environmental conditions change or be suspected as having changed, it will be necessary to conduct surveys using standard geophysical survey equipment and/or remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to monitor the buried depths of the cables. Regular surveys of pipeline crossings may also be a requirement of a particular pipeline crossing agreement.

Cable repairs to correctly installed and protected marine cables are infrequent but require operations which could temporarily affect the environment and the activities of other users of the sea. The most common reason for repair of an offshore cable is damage caused by an external interaction e.g. by trawlers and commercial ships anchors. A repair will typically be carried out by a single vessel. A shallow water repair, in less than 10m of water, will typically be made using an anchored barge. In deeper water a dynamically positioned cable vessel will be used.

The operation of offshore cables will generate Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMFs), and heat. The exact emissions will depend according to the transmission technology used and the rating of the cables used but in both instances EMFs and heat will typically dissipate with increasing distance away from the cable.

Decommissioning of Offshore Cables

Typically electricity transmission infrastructure could be expected to have an operational life of between 25-40 years. Towards or at the end of their operational life a decision will be made whether to recover offshore cables or leave them in-situ. This will depend on the potential environmental effects and costs of decommissioning. Recovery of deeply buried offshore cables is challenging because one of the key aims of the installation process is to protect the cables as much as possible hence the condition that the seabed is left in tends to resist cable recovery. To recover an offshore cable it is necessary to obtain one end which is used to pull the cable out of the seabed by applying traction to it from a cable engine on the recovering vessel. To obtain an end the cable needs to be cut either on the seabed or on the ship if a “bight” (loop) of cable can be brought to the surface. There are three methods which can be used to obtain a single end of an offshore cable, one using a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV), one doing the same but with divers, and one using special cable hooks called “grapnels”.

6.4 Landfalls Description

A cable landfall is where an offshore cable makes landfall with the terrestrial environment. Onshore and offshore cables are joined at a Transition Joint Pit (TJP) from where cables will be routed to a point of connection on the existing electricity network. The TJP can be on the beach or foreshore area usually above Mean High Water Spring (MHWS). Depending on the presence and nature of foreshore constraints such as the presence of sea defences or nature conservation sites the TJP could be sited inland.

Landfall Installation

The intertidal area or the area between the TJP and the location where the offshore cable burial tools can start to be deployed can generally be crossed using (1) open cut or trenching where a trench is dug within the intertidal area and the cable pulled directly into the trench and buried or (2) non-open cut where the cable is drilled beneath the foreshore by Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) to or from an exit pit at the TJP. The two techniques are not exclusive and a combination of the two maybe required depending on the specific location of the landfall. For example there may be a requirement for trenching to be undertaken between the exit pit of a HDD and the start of the marine burial.


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Landfall Installation Methods

Trenching In the intertidal area, excavators are generally employed to dig a trench for cable burial between the TJP and a position where offshore cable burial techniques will be used. These burial tools such as ploughs can often be pulled up the beach at high water, closer to the TJP, reducing the length of the route where excavators are needed. Trenches can either be pre-dug, or the trench is excavated and backfilled after the cable has been pulled ashore. Trench widths are likely to be approximately 1m and depths are dependent on the contractual requirements for burial.

The cable pull (beach pull) will require a temporary compound area. A typical compound size for a beach pull and joint area is around 40m by 50m. This will accommodate the joint pits and the additional equipment such as cable haulers, excavators, temporary office accommodation and other ancillary equipment. A beach pull operation can take up to 3 days, dependent on tides and available working limitations

Horizontal Directional Drill

Horizontal directional drill (HDD) is a non open cut technique which is used to cross beneath sea defences from land to the intertidal zone. The HDD exit or entrance point depending on the direction of pull can be above or below MHWS. If below MHWS a cofferdam or alternative technique maybe required. Cofferdams are usually a watertight sheet-piled area or similar. A cofferdam provides a watertight area in which to join a landfall cable to the subsea cable if a separate landfall cable is required. Depending on the landfall locations cofferdams are not always required and a HDD could exit into the intertidal area. HDDs require temporary compounds at the exit and entrance pits. These will house the required equipment and allow the drilling of a number of bores. Time scales will be dependent on the lengths of the bores and the soil conditions experienced.

6.5 Collector Hubs Description

For the purposes of the Plan collector hubs are the term given to offshore platforms which could comprise substations and/or converter stations. It is expected that the collector hubs will normally be unmanned and operated remotely except for periods of planned or unplanned maintenance and repair.

The size of offshore platforms required to house collector hubs will depend on the capacity required and the transmission technology employed. For example if DC technology is used to transmit the electricity onshore there will be a need for an offshore converter station (either as a point to point or multi-terminal system dependent on network requirements). This will take power generated from offshore and marine renewable energy projects generated as AC and convert to DC for onwards transmission to a remote end converter station.

There is substantial existing knowledge in offshore platform design and construction from the oil and gas industry which is applicable to the development of offshore platforms for use as collector hubs. Subject to system rating and transmission technology used, typical equipment that will contained on a collector hub will include transformers, switchgear, generators, fuel supply as well as personnel/welfare facilities for maintenance crews. Offshore platforms would be erected on concrete or steel legs, or both, anchored directly onto the seabed. The size of the foundations required will depend on the size of the collector hub and the seabed conditions, however, typical foundation types include steel jackets with pilled pins or gravity base structures.

Installation Methods

The foundation types will be determined at detailed design, however, these can generally fit into two categories, piled or gravity base foundations. Piled foundations will be fixed to seabed using piles the diameter and depth of which will depend on the size of the collector hub and local seabed conditions. These are likely to require less excavation than gravity base foundations but it is likely that more noise will be generated during their installation. Whilst gravity base foundations will rest on the seabed they will require some excavation and are likely to take up a greater area of seabed than a piled foundation


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solution. Installation of a collector hub will require a number of vessels, including support and supply vessels, barges and installation vessels which contain the necessary equipment for the type of foundation used.

Operation of Collector Hubs

It is expected that the collector hubs will normally be unmanned expect for periods of planned or unplanned maintenance when crews are likely to access the collector hubs via helicopter.

Decommissioning of Collector Hubs

Towards or at the end of their operational life a decision will be made whether to partially or completely remove collector hubs. Typically it is expected that all equipment on the platform will be removed, however, the requirement to remove the platform will depend on a number of factors including its location and the environmental impacts of leaving the platform present in part, whole or complete removal.


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7.1 Introduction The typical or generic environmental and social effects resulting from the development of offshore electricity transmission infrastructure are relatively well known. These have been described in detail within the Environmental Report prepared as part of the Sustainability Appraisal but summarised here as they help to inform the Locational Guidance.

7.2 Generic Environmental & Social Effects Construction & Installation

It is during the construction and installation phase that the majority of environmental and social effects may occur. This is when activity will be most intense as it would involve a number of vessels engaged in both cable installation and offshore platform construction. Whilst these activities are temporary the resultant effects can be either temporary occurring for as long as the installation and construction activity lasts or they may be permanent enduring through the infrastructure’s operational lifetime. Subject to the routeing and siting of infrastructure typical effects resulting from the construction and installation of offshore electricity networks could include:

Changes to habitat including loss or damage of existing habitat as well as creation of new habitat.

Damage (including mortality), disturbance and/or displacement of marine wildlife.

Displacement and/or disturbance of fishing activities.

Navigational risks including snagging of anchors or towed gear.

Displacement and/or disturbance of commercial shipping activities.

Displacement and/or disturbance of recreational activities including tourism, boating and watersports.

Suspension of sediment and increases in turbidity.

Disturbance of existing contaminated sediments (including munitions).

Reductions in water and sediment quality.

Direct damage of known and/or unknown wrecks and other archaeological interests on the seabed.

Effects on landscape and/or seascape character and visual amenity from coastal locations.

Disturbance of and/or damage to existing infrastructure, assets or activities.

Sterilisation of resource areas for future aggregate, power or oil & gas development.

Operation

Once operational the potential effects of offshore electricity networks should be less as activity is reduced, however, electricity transmission infrastructure does emit heat and Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMFs). In the event that maintenance or repair works are required some of the effects outlined above could occur albeit this would be over a smaller area. Subject to the routeing and siting of infrastructure typical effects resulting from the operation of offshore electricity networks could include:

Changes to habitat including loss or damage of existing habitat as well as creation of new habitat.

Disturbance and/or displacement of marine wildlife.

Displacement and/or disturbance of fishing activities.

Navigational risks including magnetic compass deviation, snagging of anchors or towed gear.

Effects on the setting of archaeological interests.

Effects on landscape and/or seascape character and visual amenity from coastal locations.

Damage to coastlines which as subject to a high level erosion due to climate change.

Longer term reduction in carbon emissions through facilitation of offshore and marine renewables.

7 Generic Effects


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Decommissioning

Offshore electricity network infrastructure will typically be designed with an operational lifetime of between 25 and 40 years. The requirement to remove cables and dismantle platforms will depend on specific licences or lease agreements, however, in the event that decommissioning is required to be undertaken the environmental and social effects are similar to those outlined for construction and installation.


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8.1 Introduction The development of offshore electricity cable routes - either as part of an individual grid connection, or as promoted by ISLES as part of an interconnected offshore network - is an iterative process informed by a range of different factors including environmental, social, engineering and commercial considerations.

Routeing is the most effective stage for “designing out” the potentially adverse environmental and social effects of offshore electricity network infrastructure by avoiding key constraints or sensitive receptors. The types of effects which may occur as a result of the construction or installation, operation and decommissioning of an offshore network are relatively well defined and understood and can be mitigated through careful strategic design and routeing.

8.2 ISLES Zone Routeing Strategy The Routeing Strategy is set out below. This establishes a framework to be used in the development and assessment of offshore electricity network infrastructure in the ISLES Zone. The aim of the Strategy is to ensure that as far as possible environmental and social constraints and impacts are identified and considered from the outset maximising opportunities to mitigate them through early strategic design.

Figure 6: ISLES Zone Routeing Strategy - Application of the Locational Guidance

IDENTIFY OFFSHORE WIND, WAVE & TIDAL GENERATORS TO BE CONNECTED TO

OFFSHORE NETWORK

BASED ON MULTIPLE GENERATORS WITHIN CLUSTER CONCEPTS OR ADJACENT CLUSTER CONCEPTS

BASED ON THE POINT OF CONNECTION TO THE ONSHORE NETWORK &

COASTAL LANDFORM

BASED ON THE EXTENT OF GENERATION CONCEPTS AND POTENTIAL LANDFALL

CONNECTIONS

BASED ON THE BASELINE ESTABLISHED AS PART OF THE SUSTAINABILITY

APPRAISAL (UPDATED AS APPROPRIATE)

IDENTIFY POTENTIAL LANDFALL CONNECTION(S) FOR ONWARDS CONNECTION

TO ONSHORE NETWORK

ESTABLISH STUDY AREA IN WHICH DEVELOPMENT OF OFFSHORE NETWORK WILL

BE FOCUSED

DEVELOP STRATEGIC BASELINE INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL & TECHNICAL

CONSTRAINTS MAPPING

APPLY THE ROUTEING PRINCIPLES TO STUDY AREA TO DEVELOP & ASSESS CONSTRAINTS &

OPPORTUNITIES

IDENTIFY STRATEGIC NETWORK OPTION TO TAKE FORWARD THROUGH DESIGN &

STATUTORY EIA & LICENSING PROCESSES

INFORMED DEVELOPMENT OF OFFSHORE NETWORK THROUGH THE USE OF

ROUTEING PRINCIPLES

8 Routeing Strategy & Mitigation


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8.3 ISLES Zone Routeing Principles Overview

A set of Routeing Principles have been established to underpin the Routeing Strategy and support the informed development of offshore electricity network infrastructure. In the first instance these promote the avoidance of sensitive or important environmental and social constraints through careful routeing and where this is not possible outline mitigation considerations.

Biodiversity, Flora & Fauna

Avoid, as much as possible, developing offshore cable routes or positioning collector hubs in areas which would not detrimentally impact on the qualifying features or interests of European or national protected sites and/or impact protected ecological or ornithological species, features, habitats or migratory routes.

Key Considerations

Cable Routes

The following protected features should be avoided (Annex I reef features, biogenic reefs (A2.7 and A5.6), macrophyte dominated subtidal sediment (A5.5), intertidal mud (A2.3), coastal saltmarshes and saline reedbeds (A2.5), intertidal sediments dominated by aquatic angiosperms (A2.6). It may be possible to avoid impacts to intertidal features through the use of HDD. Internationally and nationally protected sites should be avoided by cable routes where possible. Where avoidance is not possible consideration should be given to effective forms of project level mitigation for example seasonal working restrictions or sensitive installation methods should be developed.

Collector Hubs

The following protected features should be avoided (Annex I reef features, biogenic reefs (A2.7 and A5.6), macrophyte dominated subtidal sediment (A5.5), intertidal mud (A2.3), coastal saltmarshes and saline reedbeds (A2.5), intertidal sediments dominated by aquatic angiosperms (A2.6). It may be possible to avoid impacts to intertidal features through the use of HDD. Internationally and nationally protected sites should be avoided by cable routes where possible. Where avoidance is not possible consideration should be given to effective forms of project level mitigation for example seasonal working restrictions or sensitive installation methods should be developed.

Landfall Connections

The following protected features should be avoided (Annex I reef features, biogenic reefs (A2.7 and A5.6), macrophyte dominated subtidal sediment (A5.5), intertidal mud (A2.3), coastal saltmarshes and saline reedbeds (A2.5), intertidal sediments dominated by aquatic angiosperms (A2.6). It may be possible to avoid impacts to intertidal features through the use of HDD. Internationally and nationally protected sites should be avoided by cable landfalls where possible. Where avoidance is not possible consideration should be given to effective forms of project level mitigation for example seasonal working restrictions or sensitive installation methods should be developed.


Avoid, as much as possible, developing offshore cable routes or positioning collector hubs in areas which would not detrimentally impact on commercial and recreational uses of the sea and seabed including commercial fishing and aquaculture, shipping and navigation and recreational uses.

Key Considerations

Cable Routes

Finfish and shellfish aquaculture locations, maintained navigation channels, dredge material disposal sites and commercial anchorages should be avoided. Areas of importance to commercial fisheries or constrained navigational routes (e.g. areas within


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which IMO routeing measures apply, approaches to ports and harbours), important recreational boating, watersports or tourism areas should be avoided where possible. Where avoidance is not possible consideration should be given to reducing the length of cable as much as possible and developing project level mitigation for example timing and duration of works to reduce disturbance.

Collector Hubs

Approaches to airports should be avoided. Areas used for other activities should be avoided by collector hubs where possible. Where avoidance is not possible consideration should be given to effective forms of project level mitigation for example seasonal working restrictions or sensitive installation methods should be developed.


Finfish and shellfish aquaculture locations, maintained navigation channels, dredge material disposal sites and commercial anchorages should be avoided. Areas of importance to commercial fisheries or constrained navigational routes (e.g. areas within which IMO routeing measures apply, approaches to ports and harbours), important recreational boating, watersports or tourism areas should be avoided where possible. Where avoidance is not possible consideration should be given to effective forms of project level mitigation for example seasonal working restrictions or sensitive installation methods should be developed.


Develop, as much as possible, offshore cable routes and collector hubs in areas of optimal conditions which avoid or prevent detrimental environmental impacts and reduce engineering or technical complexity.

Key Considerations

Cable Routes

Seabed features such as carbonate mounds and gas seeps should be avoided. Areas where cable burial may not be achieved, or where natural processes may expose cables or and areas of contaminated sediment including unexploded ordnance (e.g. Beaufort’s Dyke) should be avoided where possible. Where avoidance is not possible and consideration should be given to cable protection measures this should also consider the environmental and social effects of those measures.

Collector Hubs

Seabed features such as carbonate mounds and gas seeps should be avoided.


Consideration should be given to coastal form and landform with steeper slopes or rocky coastlines avoided as much as possible in order to reduce technical or engineering complexity.

Cultural Heritage

Avoid, as much as possible, developing offshore cable routes or positioning collector hubs in areas which would detrimentally impact on protected archaeological sites and other heritage interests.

Key Considerations

Cable Routes

All known and/or protected wrecks should be avoided in developing offshore cable routes.


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Collector Hubs

All known and/or protected wrecks should be avoided in positioning collector hubs. Where appropriate, consideration should also be given to the potential of setting effects on areas of cultural or historic interest.


Protected features such as Scheduled Monuments and listed buildings and areas of cultural or historic interest should be avoided where possible in developing landfall locations. Where this is not possible project level mitigation should consider installation methods which prevent impacts.


Avoid, as much as possible, developing offshore cable routes or positioning collector hubs in areas which would detrimentally impact on areas of the highest amenity value.

Key Considerations

Collector Hubs

In positioning collector hubs consideration should be given to avoiding or reducing visibility from coastal areas as much as possible in particular from designated coastlines.


Where landfall connections are proposed with designated landscapes, consideration should be given to reducing effects on key features which contribute to amenity value.

Material Assets

Avoid, as much as possible, developing offshore cable routes or positioning collector hubs in areas which would detrimentally impact on other users of the sea, seabed and coast including defence interests, other cables and pipelines, offshore power generation, oil and gas and aggregates.

Key Considerations

Cable Routes

Licensed marine aggregate sites and application areas, offshore energy generation arrays and areas subject to Agreements for Lease , military installations and oil and gas installations should be avoided. Military firing ranges, oil & gas pipelines and cables, power cables and telecom cables should be avoided where possible. Potential future use areas for marine aggregates (areas of high aggregate potential), potential locations for CCS, areas for which a licence has been issued for petroleum exploration, should be avoided where possible. Where avoidance is not possible a route which minimises interaction with other uses or sterilisation of areas should be identified including minimising the number of crossings required as far as practicable.

Collector Hubs

Licensed marine aggregate sites and application areas, offshore energy generation arrays and areas subject to Agreements for Lease, military installations and oil and gas installations should be avoided. Military firing ranges, oil & gas pipelines and cables, power cables and telecom cables should be avoided where possible. Potential future use areas for marine aggregates (areas of high aggregate potential), potential locations for CCS, areas for which a licence has been issued for petroleum exploration, should be avoided where possible. Where avoidance is not possible, mitigation measures should be implemented where practicable.


Landfall connections should avoid existing infrastructure including coastal protection and flood defence schemes or other landfalls where possible. Where this is not possible


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project level mitigation should consider installation methods which avoid impacts.

8.4 Generic Mitigation In addition to following the Routeing Strategy and Principles which promote mitigation through strategic routeing and design some generic mitigation has also been identified. This is based on typical good practice methods which should be followed during more detailed design as well as installation and construction.


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Typical Mitigation Measures

Mitigation Purpose Description

Reduce disturbance/habitat removal As much as possible cable installation should be undertaken by vessels which utilise dynamic positioning instead of anchors in order to limit disturbance of the seabed.

Reduce the loss/disturbance of intertidal species and habitats

Any deployment of equipment or vessels onto the seabed (e.g. anchors, intertidal cable-lay vessels) will be kept to a minimum.

Reduce habitat loss and disturbance within the intertidal area

Installation works in the intertidal area will be restricted to a defined working area within which all installation activity and plant/vehicle movement will take place.

Reduce disturbance to wildlife Installation works should be timed to avoid or reduce the amount of work undertaken during sensitive periods such as breeding seasons or migratory periods.

Reduce disturbance to wildlife The use of high noise emission activities such as impact piling should be minimised as much as possible. Where piling is unavoidable, soft start piling techniques should be implemented adhering to statutory nature conservation agency protocol for minimising the risk of injury to marine mammals

Reduce the risk of collision and wildlife mortalities

Best practice should be followed with respect to minimising the risk of collision with, and mortality of mammals. This includes the use of Marine Mammal Observers (MMOs) and adherence to JNCC guidance with respect to potential cork screw injuries from the use of ducted propellers.

Prevent the introduction of invasive species

Vessels used in installation and construction will follow best practice ballast water management guidelines and where appropriate use approved anti-fouling substances.

Reduce Electro Magnetic Field (EMF) generation

As much as possible cables should be buried which will help to reduce the strength of EMFs to which potential receptors are exposed by maintaining a separation distance. Where appropriate, through the detailed design process consideration should be given to using a cable arrangement which helps to reduce EMFs for example the use of bundled or unbundled cables.

Prevent the spillage of fluids, fuels and/or materials

Vessels used in installation and construction will be compliant with the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) regulations and follow practice guidance for working over water such as that described in Pollution Prevention Guideline (PPG) 5.


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Reduce disruption to shipping and navigation

Prior to the commencement of installation and construction works details of planned activities including any safety exclusion zones to be applied will be communicated to the appropriate authorities and maritime community.

Reduce disruption to vessel anchoring

Prior to the commencement of installation and construction works consult with the relevant Port Authorities to ensure all anchorage areas have been identified and appropriately avoided.

Reduce disruption to recreational shipping

Prior to the commencement of installation and construction works Notices to Mariners will be issued. Notices to Mariners are issued by the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO), which maintains an online Leisure Notices to Mariners service. This service is updated weekly.

Reduce disruption to commercial fishing activities

Where commercial fishing areas are unavoidable, temporary exclusions zones will be established during installation and construction activities in consultation with the industry with guard vessels used as appropriate.

Prevent damage to fishing equipment

As much as possible cables should be buried, however, where cable protection measures such as rock berms or mattresses are required these will be designed to have a smooth over-trawl-able profile so that they do not present an obstruction to fishing activity. All seabed obstructions created by cable installation, including anchor mounds will be removed or made safe for towed fishing gear.

Minimise seabed scour Cable protection measures such as rock placement will only be used where marine cable burial is not possible either at a cable or pipeline crossing or in areas of harder substratum where seabed conditions do not allow cable burial.

Prevent damage to existing cables or pipelines

Where cable or pipeline crossings are required the crossing design will be developed in accordance with industry standard criteria and in consultation with the affected owners.

Prevent damage to extant coastal structures and flood defences

Where coastal structures are unavoidable, prior to the commencement of installation activities ground investigation surveys should be undertaken to establish the exact physical extent of the structure(s) in order to ensure no damage occurs.

Reduce disturbance at landfalls At landfalls ensure that the relevant Local Planning Authorities and affected communities are advised of the works in advance with method statements prepared as required. The installation works should be timed to avoid periods of potential peak use for tourism and near-shore watersport activities as much as possible.


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Prevent damage to sites of cultural heritage interest or value

All operations will follow and adhere to the Joint Nautical Archaeology Policy Committee (JNAPC) code of practice for seabed development (JNAPC, 2008). Where appropriate temporary exclusion zones will be established around sites that may be directly affected by cable installation and associated activities such as anchoring.


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9.1 Description of Network Area 01 Overview

Network Area 01 (NA01) occupies the northern part of the ISLES Zone extending from the north of Scotland at Cape Wrath as far south as the Firth of Clyde. It lies almost entirely within Scottish Territorial Waters with exception of a small section of the southern extent of the NA which partly extends into Northern Irish Territorial Waters. From west to the east NA01 encompasses the west coast of Scotland as well as the Western Isles, Skye, the Isle of Mull and Islay.

Offshore/Marine Renewable Energy Cluster Concepts

The NA comprises areas of potential offshore and marine renewable generation in Scottish Territorial Waters. Areas of potential future generation have been combined to establish Generation Clusters illustrated on the figures at the end of this section. These have been identified from the Scottish Government’s sectoral plans for offshore, wind wave and tidal energy as well as taking into account current projects. The Cluster Concepts comprise:

Areas of potential offshore wind development in the North Minch and in the Argyll and Kintyre areas.

Areas of potential tidal energy development in the Kintyre and Islay areas.

Areas of potential wave energy development off the Western Isles, Mull and Islay.


A key consideration in identifying Landfall Connections is the proximity of the electricity network to coastal areas. The NA provides the potential to connect to land in the north west Highlands, the Western Isles and Kintyre, however, given the rural nature of these areas the electricity network is less well developed which may limit commercially viable connection opportunities. Further south the NA provides opportunities for landfall connections on the Ayrshire coast in the Firth of Clyde where there may be comparatively greater opportunities for connection to the existing electricity network as it is more developed in this area.

Strategic Landfall Connections are briefly described below with more detailed consideration of environmental and social issues in following sections:

North West Scotland: The rocky and remote nature of large parts of the coast in the north west makes it not suitable for the development of Landfall Connections. Whilst there are smaller beaches which would be suitable in terms of engineering and installation, the lack of existing electricity network in the immediate vicinity means such locations are likely to be less preferable. The Western Isles Link is proposed in this area and does illustrate that it is feasible to develop subsea transmission link landfalls, however, it is a point to point system from Grabhir on the Western Isles to Dundonnell on the Scottish mainland.

Skye (East & West): There is the potential for Landfall Connections to be developed on Skye at Trumpan and Broadford. These locations are close to existing cable landfalls and provide suitable Landfall Connection opportunities in terms of engineering and installation. As above the lack of existing electricity infrastructure in the immediate area poses a constraint, however, there is the potential for an additional link from Skye to the mainland to connect generation in the area.

Western Isles (Harris & North Uist): Sections of the east coast of Harris and North Uist provide opportunities to develop Landfall Connections but as with opportunities on Skye these are limited by lack of existing infrastructure, particularly as the Western Isles currently have no link to the transmission system on the mainland. The development of the Western Isles Link to Beauly on the mainland in the future could result in such options being feasible and support the connection of generation in this part of the ISLES Zone to the Link.

9 Network Area 01


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Kintyre (West Loch Tarbert): Opportunities also exist to develop Landfall Connections on the west of the Kintyre Peninsula. There are long open sections of the coast formed by open sandy beaches which provide a preferable landfall based on engineering considerations. There is also some existing electricity network infrastructure present with a subsea link to Hunterston also being developed.

Ayrshire (Firth of Clyde): The Ayrshire coastline provides a range of Landfall Connection opportunities. The coastline comprises a mix of rocky and more elevated sections as well as open sandy beaches which are preferable for landfall based on engineering considerations. This area is much more developed and consequently the opportunities for connection to the existing electricity network will be greater.

9.2 Key Environmental Features, Constraints & Routeing Opportunities Biodiversity, Flora & Fauna

There is a range of biodiversity interests present within NA 01 including protected sites, habitats and species and other notable features. Key constraints which should be considered in developing electricity networks in the NA include protected sites such as St Kilda, Loch Laxford SAC and Lochs Duich, Long and Alsh Reefs Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Area (SPA) including Shiant Isles and Handa SPAs. Wester Ross and Small Isles Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), areas of Annex 1 reef habitat, habitats, nursery and spawning grounds for various species of fish and marine mammals including cetaceans and seals.

From the outset it is preferable to avoid directly developing offshore electricity network infrastructure within protected sites or habitats in order to avoid impacting them. Unless it can be demonstrated that they will not impact on their interest features collector hubs should be located outwith protected sites. In some instances cables may be carefully routed through protected sites if they cannot be avoided by using an alternative route or if impacts can be mitigated by the use of less disturbing installation techniques such as use of non-displacement plough or Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) or timing of the works. The extent of routeing within protected sites will depend on their location and the nature of their conservation features or interests. For example some protected sites will partly or wholly overlap with potential Landfall Connections. Examples include the Loch nam Madadh, Loch Laxford and Lochs Duich, Long and Alsh Reefs SACs which are located within Landfall Connections within NA01 and are designated for intertidal mudflats and reef interest features. By installing cables by HDD it is possible to reduce impacts on protected features on the surface and avoid significant impacts on the protected sites. With regard to SPAs such as the Shiant Isles, Rum and Ailsa Craig where avoidance is not possible developers should give consideration to the timing of installation works in order to avoid sensitive periods for which sites are designated.

There is a wide range of benthic and intertidal habitats present within NA 01. Deep circalittoral mud is predominant between the Isle of Harris and North Uist and the Scottish mainland. Coarse mixed sediments occur between the Isle of Harris and North Uist and Skye. Very tide-swept faunal communities on circalittoral rock and/or mixed faunal turf communities on circalittoral rock occur along and offshore of the west coast of North Uist, and to a lesser extent along the west coast of the Isle of Harris. Circalittoral fine sand, sands and sandy muds are predominant in the southern part of the NA. The reef communities found in the very tide-swept faunal communities on circalittoral rock and/or mixed faunal turf communities are considered to be particularly sensitive to these impacts. Cable protection measures will be necessary in these areas which will provide a suitable substrate for potential re-colonisation by reef species.

Protected marine mammals are present in areas throughout NA 01 but due to their mobile nature do not necessarily form a strategic constraint affecting the routeing of cables and/or siting of collector hubs. In areas where marine mammals are known to be present developers will need to consider how potential impacts can be mitigated at a project level. This will include following best practice such as the use of Marine Mammal Observers (MMOs) and following Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) Guidance on the use of ducted propellers in areas known to be used by seals such as at and around Ascrib, Isay and Dunvegan SAC.

Nursery grounds for numerous fish species including cod, ling, sandeel, whiting, anglerfish, herring, mackerel, thornback ray, spotted ray, common skate, tope shark and spurdog as well as spawning grounds for sandeel and mackerel are located within the NA. Langoustine (Nephrops) is found in soft


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sediments in the waters of the Minch (particularly from the west of Skye to the Stanton Bank, between Islay and Jura and along the Kintyre Peninsula) and the Firth of Clyde. There are also large scallop grounds in the Hebrides and Firth of Clyde. Lobsters, brown crabs and spider crabs are abundant, particularly on the rocky shores of the Hebridean Islands. These areas cannot be avoided entirely but at a project level developers should consider the routeing of cables with respect to areas in which electromagnetically sensitive fish (e.g. elasmobranchs) are present as well as timing of construction and installation works in order to reduce impacts in or sensitive periods.


Users of the sea including those using it for commercial and recreational purposes could be impacted by the installation, construction and operation of electricity network infrastructure. Within NA 01 there are a range of users of the sea including commercial users (fishing, aquaculture and shipping) and recreational users (sailing, watersports and tourism).

There are a number of highly productive fishing areas in NA 01 and complete avoidance of all of these areas is not possible. In developing network infrastructure in highly active fishing areas developers should seek to reduce potential disturbance as much as possible by engaging with the fishing industry at an early stage. This will provide opportunities to avoid or limit development in the most valuable fishing areas for including areas in which static and mobile gear is used as well as shellfish beds.

The value of landings in NA 01 is high in the inshore waters along the west coast of Scotland, particularly around the Isle of Tiree and Coll and the Firth of Clyde. This is predominantly due to fishing for nephrops which uses mobile gear such as trawls and dredges. Where cables are routed in areas in which mobile gear is used they should be buried in order to prevent the risk of snagging on the cable and/or the cable protection measures. Within much of NA 01 cable burial is considered to be achievable therefore there should be no long term effects on fishing activity once installation is complete. Where possible areas in which cable burial is not achievable should be avoided. This will avoid placement of potential obstructions such as rock mattressing on the seabed and prevent potential to damage gear and prevent safety risks from snagging. It would be preferable for collector hubs to be located outwith key fishing areas to prevent the loss or displacement of fishing activities. Similarly it is preferable to avoid areas where static fishing gear is used in order to prevent or reduce disturbance during installation but once this is complete static fishing activities would not be affected.

In addition to the above fishing activities, there is also a number of active finfish and shellfish aquaculture sites present within NA 01. Aquaculture sites do not occupy significantly large areas and are considered to be avoidable in developing projects. Routeing and siting of cables and collector hubs respectively should avoid these developments in order to prevent direct impacts on them, however, dependent on their proximity to finfish sites there does remain some potential for disturbance to occur particularly during installation and construction which may require further project level mitigation.

The development of electricity network infrastructure must take account of commercial shipping uses within NA 01 including the location of maintained navigation channels, dredge material disposal sites and commercial anchorages. In comparison to the other NAs shipping density is low, however, in routeing cables and siting collector hubs developers should consider the potential for increased navigational risks either directly through collisions or snagging of anchors on cables and/or cable protection measures. It will not be possible to avoid all shipping activities, however, key shipping lanes, maintained navigational channels, approaches to ports and harbours and commercial anchorages should be avoided particularly in the siting of collector hubs. Temporary impacts resulting from the installation of cables can typically be mitigated at a project level in accordance with best practice.

Developers must also give consideration to recreational activities including sailing. A large number of medium and low-use Royal Yachting Association (RYA) recreational routes transect the area. In addition, the majority of the west coast of Scotland (apart from Skye, Isle of Mull and Islay) comprises RYA sailing areas. As with commercial shipping it’s recognised that complete avoidance will not be possible, however, navigation channels and approaches to port and harbour areas should be avoided with other impacts being mitigated at a project level in accordance with best practice.

In addition to recreational sailing consideration should also be given to tourism and watersports which occur predominantly within near-shore and coastal areas. A range of activities are practised off the north


50

west and west coasts of Scotland as well as around the Western Isles including sea kayaking and diving as well as tourist activities such as whale and dolphin watching. Due to the nature of these activities they are more likely to be seasonal and occurring over relatively small geographic areas. Such impacts can be effectively mitigated during construction and installation, for example through the timing of works, and are not considered to significantly influence routeing or siting.


As well as the potential for offshore electricity network infrastructure to impact the physical environment, aspects of the physical environment will also influence the routeing of cables and siting of hubs. For example areas of softer sediment which facilitate cable burial, and hence provide effective protection, will be preferable to areas of harder sediment, in which cable is surface laid and requires additional protection measures such as rock placement as well as posing a potential navigation risk.

Much of the seabed across the ISLES study area is characterised by the presence of sands and coarse glaciogenenic sediments. However, relatively large areas of Holocene-age muddy deposits are also present within the Irish Sea. Within the NA there is a broad distribution of seabed sediment types, varying from exposed rocks and coarse sediments to fine sand and isolated deposits of muddy sediment. Muds and coarser sediments are predominant in the northern part of the NA with fine sands and sandy muds present in the southern part. The influence this exerts on strategic routeing relates to the potential for cables to be buried. As noted above it is preferable to avoid areas of exposed rock and other harder sediment types which may prevent burial. Where these areas are not avoidable the likelihood of cable protection measures such as rock mattressing being required increases. Figure 9 illustrates areas where cable protection measures are more or less likely to be required. For much of the NA underlying sediments are such that cable protection measures are less likely to be required.

Impacts on the physical environment resulting from the development of electricity network infrastructure relate to the temporary disturbance of the seabed and permanent changes in physical processes due to the presence of infrastructure such as collector hubs or rock mattressing. Disturbance of sediments is unavoidable during cable installation and therefore is not a significant consideration in routeing, however, where there is the potential to encounter contaminants or munitions in sediments such areas should be avoided. The presence of infrastructure can cause scour of the seabed, particularly in softer sediments, and in the case of collector hubs result in localised changes in tidal flow speed and direction, local wave heights and directions. These impacts are not likely to inform site selection and will be highly localised and should be considered at a project level.

Cultural Heritage

There are a large number of wrecks located throughout the NA. The wrecks are well distributed across the area with particular concentrations around the southern tip of the Western Isles and on the north-west coast. Wrecks present include Historic Marine Protected Areas off the north west of Scotland around Kinlochbervie and Handa as well as Protected Military Remains present off Arran. Typically wrecks occupy relatively small areas of the seabed. Where wrecks, in particular protected wrecks, are known to be present they should be avoided, however, there is also the potential to encounter unknown or unregistered wrecks. Due to the small area they occupy, wrecks are not considered to be a significant constraint at a strategic level. In most cases wrecks are readily avoidable through detailed routeing, investigation and mitigation at a project level.

There is potential to encounter prehistoric remains or historic landscapes in coastal areas where landfalls may be developed. There is a potential for surviving prehistoric remains within NA 01, particularly around the western and northern isles of Scotland. This includes west of the Outer Hebrides, in and among the islands on the west coast of Scotland and along the coast in southern Scotland.

There is some potential for setting effects on heritage interests and features but this is limited to temporary effects during installation with permanent effects dependent on the locations of collector hubs. Where protected heritage features such as St Kilda World Heritage Sites (WHS) or scheduled monuments are present in coastal areas along the west coast of Scotland and Western Isles, collector hubs should be located sufficiently far enough offshore to reduce effects on their setting.


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The nature of an offshore electricity network means that it should have limited impacts on landscape and seascape resources. It is expected that collector hubs will be located in deeper water offshore where they are less likely to be visible and as such are unlikely impact on landscape or seascape. Cable landfalls will be buried with no discernible above ground infrastructure present and temporarily affected land around the landfall can be reinstated.

Dependent on the locations of landfalls and their proximity to the existing network there may be a requirement for additional infrastructure onshore such as overhead lines, converter stations or substations. Whilst outwith the scope of this Locational Guidance the potential for landscape and visual impacts onshore should be considered by developers particularly if the landfall is within or adjacent to protected landscapes such as the South Lewis, Harris and North Uist, Wester Ross and Assynt - Coigach National Scenic Areas (NSAs) which are located within NA 01.

Material Assets

Within NA 01 there are other existing developments and areas earmarked for development which should be considered in the routeing and siting of cables and collector hubs. Typically existing and potential developments should be avoided as much as possible in the routeing and siting of new network infrastructure. This will reduce the risk of physical damage to existing assets (or proposed electricity infrastructure) as well as prevent sterilisation of potential resource areas. Examples within NA 01 predominantly relate to areas of potential energy generation such as the wave energy lease areas off the west coast of the Isle of Harris as well as other cables. These include existing telecommunications cables between the mainland and Scottish islands as well as subsea links from Kintyre to Hunterston and Hunterston to the Wirral in England both of which are under construction. In addition to these developments there is the potential for military defence activities throughout NA 01. Developers should consult with the Ministry of Defence in order to avoid areas where live firing is practised.

In some instances it will not be possible to avoid some assets for example other cables or pipelines, siting collector hubs close to offshore wind, wave and/or tidal developments or encountering coastal defences at landfall locations. Where cable crossings are required these should be developed in consultation with the asset owner in accordance with best practice ensuring that the potential for damage is minimised. Where collector hubs are located near to generating stations they should be located and designed such that they minimise any impact on their operation and maintenance. Where landfalls encounter existing flood defence or coastal protection structures which cannot be avoided detailed design at a project level should include consideration of the least impacting installation method such as Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD).

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Network Area 02 (NA02) occupies the central part of the ISLES Zone approximately centred on the Irish Sea. It extends from Scottish Territorial Waters south of Western Isles through the Firth of Clyde as far south as Wales. Its east-west extents include the west and south west of Scotland, north west of England and north Wales and the entire coastline of Northern Ireland.


The NA comprises areas of potential offshore and marine renewable generation in Scottish, Northern Irish and Irish Territorial Waters. The Generation Clusters which have been developed are illustrated on the figures at the end of this section. These have been identified from existing projects located within the NA as well as the Scottish Government’s sectoral plans for offshore, wind wave and tidal energy, the Northern Ireland Offshore Renewable Energy Strategic Action Plan (ORESAP) and Ireland’s Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP). The Cluster Concepts comprise:

Offshore wind, wave and tidal energy off the west and south west of Scotland.

Offshore wind, wave and tidal energy off the north and east of Northern Ireland.

Offshore wind, wave and tidal energy off the west of Ireland.


The NA provides the potential to connect all three of the three Partner Organisations (Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland) as well as provide interconnection to the electricity network in parts of England and Wales. Strategic Landfall Connections are briefly described below with more detailed consideration of environmental and social issues in following sections:

Kintyre (West Loch Tarbert): There are long open sections of the coast formed by open sandy beaches which provide a preferable landfall based on engineering considerations. There is also some existing electricity network infrastructure present with a subsea link to Hunterston also being developed.

Ayrshire (Firth of Clyde): The Ayrshire coastline provides a range of Landfall Connection opportunities. The coastline comprises a mix of rocky and more elevated sections as well as open sandy beaches which are preferable for a landfall based on engineering considerations. This area is well developed and consequently the opportunities for connection to the existing electricity network will be greater.

North Solway Firth (Dumfries & Galloway): The Solway Firth in Dumfries & Galloway comprises a number of protected sites including Special Areas of Conservation National Scenic Areas. There is some existing electricity network infrastructure within the area with upgrades and reinforcements including the Dumfries & Galloway Strategic Reinforcement underway.

South Solway Firth (Cumbria): Within this section of the coastline there are opportunities to develop landfalls on wide sandy beaches however, the locations are generally remote to the existing electricity transmission network which is located approximately 80km north east.

Castlerock & Portrush: Within this area the coastline comprises both rocky and sandy sections with the latter providing more preferable landfall opportunities. There is very little in the way of existing electricity network infrastructure within this area but assuming the predominant direction of flow will be west to east there may not be a requirement to connect to the Northern Irish grid.

Islandmagee & Carrickfergus: There are landfall opportunities on this section of the Northern Irish coast as evidenced by the existing landfalls for the Moyle interconnector. The coastline comprises a combination of elevated rocky sections with some smaller open beaches also present. There is some

10 Network Area 02


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existing electricity infrastructure but as above assuming the predominant direction of flow will be west to east there may not be a requirement to connect to the Northern Irish grid.

Morecambe Bay to Blackpool: A landfall on the west coast of England could provide relatively direct opportunities to connect to electricity transmission system. Much of this section of the coast is well developed and/or forms part of a protected site which will inform detailed landfall selection.

Liverpool to Colwyn Bay: Within the north west of England and north/north east of Wales a number of landfall opportunities exist in the coastal areas which adjoin Liverpool Bay. This includes opportunities on the Wirral peninsula and the north east Wales coast both of which already accommodate landfalls including East-West Link and Western Link as well as offshore wind farm connections.

Anglesey: Anglesey comprises a mix of rocky and elevated sections broken up by some smaller sheltered beaches. There is a lack of existing electricity transmission infrastructure in the immediate area but north and mid Wales upgrades are being developed as well as potential upgrades at Wylfa which include a HVDC link to Pembroke.

Dundalk to Dublin: As above for Northern Ireland landfalls in Ireland may not be required dependent on network configuration and the assumption that electricity will flow west to east, however, for completeness landfalls on the western Irish coast have been identified. This section stretches from Nunneryland in the north to Rush in the south with open sandy beaches forming much of the coast.


There are a number of internationally and nationally designated sites present within NA 02 which should be considered in developing electricity networks in the NA. These include the Maidens SAC, Solway Firth SAC and Shell Flat and Lune Deep SAC as well as Rathlin Island SPA, Lambay Island SPA, Morecambe Bay SPA and Liverpool Bay SPA. There are also offshore SACs including the Pisces Reef Complex and Croker Carbonate Slabs in the Irish Sea. There are a number of nationally designated and recommended Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) which are designated for marine habitat features, including Fylde Offshore MCZ and North St George’s Channel MCZ. These have a range of interest features, including subtidal sand, subtidal sands and gravels, high energy circalittoral rock and subtidal coarse sediment. In addition to protected sites there are also a number of habitats of conservation importance, in particular Annex 1 reefs which occur in a number of areas, including around the Isle of Mull, the north coast of Northern Ireland, in Strangford Lough, Solway Firth, Morecambe Bay and around Anglesey and northwest Wales.

As described above it is preferable to avoid directly developing offshore electricity network infrastructure within protected sites or habitats in order to avoid impacting them. Unless it can be demonstrated that they will not impact on their interest features collector hubs should be located outwith protected sites and habitats. Whilst it would be preferable for cables to also avoid protected sites and habitats this may not always be feasible. In such instances cables may be carefully routed through protected sites if impacts can be mitigated by the use of less disturbing installation techniques such as use of non-displacement plough or Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) or by the timing of the works to avoid impacting on the protected sites’ interest features.

The extent of routeing within protected sites will depend on their location and the nature of their conservation features or interests. For example some protected sites will partly or wholly overlap with potential Landfall Connections. Examples of protected sites which interest with potential Landfall Connections include the Bann Estuary SAC (designated for saltmarsh), Skerries and Causeway SAC (designated for reefs) and Solway Firth SAC (designated for a number of intertidal habitat features). In some instances by installing cables by HDD it is possible to reduce impacts on protected features on the surface and avoid significant impacts on the protected sites. With regard to SPAs such as the Liverpool Bay and Morecambe Bay where avoidance is not possible in reaching a landfall site developers should give consideration to the timing of installation works in order to avoid sensitive periods for which sites are designated. For example Liverpool Bay SPA is designated for designated for overwintering Red-throated Diver and Common Scoter, by installing outwith the wintering period impacts can be avoided.


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There is a wide range of benthic and intertidal habitats present within NA 02. Circalittoral fine sand, sands and sandy muds are predominant in the northern part of the NA. In the Northern Channel, the seabed is composed of deep circalittoral coarse, sand and mixed sediments with patches of faunal communities on deep moderate energy circalittoral rock. Deep circalittoral mud is predominant in the northwestern Irish Sea, circalittoral coarse and mixed sediments are predominant in the northern central part of the Irish Sea with patches of moderate energy circalittoral rock around Anglesey. Circalittoral sandy mud or fine mud, and fine sand or muddy sand are predominant in the northeastern part of the Irish Sea. Where possible developers should route cables or site collector hubs within mud and sand habitats as these will be impacted to a lesser degree as benthic communities in these areas would be expected to recover relatively rapidly. In harder substrates where cable protection measures are used, this will provide a suitable substrate for potential re-colonisation.

Protected marine mammals are present in areas throughout NA 02. A range of cetaceans are recorded in the area including harbour porpoise, Risso’s dolphin, short-beaked common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, killer whale minke whale and white-beaked dolphins. These are either present year round or regularly recorded seasonally within coastal waters. Two pinniped (seal) species regularly occur in the area, common (harbour) seal and grey seal. Common seals are also recorded in high numbers off the northeast coast of Northern Ireland and grey seals are recorded in high numbers off the east coast of Ireland and the north-northwest coast of Wales. Their importance is recognised given they are qualifying features of a number of internationally designated sites. For example, The Maidens SAC is designated for grey seal and Lleyn Peninsula and the Sarnau SAC is designated for bottlenose dolphin and grey seal. In areas where marine mammals are known to be present developers will need to consider how potential impacts can be mitigated at a project level. This will include following best practice such as the use of Marine Mammal Observers (MMOs) and following Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) Guidance on the use of ducted propellers in areas known to be used by seals such as at and around Ascrib, Isay and Dunvegan SAC.

Nursery grounds for numerous fish species including cod, dover sole, European plaice, ling, sandeel, whiting, herring, mackerel as well as elasmobranch species, including thornback ray, spotted ray, common skate, tope shark and spurdog are located within the NA. Langoustine (Nephrops) is found in soft sediments to the east and west of the Isle of Man. There are also large scallop grounds in the Solway Firth, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and Morecambe Bay. Cockles and oysters are abundant throughout the region, particularly in the Solway Firth. Lobsters, brown crabs and spider crabs are abundant, particularly on the rocky shores of North Wales and the Lleyn Peninsula. Avoidance of all of these areas will not be possible but at project level developers should consider the routeing of cables with respect to areas in which electromagnetically sensitive fish (e.g. elasmobranchs) are present as well as timing of construction and installation works in order to reduce impacts in or sensitive periods.


There are a number of key fishing areas and shellfish beds in NA 02. This includes off the east coast of Northern Ireland and around the Firth of Clyde where the value of landings is high include predominantly due to nephrops and large scallop grounds in the Irish Sea, Firth of Clyde and Morecambe Bay. As with NA 01 developers should seek to reduce potential disturbance as much as possible by engaging with the fishing industry at an early stage.

Complete avoidance of fishing areas is unlikely to be possible, however, given that the sediment types in these areas predominantly range from muddy to sandy cable burial is likely to be possible. There will be some temporary exclusion or displacement as a result of installation, however, following completion fishing activities should be able to continue as normal without the risk of damage and/or snagging following installation. Due to the longer term impact which would occur from their construction, it would be preferable for collector hubs to be located outwith key fishing areas in order to prevent the loss or displacement of fishing activities. Similarly it is preferable to avoid areas where static fishing gear is used in order to prevent or reduce disturbance during installation, however, in the event it cannot be avoided once installation is complete static fishing activities would not be affected.

In addition to the above fishing activities, there are active finfish and shellfish aquaculture sites along the Scottish coast and also the northeast and east coasts of Northern Ireland. Finfish aquaculture sites do not occupy large areas and are considered to be avoidable in developing projects. Routeing and siting of


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cables and collector hubs respectively should avoid these developments in order to prevent direct impacts on them, however, dependent on their proximity to finfish sites there does remain some potential for disturbance to occur particularly during installation and construction which may require further project level mitigation.

The development of electricity network infrastructure must take account of commercial shipping uses within NA 02 including the location of maintained navigation channels, dredge material disposal sites and commercial anchorages. The shipping density is higher than in NA 01 with a range of vessels present in the area including passenger, fishing and cargo vessels. In routeing cables and siting collector hubs developers should consider the potential for increased navigational risks either directly through collisions or snagging of anchors on cables and/or cable protection measures. It will not be possible to avoid all shipping activities, however, key shipping lanes, maintained navigational channels, approaches to ports and harbours and commercial anchorages should be avoided particularly in the siting of collector hubs. Temporary impacts resulting from the installation of cables can typically be mitigated at a project level in accordance with best practice.

Developers must also give consideration to recreational activities including sailing. A large number of medium and low-use Royal Yachting Association (RYA) recreational routes transect the area. In addition, the majority of the west coast of Scotland (apart from Skye, Isle of Mull and Islay) comprises RYA sailing areas. As with commercial shipping it’s recognised that complete avoidance will not be possible, however, navigation channels and approaches to port and harbour areas should be avoided with other impacts being mitigated at a project level in accordance with best practice.

Consideration should also be given to tourism and watersports which occur predominantly within near-shore and coastal areas. Given the scale of NA 02 a wide range of activities are practised including sea kayaking, wind surfing diving. In addition to this there are also a number of blue flag beaches along the north and east coasts of Northern Ireland, the east coast of the Republic of Ireland and the northwest coast of Wales. Due to the nature of watersports and tourism activities they are more likely to be seasonal and occurring over relatively small geographic areas. Such impacts can be effectively mitigated during construction and installation, for example through the timing of works. These are not considered to significantly influence routeing or siting but where alternatives exist which would reduce disturbance of such activities these would be preferable.


Within the NA there is a broad distribution of seabed sediment types. Fine sand, sands and sandy muds are predominant in the northern part of the NA. In the Northern Channel, the seabed is composed of coarse, sand and mixed sediments with patches of rock. Mud is predominant in the northwestern Irish Sea, coarse and mixed sediments are predominant in the northern central part of the Irish Sea with patches of rock around Anglesey. Sandy mud or fine mud, and fine sand or muddy sand are predominant in the north eastern part of the Irish Sea.

The distribution and nature of underlying sediments will influence the routeing and installation of cables. It is preferable to avoid areas of exposed rock and other harder sediment types which may prevent burial. Where these areas are not avoidable the likelihood of cable protection measures such as rock mattressing being required increases. Figure 15 illustrates areas where cable protection measures are more or less likely to be required. For much of the NA underlying sediments are such that cable protection measures are less likely to be required.

Impacts on the physical environment resulting from the development of electricity network infrastructure relate to the temporary disturbance of the seabed and permanent changes in physical processes due to the presence of infrastructure such as collector hubs or rock mattressing. Disturbance of sediments is unavoidable during cable installation and therefore is not a significant consideration in routeing, however, where there is the potential to encounter contaminants or munitions in sediments such as Beaufort’s Dyke which was used as a dumping ground for military munitions these should be avoided. Where avoidance is not possible detailed surveys will be required to inform project level design and micro-routeing. Once installed, the presence of infrastructure can cause scour of the seabed, particularly in softer sediments, and in the case of collector hubs result in localised changes in tidal flow speed and direction, local wave heights and directions. These impacts are not likely to inform site selection and will be highly localised and should be considered at a project level.


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Cultural Heritage

As with the other NAs, there are a large number of wrecks located throughout NA02. The wrecks are relatively well distributed with particular concentrations in the Firth of Clyde, Liverpool Bay and Anglesey. Wrecks which should be avoided include Protected Military Remains around Arran in the Firth of Clyde and Protected Wrecks off the coast of north Wales. Typically wrecks occupy relatively small areas of the seabed which at a strategic or plan scale makes them difficult to avoid, however, in most cases wrecks are readily avoidable through detailed routeing, investigation and mitigation at a project level.

At a strategic scale there is also the potential for landfalls to impact protected historic sites on the coast such as scheduled monuments but as with wrecks such constraints are readily avoidable through detailed routeing, investigation and mitigation at a project level. Detailed routeing and landfall design should ensure direct impacts on Scheduled Monuments for example Ardwall Island, Chapels and Cemetery and Knockbrex Fort on the Solway Firth in Dumfries & Galloway or Dunluxe Castle and Toberacoppan Holy Well between Castle Rock and Portrush and other archaeological interests are avoided.

There is some potential for setting effects on heritage interests and features but this is limited to temporary effects during installation with permanent effects dependent on the locations of collector hubs. Where protected heritage features such as Giant’s Causeway World Heritage Sites (WHS) or scheduled monuments are present in coastal areas, collector hubs should be located sufficiently far enough offshore to reduce effects on their setting.


As described for NA 01 above the nature of an offshore electricity network means that it should have limited impacts on landscape and seascape resources. It is expected that collector hubs will be located in deeper water offshore where they are less likely to be visible and as such are unlikely to impact on landscape or seascape including designated or protected landscapes. Cable landfalls will be buried with no discernible above ground infrastructure present and temporarily affected land around the landfall can be reinstated.

Dependent on the locations of landfalls and their proximity to the existing network there may be a requirement for additional infrastructure onshore such as overhead lines, converter stations or substations. Whilst outwith the scope of this Locational Guidance the potential for landscape and visual impacts onshore should be considered by developers particularly if the landfall is within or adjacent to protected landscapes. A number of potential landfalls within NA 02 are located close to protected or designated landscapes such as Fleet Valley and East Stewartry National Scenic Areas (NSAs) which are located along the Dumfries & Galloway, Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in Cumbria and Antrim Coast and Glens AONB in Northern Ireland. Should developers consider landfalls within these areas appropriate consideration should also be given to the potential requirement for additional reinforcement.

Material Assets

Typically existing and potential developments should be avoided as much as possible in the routeing and siting of new network infrastructure. This will reduce the risk of physical damage to existing assets (or proposed electricity infrastructure) as well as prevent sterilisation of potential resource areas. Within NA 02 this includes:

Aggregates: an aggregate licence area, an aggregate application area and an aggregate exploration or option area are located within the north eastern part of the Irish Sea. These should be avoided in the routeing of cables and/or siting of collector hubs.

Carbon Capture & Storage: there are potential Carbon Capture & Storage sites located within in the north eastern part of the Irish Sea. These should be avoided in the routeing of cables and/or siting of collector hubs.

Energy Generation and Power Transmission: There are existing offshore wind farms as well as lease areas located within the NA. This includes areas under development in Scottish, Irish and Northern Irish Waters as well as operational wind farms in the Liverpool Bay area such as Burbo Bank and


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Rhyl Flats. Energy generation areas should be avoided but in some instances it may be practical for collector hubs to be located nearby. There are also existing and planned power cables including the Western Link, the East West Interconnector, the Isle of Man Interconnector and the Wylfa-Pentir Link. Avoidance of linear infrastructure such as power cables whilst preferable may not always be possible. Where cable crossings are required these should be developed in consultation with the asset owner in accordance with best practice ensuring that the potential for damage is minimised.

Military Defence: There is the potential for military defence activities throughout NA 02. Developers should consult with the Ministry of Defence in order to avoid areas where live firing is practised. In other types of military practice and exercise areas, the presence of installation or maintenance vessels could result in disturbance, however this can be mitigated at a project level through consultation and coordination of activities.

Coastal Protection: Coastal protection or flood defence present at a number of sections along the coast within NA 02. This includes harbours, coastal protection and flood defence infrastructure. Where landfalls encounter existing flood defence or coastal protection structures which cannot be avoided detailed design at a project level should include consideration of the least impacting installation method such as Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD).

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Network Area 02 (NA03) occupies the southern part of the ISLES Zone. It extends from southern part of the Irish Sea around Liverpool Bay in the north as far south as the Bristol Channel. Its east-west extents include the coastline of Wales and Ireland.


The NA comprises areas of potential offshore and marine renewable generation in Irish Territorial Waters. The Generation Clusters which have been developed are illustrated on illustrated on the figures at the end of this section. These have been identified from existing projects located within the NA as well as Ireland’s Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP). The OREDP does not identify areas of potential generation but for the purposes of the ISLES it has been assumed that generation would be located off the east coast or Ireland.


The NA provides the potential to provide interconnection and connection of generation within Irish Territorial Waters with England and Wales. Strategic Landfall Connection opportunities have been identified in all three countries. These are summarised below:

Liverpool to Colwyn Bay: Within the north west of England and north/north east of Wales a number of landfall opportunities exist in the coastal areas which adjoin Liverpool Bay. This includes opportunities on the Wirral peninsula and the north east Wales coast both of which already accommodate landfalls including East-West Link and Western Link as well as offshore wind farm connections.

Anglesey: Anglesey comprises a mix of rocky and elevated sections broken up by some smaller sheltered beaches. There is a lack of existing electricity transmission infrastructure in the immediate area but north and mid Wales upgrades are being developed as well as potential upgrades at Wylfa which include a HVDC link to Pembroke.

Dundalk to Dublin: As above for Northern Ireland landfalls in Ireland may not be required dependent on network configuration and the assumption that electricity will flow west to east, however, for completeness landfalls on the western Irish coast have been identified. This section stretches from Nunneryland in the north to Rush in the south with open sandy beaches forming much of the coast.

Courtown to Dunmore East: The Landfall Connection is located on the south west coast of Ireland. As above it provides opportunities for connection into the Irish Grid. Large sections of the coastline are formed by open sandy beaches which provide preferable landfall opportunities. From landfalls connections would be required to the Irish network for onwards transmission either within Ireland or east to the England or Wales by a subsea connection.

Caernarfon to Llanllyfni: This Landfall Connection lies to the south of Anglesey. The north Llyn coastline is characterised by hard rock headlands, cliffed and crenulate bayed frontages, which give way to transitional area of exposed low cliff, narrow shingle foreshore north of Trefor, before opening to the wider dune backed foreshore at the head of Caernarfon Bay.

Pembrokeshire: This Landfall Connection lies to the south of the ISLES area. Whilst the Pembrokeshire coastline is dominated by hard rock cliffs there are isolated sandy, pocket beaches which provide preferable landfall opportunities particularly on the west facing coastline.

Swansea Bay: Most of the land fringing Swansea Bay has been subject to industrial development and much of the backshore is characterised by hard structures. There are isolated areas of sandy

11 Network Area 03


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beach which provide landfall opportunities. The rivers Tawe and Neath drain into the bay, and the mouths of these rivers are characterised by large expanses of muddy tidal flats.


There are a number of internationally and nationally designated sites present within NA 03 which should be considered in developing electricity networks in the NA. Lleyn Peninsula and the Sarnau SAC, Cardigan Bay SAC and Pembrokeshire Marine SAC which are designated for a range of habitats, including sandbanks which are slightly covered by seawater all the time, intertidal mudflats and sandflats, saltmarsh and reef interest features. There are also offshore SACs including the Pisces Reef Complex and Croker Carbonate Slabs in the Irish Sea. There are a number of nationally recommended Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) which have marine habitat features, including North St George’s Channel MCZ, Mid St George’s Channel MCZ and North of Celtic Deep MCZ. These have a range of interest features, including subtidal sand, high and moderate energy circalittoral rock and subtidal coarse sediment. There are also habitats of conservation importance, namely Annex 1 reefs which are widespread along the coast of Wales from Colwyn Bay in the northwest to Pembrokeshire in the southwest.

It is preferable to avoid directly developing offshore electricity network infrastructure within protected sites or habitats in order to avoid impacting them. Unless it can be demonstrated that they will not impact on their interest features collector hubs should be located outwith protected sites and habitats. Whilst it would be preferable for cables to also avoid protected sites and habitats this may not always be feasible. In such instances cables may be carefully routed through protected sites if impacts can be mitigated by the use of less disturbing installation techniques such as use of non-displacement plough or Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) or by the timing of the works to avoid impacting on the protected sites’ interest features.

The extent of routeing within protected sites will depend on their location and the nature of their conservation features or interests. For example some protected sites will partly or wholly overlap with potential Landfall Connections. Examples include the Rockabill to Dalkey Island SAC which is designated for reefs and the Malahide Estuary SAC which is designated for intertidal mudflats and sandflats, saltmarsh and sand duness. By installing cables by HDD it is possible to reduce impacts on protected features on the surface and avoid significant impacts on the protected sites. With regard to SPAs such as the Liverpool Bay SPA, Skomer and Skokholm SPA and Aberdaron Coast and Bardsey Island SPA where avoidance is not possible in reaching a landfall site developers should give consideration to the timing of installation works in order to avoid sensitive periods for which sites are designated. For example Liverpool Bay SPA is designated for designated for overwintering Red-throated Diver and Common Scoter, by installing outwith the wintering period impacts can be avoided. Similarly Skomer and Skokholm SPA is designated for the breeding populations of Lesser Black-backed Gull, Manx Shearwater and Puffin, by installing outwith the breeding period impacts can be avoided.

There is a wide range of benthic and intertidal habitats present within NA 03. Infralittoral, circalittoral and deep circalittoral mixed sediments are predominant in the offshore waters of the east coast of ROI. Circalittoral and deep circalittoral coarse sediment occur in the offshore waters off the west coast of Wales. Circalittoral sandy mud and fine mud is present in the southern central part of NA 03. Small areas of infralittoral and circalittoral find sand and muddy sand occur in the nearshore area off the east coast of Ireland and west coast of Wales. Very small discrete patches of circalittoral rock and Atlantic and Mediterranean moderate energy rock occur along the east and southeast coast of Ireland and west and southwest Wales. Where possible developers should route cables or site collector hubs within mud and sand habitats as these will be impacted to a lesser degree as benthic communities in these areas would be expected to recover relatively rapidly. In harder substrates where cable protection measures are used, this will provide a suitable substrate for potential re-colonisation.

A range of cetaceans are recorded within NA 03 including harbour porpoise, Risso’s dolphin, short-beaked common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, killer whale minke whale and white-beaked dolphins. These are either present year round or regularly recorded seasonally within coastal waters. Two pinniped (seal) species regularly occur in the area, common (harbour) seal and grey seal. Grey seals are recorded in high numbers off the east coast of the Republic of Ireland and the north-northwest and southwest coasts of Wales. Their importance is recognised given they are qualifying features of a number of internationally designated sites. For example, Lleyn Peninsula and the Sarnau SAC and Cardigan Bay SAC are


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designated for bottlenose dolphin and grey seal. In areas where marine mammals are known to be present developers will need to consider how potential impacts can be mitigated at a project level. This will include following best practice such as the use of Marine Mammal Observers (MMOs) and following Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) Guidance on the use of ducted propellers in areas known to be used by seals such as at and around Lleyn Peninsula and the Sarnau SAC and Cardigan Bay SAC.

Nursery grounds for numerous fish species including cod, dover sole, European plaice, ling, sandeel, whiting, herring and mackerel as well as elasmobranch species, including thornback ray, spotted ray, common skate, tope shark and spurdog are located within the NA. There are also large scallop grounds in Cardigan Bay, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and Morecambe Bay. Cockles and oysters are abundant throughout the region, particularly in the Solway Firth. Avoidance of all of these areas will not be possible but at project level developers should consider the routeing of cables with respect to areas in which electromagnetically sensitive fish (e.g. elasmobranchs) are present as well as timing of construction and installation works in order to reduce impacts in or sensitive periods.


There are a number of key fishing areas and shellfish beds in NA 03. The value of landings is high, particularly off the south-southeast coast of Ireland which is predominantly fished for herring, cod and haddock, and in the central Celtic sea area which is predominantly fished for nephrops. There are also scallop fishing grounds in the inshore area off the coast from Dublin, Wexford and Dungarvern. Important fishing areas using mobile gear are also located in the waters around Pembrokeshire. This is mainly for scallops, whiting and haddock. As with other NAs developers should seek to reduce potential disturbance as much as possible by engaging with the fishing industry at an early stage.

Complete avoidance of some of these key fishing areas is unlikely to be possible, however, given that the sediment types in these areas predominantly range from muddy to coarse cable burial is likely to be possible. There will be some temporary exclusion or displacement as a result of installation but following completion fishing activities should be able to continue as normal without the risk of damage and/or snagging following installation. Due to the longer term impact which would occur from their construction, it would be preferable for collector hubs to be located outwith key fishing areas in order to prevent the loss or displacement of fishing activities. Similarly it is preferable to avoid areas where static fishing gear is used, such as off coast of Ireland east of Dublin and south of Kilmore Quay.

In addition to the above fishing activities, there are active finfish and shellfish aquaculture sites present on the southeast coast of Ireland and in the Menai Straits in Wales. Aquaculture sites do not occupy large areas and are considered to be avoidable in developing projects. Routeing and siting of cables and collector hubs respectively should avoid these developments in order to prevent direct impacts on them, however, dependent on their proximity to finfish sites there does remain some potential for disturbance to occur particularly during installation and construction which may require further project level mitigation.

The development of electricity network infrastructure must take account of commercial shipping uses within NA 03 including the location of maintained navigation channels, dredge material disposal sites and commercial anchorages. The shipping density is higher than in NA 01 with a range of vessels present in the area including passenger, fishing and cargo vessels. In routeing cables and siting collector hubs developers should consider the potential for increased navigational risks either directly through collisions or snagging of anchors on cables and/or cable protection measures. It will not be possible to avoid all shipping activities, however, key shipping lanes, maintained navigational channels, approaches to ports and harbours and commercial anchorages should be avoided particularly in the siting of collector hubs. Temporary impacts resulting from the installation of cables can typically be mitigated at a project level in accordance with best practice.

Developers must also give consideration to recreational activities including sailing. A large number of medium and low-use Royal Yachting Association (RYA) recreational routes transect the area. There are also numerous heavy-use RYA recreational routes, for example in the Bristol Channel, along the Pembrokeshire Coast and between Ireland and Wales. As with commercial shipping it’s recognised that complete avoidance will not be possible, however, navigation channels and approaches to port and harbour areas should be avoided with other impacts being mitigated at a project level in accordance with best practice.


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Consideration should also be given to tourism and watersports which occur predominantly within near-shore and coastal areas. Activities which are practised include sea kayaking, wind surfing and diving. In addition to this there are also a number of blue flag beaches along the east and southeast coast of Ireland and the coast of Wales. Due to the nature of watersports and tourism activities they are more likely to be seasonal and occurring over relatively small geographic areas. Such impacts can be effectively mitigated during construction and installation, for example through the timing of works. These are not considered to significantly influence routeing or siting but where alternatives exist which would reduce disturbance of such activities these would be preferable.


Within the NA seabed sediment types are dominated by coarse sediments. Isolated patches of exposed bedrock are found in the nearshore region to the south of Dublin, whilst gravel deposits extending up to 100 km offshore are found off the east coast of the Republic of Ireland. Along the west coast of Wales, the nearshore seabed sediments are predominantly sandy, with gravelly deposits located offshore.

The distribution and nature of underlying sediments will influence the routeing and installation of cables. It is preferable to avoid areas of exposed rock and other harder sediment types which may prevent burial. Where these areas are not avoidable the likelihood of cable protection measures such as rock mattressing being required increases. Figure 21 illustrates areas where cable protection measures are more or less likely to be required. For much of the NA underlying sediments are such that cable protection measures are less likely to be required.

Impacts on the physical environment resulting from the development of electricity network infrastructure relate to the temporary disturbance of the seabed and permanent changes in physical processes due to the presence of infrastructure such as collector hubs or rock mattressing. Disturbance of sediments is unavoidable during cable installation and therefore is not a significant consideration in routeing, however, where there is the potential to encounter contaminants or munitions in sediments such as Milford Haven, Cardigan Bay and Swansea Bay these should be avoided. Where avoidance is not possible detailed surveys will be required to inform project level design and micro-routeing. Once installed, the presence of infrastructure can cause scour of the seabed, particularly in softer sediments, and in the case of collector hubs result in localised changes in tidal flow speed and direction, local wave heights and directions. These impacts are not likely to inform site selection and will be highly localised and should be considered at a project level.

Cultural Heritage

Wrecks are relatively well distributed throughout NA 03 with particular concentrations at the northern extent around Anglesey and Dublin and the southern extent around Pembroke and Waterford. Wrecks which should be avoided include Protected Military Remains and Protected Wrecks the coast of north Wales at Anglesey and south Wales at Pembrokeshire. Typically wrecks occupy relatively small areas of the seabed which at a strategic or plan scale makes them difficult to avoid, however, in most cases wrecks are readily avoidable through detailed routeing, investigation and mitigation at a project level.

At a strategic scale there is also the potential for landfalls to impact protected historic sites on the coast such as scheduled monuments but as with wrecks such constraints are readily avoidable through detailed routeing, investigation and mitigation at a project level. Detailed routeing and landfall design should ensure direct impacts on Scheduled Monuments and other archaeological interests are avoided.

There is some potential for setting effects on heritage interests and features but this is limited to temporary effects during installation with permanent effects dependent on the locations of collector hubs. Where protected heritage features such as scheduled monuments are present in coastal areas, collector hubs should be located sufficiently far enough offshore to reduce effects on their setting.


The nature of an offshore electricity network means that it should have limited impacts on landscape and seascape resources. It is expected that collector hubs will be located in deeper water offshore where they are less likely to be visible and as such are unlikely to impact on landscape or seascape including


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designated or protected landscapes. Cable landfalls will be buried with no discernible above ground infrastructure present and temporarily affected land around the landfall can be reinstated.

Dependent on the locations of landfalls and their proximity to the existing network there may be a requirement for additional infrastructure onshore such as overhead lines, converter stations or substations. Whilst outwith the scope of this Locational Guidance the potential for landscape and visual impacts onshore should be considered by developers particularly if the landfall is within or adjacent to protected landscapes. Some of the potential landfalls within NA 03 are located close to protected or designated landscapes. Should developers consider landfalls within these areas appropriate consideration should also be given to the potential requirement for additional reinforcement.

Material Assets

Typically existing and potential developments should be avoided as much as possible in the routeing and siting of new network infrastructure. This will reduce the risk of physical damage to existing assets (or proposed electricity infrastructure) as well as prevent sterilisation of potential resource areas. Within NA 02 this includes:

Aggregates: There is an aggregate licence area and an aggregate option area in the Bristol Channel. These should be avoided in the routeing of cables and/or siting of collector hubs.

Carbon Capture & Storage: There are potential carbon capture and storage sites off the south-southeast coast of Ireland. These should be avoided in the routeing of cables and/or siting of collector hubs.

Energy Generation and Power Transmission: Energy generation such as the consented Codling Wind Park of the east coast of Ireland, offshore wind farms off the coast of Wales including Rhyl and the tidal project at Ramsey Head in southwest Wales are all located in NA 03. Energy generation areas should be avoided but in some instances it may be practical for collector hubs to be located nearby. There are also existing and planned power cables including the East West Interconnector, the Isle of the Wylfa-Pentir Link. Avoidance of linear infrastructure such as power cables whilst preferable may not always be possible. Where cable crossings are required these should be developed in consultation with the asset owner in accordance with best practice ensuring that the potential for damage is minimised.

Military Defence: There are firing danger areas and surface danger areas off the west-northwest and southwest coasts of Wales. There is also a firing danger area off Balbriggan and a large military operating area in the area of Cardigan Bay. Developers should consult with the Ministry of Defence in order to avoid areas where live firing is practised. In other types of military practice and exercise areas, the presence of installation or maintenance vessels could result in disturbance, however this can be mitigated at a project level through consultation and coordination of activities.

Coastal Protection: Coastal protection or flood defence present at a number of sections along the coast within NA 03. This includes harbours, coastal protection and flood defence infrastructure. Where landfalls encounter existing flood defence or coastal protection structures which cannot be avoided detailed design at a project level should include consideration of the least impacting installation method such as Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD).

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consultation document # 1 of 5 draft isles spatial plan ... · 2015 consultation on the draft isles...

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