PLANNING THE FUTURE TOGETHER NGO-meeting Brussels | 25 October 2018
Subject – NGO meeting 25 Oct 2018 Time Speaker 09.45 Walk in coffee 10.00 Welcome and introduction current status NSWPH Peter Godt-Larsen 10.15 Environmental findings for the Dogger Bank: Stine Rabech Nielsen and Chris Moes Screening and assessment of existing environmental data: Semi-quantitative evaluation of potential project impacts on protected habitats (Natura 2000) and potential cumulative impact levels of existing and consented wind farms on seabirds, marine mammals and fish – based on existing data. Legal study on Habitat Directive: Overview on national implementation and in which way these would impact possible Hub and Spoke project related development. Reflection / discussion 11.00 Spatial study of the North Sea Peter Godt-Larsen Identifying cost drivers of spatial planning of Offshore Wind Farms from an infrastructure perspective and mapping of possible locations for future hub and spoke projects in the North Sea. Reflection / discussion 11.45 Summarizing discussion and next steps Peter Godt-Larsen 12.00 - Lunch and further discussion and feedback 13.00
INTRODUCTION PETER GODT-LARSEN TEAM LEAD PERMITS AND LEGAL NGO-meeting 25-10-2018 3
ENERGY TRANSITION Perspective - power system Concept Paper 1 - The Vision ■ 80-95% reduction (compared to 1990) in CO2 emissions before 2050 ■ full decarbonisation of the electricity supply well before 2045 Bio Offshore wind (North Sea) Hydro Nuclear PV Offshore wind (other seas) Onshore wind ■ large scale, far offshore ■ flexibility to support non- ■ cross-border spatial ■ sufficient interconnection wind dispatchable generation planning capacity to maintain ■ accelerated deployment ■ minimum impact / maximum operational security benefit to environment NGO-meeting 25-10-2018 4
…MUCH MORE WIND IN THE NORTH SEA OFFSHORE WIND IS ESSENTIAL AND INCREASES SIGNIFICANTLY ACROSS SCENARIOS 70 – 150 GW by 2040 Equals approx. 7-15 times current installed capacity NGO-meeting 25-10-2018 5
INTERNATIONAL COORDINATED ROLL-OUT AND HUB AND SPOKE CONCEPT Concept Paper 2 - Modular Hub and Spoke Perspective - power system vs Concept Paper 3 – Hub as an Island National Incremental Roll-Out (NIRO) International Coordinated Roll-Out OWF transmission assets and (ICRO) interconnectors are developed as individual Synergies between wind farm transmission assets and interconnectors projects and are connected to the closest national onshore connection point in a radial are maximized within a total system and uncoordinated manner. internationally coordinated framework. ■ cost reductions from optimised offshore connection concepts, economies of scale, synergies with interconnection functionality and coordinated approach to reinforcement of the onshore grid and system integration ■ additional socio-economic benefits from energy market coupling NGO-meeting 25-10-2018 6
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS Stine Rabech Nielsen and Chris Moes NGO-meeting 7 25-10-2018
STUDY OUTLINE (TILL FIRST HALF OF 2019) Investigate possible • Pre-screening of input for refinement of benefits environmental data for Environmental potential location and the North Sea focusing configuration of H&S Detailed environmental project on the Dogger Bank screening including both • mitigation to prepare for Desk study of Habitat input for location in the North Sea as a whole Directive and EIA, baseline, permitting implementation in DE, requirements and DK, NL and UK planning and general regulatory setup (based on chosen location(s) • Permitting requirements Permitting and project for a hub and spoke configuration(s)) project NGO-meeting 25-10-2018 8
SCREENING AND ASSESSMENT OF EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL DATA STINE RABECH NIELSEN NGO-meeting 25-10-2018 9
TOPICS AND CONCERNS FROM NGO WORKSHOP 2017 Impacts on habitats Impact on species Construction Mitigation and and the overall env. in the area impacts project design • • • • Sediment plume Sand eel Sand for Ecological risks • • • Currents/ Collision risk for construction Building with nature • hydrodynamics birds Sea vessel possibilities • • • Existing habitats Migration routes of movement Modular elements • • Loss of habitats birds High voltage of the project • • • Winners and losers Marine mammal cabling footprint Spatial planning • (white beaked Acoustic impacts in dolphins and minke relation to drilling whales) • Noise and disturbance NGO-meeting 25-10-2018 10
AIM AND OBJECTIVE The aim of the study has been: • to collect and analyse available documentation and data • to make a preliminary assessment of the environmental issues related to the NSWPH project • to identify likely cumulative pressures from other offshore windfarm projects in order to identify any potential showstoppers The study will provide the following deliverables to assist the further planning of the hub: • a review of existing and available environmental impact assessments related to major infrastructure projects in the North Sea and historic survey data • a preliminary mapping of vulnerable areas in the Dogger Bank area based on existing knowledge about the distribution and abundance of habitats and species, including conservation targets of Natura 2000 areas • an evaluation of potential environmental conflicts and showstoppers NGO-meeting 25-10-2018 11
DATA COLLECTION AND SCREENING Habitat Marine Seabirds Seabirds Fish mammals Sandbank Grey seal Northen Gannet Great Black- Grey gurnard and (H1110) backed Gull Mackerel Minke whale Common Lesser Black- Herring and Guillemot backed Gull Sandeel Harbour seal Northern Fulmar Razorbill Dab and Cod White-barked Black-legged Atlantic Puffin European plaice dolphin Kittiwake and common sole Harbour porpoise Little Auk Nurcery for plaice, cod and sandeel NGO-meeting 25-10-2018 12
OWF IN THE NORTH SEA OWF constructed or planned to be built in the Dogger Bank Region: • Creyke Beck A (UK) (2015) • Creyke Beck B (UK) (2015) • Sofia (UK) (2015) • Teeside A (UK) (2015) • Hornsea Project One (UK) (2014) • Hornsea Project Two (UK) (2016) NGO-meeting 25-10-2018 13
EVALUATION OF DATA Existing environmental assessment and consented wind farms • The study describes the knowledge gathered on the sensitivity of species and habitats to each of the potential impacts • Habitat change and loss • Displacement of fish and marine mammals during pile-driving (acoustic and other) • Displacement of seabirds during operation of offshore wind turbines • Collision risk of birds with offshore turbines • Consented plans for offshore wind farms already exist within the protected habitat Sandbanks (H1110) and designated Natura 2000 sites in Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. • The wind farms has been assessed as compatible with the maintenance of the ecological integrity of the SACs NGO-meeting 25-10-2018 14
OBSERVATIONS AND MAIN FINDINGS • The focus of the early studies was on a complete range of ecological components - later studies focus mainly on the most critical impacts • Dogger Bank is not characterised by high densities of fish, marine mammals and seabirds • However, high density of the harbour porpoise is found within and near Dogger Bank • Important areas for a number of fish, marine mammal and seabird species are also found at the slopes of the bank in the UK sector • In the Dutch, German and Danish sectors the environment is characterised by only few areas with high densities of the studied species • Based on this pre-screening, the area north-east of the Dogger Bank seems most suitable for placing a hub and related wind farms but will need further investigation NGO-meeting 25-10-2018 15
SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDIES No definite showstoppers Based on this review of North Sea wind farm EIAs and available data on distribution of marine fish, mammals and sea birds, no definite showstoppers were identified for the construction of the hub and related wind farms on Dogger Bank. However, there are several potential showstoppers, for which further environmental studies will be needed to confirm the expectations that: • The potential loss and disturbance of the habitat sandbanks H1110 are compatible with maintaining the ecological integrity of the protected areas in relation to Annex I habitats; • State-of-art mitigation measures can reduce underwater noise from pile driving operations sufficiently during construction of the wind turbines; • The long-term population level acoustic displacement impacts on fish and marine mammals, as well as population-level displacement or collision impacts on seabirds, are not significant. NGO-meeting 25-10-2018 16
WHAT IS NEXT • Decision on possible locations for the hub to carry out further investigation • Scope for additional studies and missing data • Engage with stakeholders incl. NGOs • Detailed environmental screening to prepare for EIA, baseline, permitting requirements and planning and general regulatory setup (based on chosen location(s) and project configuration(s)) NGO-meeting 25-10-2018 17
LEGAL STUDY ON HABITAT DIRECTIVE CHRIS MOES NGO-meeting 25-10-2018 18
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