Burbo Offshore Wind Farm

Scoping Report

JUNE 2002 SeaScape Energy Ltd 6 Ironworks House Warton Rd Carnforth Lancashire LA5 9EX Tel: (01524) 736553 Fax: (01524) 730131 Email: adrian@seascape-energy.com Web: www.seascape-energy.com

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1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Table of Contents .....................................................................................1 2 Introduction ...............................................................................................2 3 Purpose of this Report ..............................................................................4 4 Physical Environment ...............................................................................5

4.1 Key Issues Identified..........................................................................5 4.2 Coastal processes studies.................................................................6 4.3 Terminologies ....................................................................................6 4.4 Method of Investigation......................................................................7 4.5 Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................8

5 Marine Environment..................................................................................9 5.1 Key Issues Identified..........................................................................9 5.2 Method of Investigation......................................................................9

6 Birds .......................................................................................................13 6.1 Protected Sites near Burbo Offshore...............................................13 6.2 Other data relevant to Burbo Offshore.............................................14 6.3 Proposed EIA methodology .............................................................16 6.4 Methods of investigation ..................................................................17

7 Landscape/Seascape and Visual Assessment .......................................18 7.1 Proposed Approach.........................................................................18

8 Archaeology............................................................................................20 9 Commercial Fisheries .............................................................................22

9.1 Method of Investigation....................................................................22 10 Navigation Risk Assessment...............................................................25

10.1 Review of Shipping Traffic in the Area.............................................25 10.2 Qualitative Review of Affect on Navigation ......................................25 10.3 Quantitative Navigational Risk Assessment ....................................26 10.4 Review of Installation/Construction/Decommissioning Phases........26 10.5 Review of Recreational Craft ...........................................................26 10.6 Fishing Intensity and Collision Risk Study .......................................26

11 Grid Connection ..................................................................................28 11.1 Offshore cabling ..............................................................................28 11.2 Onshore Junction Chamber.............................................................29 11.3 Onshore cabling ..............................................................................29 11.4 Onshore substation .........................................................................29 11.5 Overhead power lines......................................................................30

12 Bibliography ........................................................................................31 13 Appendix 1: Initial Consultation ...........................................................32 14 Appendix 2: Installation Diagrams.......................................................33 15 Appendix 3: Burbo Offshore Wind Farm Co-ordinates ........................37

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2 INTRODUCTION SeaScape Energy Ltd (SeaScape) plan to construct an off-shore windfarm at Burbo Bank in Liverpool Bay. The site is a 10km2 area leased from the Crown Estate, and will comprise 30 wind turbines (see Appendix 3). Each turbine will have the capacity to generate 3 Megawatts and will comprise of an 80m high tower supporting the generator and a three-bladed rotor with a 45m radius. The wind farm will connect to land via undersea cables that are expected to reach the coastline at Wallasey, Wirral. From the foreshore, the cables will follow a buried route to a substation, close to Junction 1 of the M53.

Figure 1 Location of proposed wind farm

The windfarm requires consent under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, from the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, and it is therefore necessary to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), under the provisions of the Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2000 (the EIA Regulations). The Regulations implement European Directive 85/337/EEC, as amended by Directive 97/11/EC (the EIA Directive). In 2001, SeaScape commissioned a series of studies, which aimed to identify the likely significant issues that would require consideration in the EIA of the scheme. Particular attention was given to the physical, biological and visual environment, although archaeology, noise and navigation were also considered. The studies involved detailed and extensive consultations with

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relevant interest groups, as well as literature and database searches. Following the consultations, a scoping report was produced which detailed the issues raised. These documents were used to map out the environmental assessment process and to ensure that all issues were addressed. In addition, SeaScape has held a series of public exhibitions in the region and has given presentations to a broad range of interest groups. At these, opinions have been sought from institutions, organisations and private individuals. A list of organisations from which information and opinions were sought at this early stage, is given in Appendix 1. Sources of existing information were identified, and gaps in knowledge were highlighted. Those gaps have led to several requirements for original research and data collection to be carried out in order to ensure that the Environmental Statement (ES) will provide sufficient information for the potential impacts for the wind farm to be assessed.

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3 PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT This document sets out the approach that SeaScape and its consultancy team have adopted in order to ensure that the ES conforms to the requirements of the EIA Regulations. It will set out the issues that are being addressed in the ES, and will present the methodologies that are being used for each of the separate elements of the EIA. It is intended that this report will be used for information and as the basis of ongoing discussions with statutory and non-statutory consultees. Although the majority of the data collection and analysis methods that are being used have been extensively discussed with external organisations, further comments are invited from interested third parties. The report is set out in sections dealing with each of the major themes of the EIA, derived from the Guidance Notes for the Offshore Windfarm Consents Process (DTI, 2001; updated 2002): Physical environment bathymetry, sediment processes, waves and tides,

water quality Biological environment marine invertebrates, intertidal invertebrates, fish

populations, sharks and rays, sea mammals and birds Visual environment landscape and SeaScape character assessment,

visual impact appraisal and photomontage production Archaeology wrecks, other marine archaeology, intertidal archaeology. Human environment local communities, fisheries, shipping and

navigation, offshore oil and gas fields, aggregate dredging, sub-sea cables and pipelines, waste disposal sites, leisure activities, military, aviation and tourism

Consideration of each of these themes will be set out in the ES in the following format: Description of existing conditions and evaluation Impact reduction measures incorporated into windfarm design Residual impacts during construction Residual impacts during operation Impacts during decommissioning Cumulative impacts Mitigation and monitoring recommendations In addition, the ES will also contain sections that provide a background to wind energy in the United Kingdom and will set out in broad terms the principal environmental and socio-economic benefits of wind power. A description of the policy framework for offshore wind energy in England will be given, followed by a section that provides a detailed account of the proposals and the reasoning behind the sites selection. The remainder of this report deals with specific issues.

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4 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

4.1 Key Issues Identified The outcome from initial consultation and studies provided the following outline scope for coastal process investigations: Four time periods

- pre-construction (i.e. the existing baseline), - construction (e.g. issue arising from sediment plumes), - operation, - decommissioning.

Four spatial locations

- site and buffer (i.e. the 10km2 application area and km border), - cable route, - land fall (i.e. across the inter-tidal area), - adjacent areas (e.g. shorelines and estuaries in local area).

Three cumulative effe