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

C. DRAFT Plan for TIDAL Energy

The Draft Plan for Tidal Energy contains the potential options for future commercial scale tidal developments (over 30 MW) in Scottish Waters. The Plan contains the following sections:

• Development of Draft Plan Options for Tidal Energy
• National Issues
• Regional issues

Development of Options

C.1.1 In July 2012, Marine Scotland Science published 'A Scoping Report for Tidal Farm Developments in Scottish Waters'. This document contained a number of 'Scoping Areas of Search' which were considered in relation to 4 geographic locations. These areas, along with an explanation of the process to develop the Draft Plan, were then contained within the Draft Initial Plan Framework.

C.1.2 A period of pre-statutory consultation was undertaken, following publication of the Public Participation Statement, to raise awareness of the process for developing the Plan and highlight how the public can get involved. The Draft IPFs and RLGs were made available for comment to allow stakeholders the opportunity to present any further and more up-to-date information they may hold in relation to the Areas of Search.

C.1.3 The views and opinions gathered during the pre-statutory consultation, in addition to the information contained within the Draft RLGs were used to inform the revision of Areas of Search into Draft Plan Options.

Table 7 Evolution of Draft Plan Options - Tidal

Document	Scoping Report for Tidal Developments	Draft Sectoral Marine Plan for Tidal Energy
Region	Scoping Area of Search / Location	Draft Plan Option	Location
NORTH	Pentland Firth	TN1	Pentland Firth
	Orkney and Westray	TN2	Orkney Waters
		TN3	Westray
		TN4	North East Sanday
	Sumburgh and Fair Isle	TN5	Sumburgh
		TN6	Shetland Waters
		TN7	North Unst
WEST	South West Islay	TW1	South West Islay
	Kintyre	TW2	Kintyre
SOUTH WEST	Solway Firth	TSW1	Solway Firth

Fig.15 Tidal Energy Scoping 'Areas of Search' ( Before)

Fig.16 Tidal Energy Draft Plan Options ( AFTER)

SEARCH NMPi - ' SMP - Tidal Draft Plan options'

C.1.4 During the pre-consultation stage, respondents from the NAFC Marine Centre in Shetland highlighted that further and more detailed work had been undertaken in relation to the tidal resources around Shetland. The data underpinning this resource mapping has now been integrated into the process for developing the Draft Plan. It is for this reason that the Draft Plan for Tidal Energy now contains draft options which were not previously identified at the Scoping stage.

C.1.4 In addition, there were a number of smaller areas of resource identified in the Scoping Report. These have been removed on the basis of being too small to accommodate commercial scale development zones. There is the potential to undertake further locational guidance exercises for these areas to determine suitability for future test and demonstration or other small scale developments.

C.1.5 In addition to the draft Plans Options emerging from the Scoping 'Areas of Search, the process to develop the Draft Plan for Tidal Energy also gave consideration to the need to incorporate options arising from the following processes:

• PFOW and the Saltire Prize Locational Guidance
• Further Locational Guidance produced by the Scottish Government.

• Developments which have an award of 'agreement for lease' from the Crown Estate Commissioners and are therefore at the licensing stage.
• These options are underpinned by the 2007 Marine Renewables SEA.
• A full lease will only be awarded once a developer has obtained a marine licence from the Scottish Government

C.1.6 There were no additional 'existing options' to be considered within this sectoral marine planning process as:

• Options within Saltire Prize Locational Guidance would still be used for innovative test and demonstration developments in support of the Saltire Prize and not commercial scale developments
• Options arising from Crown Estate Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters leasing and further rounds are either:
• Underpinned by the 2007 Marine Renewables SEA where developments exceed the 30 MW threshold
• Do not exceed the 30 MW threshold to be classified as a commercial scale development

C.1.7 The Draft Plan Options represent development zones in which a proportion could ultimately be used for development. The Plan seeks to identify issues for consideration at project level zone planning and project licensing.

National Issues

C.2.1 The draft Plan Options for Tidal Energy have been subject to Strategic Environmental Assessment ( SEA), Habitats Regulations Appraisal ( HRA) and socio-economic assessment. The outcomes of these assessments have been brought together within the Sustainability Appraisal Report. The sections below contain the key issues arising at a national level from these assessments:

Sustainability Appraisal

Strategic Environmental Assessment

C.2.2 The SEA Environmental Report provides the detail on the identification and assessment of potential effects of the Draft Plan Options for tidal energy. The key results are summarised below:

• Potential effects on biodiversity as a result of collision with devices, particularly those with underwater components, barriers to movement of mobile species, and impacts on behaviours of species in inshore areas. Furthermore potential for noise impacts on sensitive species are possible from the construction of devices. The SEA considers potential effects on diving birds, cetaceans, seals, elasmobranchs and fish species, particularly from collision with moving parts of tidal devices. Additionally there may be direct loss of seabed habitat from the installation of devices and effects associated with potential changes to patterns of tidal and sediment movement on marine habitats.
• Scope for impacts on water quality from contamination as a result of changes to turbidity and turbulence, and seabed disturbance in areas of existing contamination. The significance of effects will depend on the proximity of devices to sensitive areas, such as those for fish spawning and feeding and shellfish growing waters.
• Positive effects for climate change mitigation through moving to decarbonisation of energy supply.
• Changes to turbidity, sediment disturbance, and loss of geology in placing devices may have secondary impacts on coastal processes. The significance of effects will depend on the proximity of devices to more sensitive coastlines such as those with geological SSSI and Geological Conservation Review sites ( GCRs).
• Potential direct effects on submerged archaeology during construction and in some cases. Tidal devices and associated infrastructure may have some above water elements and so the setting of features of the historic environment remains a consideration, although the potential for significant effects is not considered to be high.
• Potential for visual impacts on landscape and seascape character as a result of the presence of surface-piercing structures, and potentially marker buoys and lights for navigation, particularly if located near-shore and in large numbers. As predominantly submerged devices, the significance of impacts of tidal technology may be low, although this will depend on location and the quality of the receiving environment. Effects may therefore be greater during the construction rather than operation phase. The magnitude of visual effects depends in general on visibility and positioning of devices in regards to onshore features. Visual effects for other sea users, such as recreation vessels, may increase if constructed in popular recreational locations. Effects from lighting at night time are possible and potentially of greater significance for near shore areas.
• In some locations new devices could increase collision risk between vessels if channels of vessel movements are reduced due to potential exclusion zones. Collision risks with devices are low for small recreational craft. The likelihood of effects are considered to be of lower significance and able to be mitigated. Furthermore there may be some potential for displacement of recreational activity in some near shore locations.

In all cases the SEA cannot provide precise certainty of effects as opportunities to mitigate and minimise effects are available as projects are planned, primarily through project design and location within Draft Plan Options. The significance of some of the potential effects can also only be established at the project design stage.

Draft Habitats Regulations Appraisal

C.2.3 The ongoing HRA of the draft wind plan options continues to consider likely significant effects on the integrity of European designated sites. The HRA has confirmed the potential for the effects identified in the SEA. The HRA will focus on the following potential impact pathways:

• Direct and indirect physical damage to the habitats including consideration of the potential sensitivity of habitats (reefs, subtidal sandbanks, intertidal habitats including saltmarshes, and supralittoral habitats) during the construction, operation and decommissioning phase. Furthermore the potential for structures on the seabed to act as Fish Aggregating Device ( FAD) are considerations. The HRA will also include some consideration of physical damage from cabling on onshore habitats.
• Physical damage to species due to collision risk including Bottlenose dolphins and Harbour porpoise, Grey and Harbour seals, Atlantic salmon, Lamprey, Shad, seabirds and diving birds. The appraisal indicates further work at the project level will be required.
• Barrier effects during operation for species including Bottlenose dolphins, Harbour porpoise, Grey and Harbour seals, Atlantic salmon, Lamprey and Shad.
• Visual disturbance to surface feeding and diving birds.
• Noise and vibration effects during construction and decommissioning for species including Bottlenose dolphins, Harbour porpoise, Grey and Harbour seals, Atlantic salmon, Lamprey and Shad.
• EMF effects, although sensitivity is considered to be low, for Bottlenose dolphins, Harbour porpoise, Grey and Harbour seals, Atlantic salmon, Lamprey and Shad.
• Contamination resulting from elevated turbidity.

Socio-economic Assessment

C.2. Table 8 demonstrates the quantified economic impacts of draft plan options for tidal energy on other marine activities at a national level. The majority of impacts fall upon the shipping industry, particularly within the North region. In addition to the above, there are also a number of non-quantified impacts and social impacts.

Table 8: Present value ( PV) costs for Tidal energy at a national level, £m (costs discounted over assessment period, 2012 prices, values rounded to nearest £0.01m)

Activity	Description of Measurement	Scenarios
		Low	Central	High
Commercial Fisheries	Value of potentially lost GVA (derived from landed values)	0.13	0.24	0.48
Recreational boating	Additional fuel costs	0	0	0.06
Shipping	Additional fuel costs	0	0	12.29
Water Sports -Sea Angling	Reduction in expenditure	0	0	0.35
Total PV costs		0.13	0.24	13.18

C.2.5 The remainder of the Plan contains a breakdown of the key issues in relation to the plan options within the following regions:

• North
• West
• South West

*There are no potential tidal developments within the East, North East and North West Regions

Table 9 Draft Plan Options for Tidal Energy by Region

DRAFT PLAN OPTIONS
REGION	TIDAL (T)
NORTH	TN1
	TN2
	TN3
	TN4
	TN5
	TN6
	TN7
WEST	TW1
	TW2
SOUTH WEST	TSW1

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

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

C.2.8 The consideration of cumulative and in-combination effects arising from existing, planned and potential future development options is considered within Section D.

C.3 North

C.3.1 The North Region contains the following potential future options:

• TN1
• TN2
• TN3
• TN4
• TN5
• TN6
• TN7

Fig.17 Draft Plan Options for Tidal Energy - North

C.3.2 The Sustainability Appraisal indicates the following issues to be of particular significance in this region:

• Shipping and navigation
• Biodiversity
• Cultural Heritage
• Recreation
• Community engagement
• Grid
• Seabed and coastal processes
• Landscape and seascape (construction)

C.4 West

C.4.1 The West Region contains the following potential future options:

• TW1
• TW2

Fig.18 Tidal Draft Plan Options - West

C.4.2 The Sustainability Appraisal indicates the following issues to be of particular significance in this region:

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

C.5 South West

C.5.1 The South West Region contains the following potential future option:

• TSW1

Fig.19 Tidal Draft Plan Option - South West

C.5.2 The Sustainability Appraisal indicates the following issues to be of particular significance in this region:

• Communities
• Shipping
• Biodiversity
• Recreation
• Cultural Heritage
• Seascapes and Landscapes
• Grid
• Seabed and coastal process