Scottish Marine and Freshwater Science Volume 3 Number 2: Scoping Study For Offshore Wave Energy Development In Scottish Waters

6 The Next Steps

The current Scoping Study has used new data and improved data handling methods to develop a new view of the potential of Scottish marine waters for wave energy projects. The Scoping Study utilised the improved data layers and data handling methods that have been developed since the Scoping Study for the Saltire Prize, and building on the experience of the Scoping Study for offshore wind development.

The use of a themed approach to the spatial modelling has allowed the sensitivity of the models to the relative importance given to different spatial factors to be explored, and the general comparability of the outputs from the four Combined Models gives confidence that the outputs from the current exercise are robust. The similarities in the approaches being used for scoping studies for wind, wave and tidal energy will allow a more consistent view to be taken of development opportunities and offer the potential for interactions between opportunities to be taken into account in marine planning across the renewables sectors.

As the potential for wave, wind and tidal stream energy development in Scottish waters is becoming more clear, it will be necessary to take greater account of cumulative effects arising from interactions with other developments, or potential developments. For example, existing Round 3 and STW wind farm proposals in the Moray Firth, and off the Firths of Forth and Tay will be the background against which cumulative impacts of wind developments further offshore, or of tidal stream and wave energy projects in areas closer to the coast will have to be considered. Similarly, proposals that emerge from the Northern Ireland renewables leasing round may interact with development opportunity proposals in the south and south west of Scotland.

The output maps presented in this report cover the whole of Scottish waters. However, the detail of the information available on available wave energy at the national scale leads to some local detail being difficult to discern. The next stage in the development of a Sectoral Plan for wave energy in Scottish waters is therefore to address each of the potential development areas in more detail through a Regional Locational Guidance process.