4.4.4. Potential decommissioning impacts
Climate change could affect metocean conditions. Vessels will be required for decommissioning the offshore infrastructure similar to the operation phase. A similar, suitable and appropriate level of planning to ensure safe operation will be required. Mitigation and the residual impact for this impact is the same during decommissioning as it is in the assessment presented in Table 4-12.
4.4.5. CUMULATIVE ASSESSMENT
A cumulative assessment for Climate Vulnerability has not been taken forward for the following reasons:
- There are no cumulative risks when considering the onshore Proposed Development and the offshore Proposed Development combined (intra-Project cumulative risks) for Project assets, energy production, and staff since both the onshore Proposed Development and offshore Proposed Development will be different assets with their own construction and operation and maintenance programmes, management and workers;
- There is no likelihood for significant cumulative effects of the onshore Proposed Development with the onshore aspects (assets and workers) of the Cambois connection[16] due to the large geographical distance and separate management of the onshore aspects of the onshore Proposed Development (Branxton, Scotland) and the Cambois connection (Blyth, North England); and
- There is no likelihood for significant cumulative effects of the offshore Proposed Development with the offshore aspects (assets and workers) of the Cambois connection, considering that the offshore export cables of both the offshore Proposed Development and of the Cambois connection will be buried in the seabed and/or covered (see the project description of the offshore Proposed Development in the Offshore EIA report, volume 1, chapter 3) and that risks to staff wellbeing and occupational health and safety would be managed separately for both the offshore Proposed Development and the Cambois connection during construction and operation and maintenance.
An in-combination climate impact assessment is presented in volume 3, appendix 21, annex A.
4.5. SUMMARY
The assessment has considered the vulnerability of the Project to climate change impacts and has presented mitigation measures to manage these. No significant residual effects have been identified.
5. REFERENCES
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[1] The offshore components of the Project include the following: the offshore wind farm (the wind turbines, their foundations and associated inter-array cabling), together with associated transmission infrastructure including Offshore Substation Platforms (OSPs)/Offshore convertor station platforms, their foundations and the offshore export cables and cable protection. The offshore Proposed Development array area is located in the outer Firth of Forth and Firth of Tay, approximately 37.8 km east of the Scottish Borders coastline (St. Abb’s Head) and 47.6 km to the East Lothian coastline. For further details see the Offshore EIA Report, volume 1, chapter 3.
[2] The onshore components of the Project include the following: cable landfall at Skateraw on the East Lothian coast, onshore substation, onshore cables within a cable corridor between the cable landfall and the new onshore substation, and between the new onshore substation and the National Grid Branxton substation; and associated ancillary infrastructure. For further details see the Onshore EIA Report, volume 1, chapter 5.
[3] Includes carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases included with the Kyoto Protocol. Details about each of the Kyoto Protocol GHGs can be found here: Global Warming Potentials (IPCC Second Assessment Report) | UNFCCC
[4] Target not shown in Table 2-3, but noted on the website given as the table’s source.
[5] UK shipping is required to meet net zero by 2050 at the latest, and international shipping has a target to reduce emissions by at least 50% by 2050, and to decarbonise as soon as possible, as noted in the Department for Transport’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan, 2021. In addition, Operation Zero, launched in 2021, is an initiative to accelerate the decarbonisation of the operations and maintenance vessels in the North Sea offshore wind sector, with a view to making zero-emission operations and maintenance vessels a reality by 2025.
[6] The load factor for the Project is confidential and could not be used in the Effect on Climate assessment.
[7] In July 2022, National Grid Electricity Systems Operator (NGESO) announced as part of its Holistic Network Review, that the Applicant has signed an agreement for an additional grid connection at Blyth, Northumberland (referred to as the Cambois connection). Necessary consents for the Cambois connection will be applied for separately once further development work has been undertaken on this export cable corridor route and landfall. These applications will be supported by an EIA and Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA). The Cambois connection has been included as a cumulative project for the purposes of the EIA and assessed based on the information presented in the Cambois Connection Scoping Report submitted in November 2022 (SSER, 2022).
[8] Data available from https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcynwfb7z
[9] Some of the modelled climate data are from a detailed analysis in Edinburgh to the west of the site, but changes in rainfall and windspeed can be applied as percent changes to Dunbar station to build a local picture.
[10] Met Office UK climate averages; Dunbar (East Lothian): https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcynwfb7z
[11] Met Office UK climate averages: Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh (Edinburgh): https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcvwqb#?nearestTo=your%20detected%20location
[12] Q50 is the 50 percentile flow, signifying medium flows. Q95 is the 95 percentile flow, signifying low flows.
[13] The 50th percentile represents the warming midpoint for the ensemble data.
[14] The 5th to 95th percentile range in climate projections are used to analyse the range of climate responses. Including the low (5th) and high (95th) percentile ensures that the range of uncertainty within climate models is taken into account.
[15] Berwick Bank Windfarm: Technical Appendix 11.1: Flood Risk Assessment
[16] As described in section 3.4.7, the Cambois connection will export electricity from the offshore Proposed Development array area to the National Grid via a grid connection at Blyth near Cambois, Northumberland. It would only be constructed if the Project is implemented. For further details refer to section 3.4.7.