Introduction
SSE Renewables Developments (UK) Limited (“SSE Renewables” (SSER)) is developing the Berwick Bank Wind Farm Project. In August 2020, SSER (via its project company Berwick Bank Wind Limited) consulted on an Offshore Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Report for an initial Berwick Bank Wind Farm Proposal. The initial Berwick Bank Wind Farm Proposal comprised one of two projects to be developed in Phase 2 of the former Firth of Forth Zone which included the initial Berwick Bank Wind Farm Proposal and the Marr Bank Wind Farm. Through subsequent progress made in the detailed review of Berwick Bank and Marr Bank Wind Farm sites’ environmental constraints, SSER has combined large proportions of the Agreement for Lease area for Berwick Bank Wind Farm and Marr Bank Wind Farm, including the proposed offshore cable corridors.
SSER is now seeking consent for one project (Berwick Bank Wind Farm) in the outer Firth of Forth and Firth of Tay, 33.5 km east of the East Lothian and the Scottish Borders coastline. The export cable will landfall on the East Lothian coast, at Thorntonloch or at Skateraw. From here, the export cables will connect to a Scottish Power Transmission 400kV Grid Substation located at Branxton, southeast of Torness Power station.
This revised Offshore EIA Scoping Report has been developed which considers the new boundaries and updated Project Design Envelope. SSER intends to submit separate consents, licences and permissions for the offshore (seaward of Mean High Water Springs and onshore (landward of Mean Low Water Springs) infrastructure of the Project. This Offshore EIA Scoping Report therefore considers all of the offshore infrastructure of the Project.
The EIA Process
This Offshore Scoping Report has been prepared in order to support a request for a formal Scoping Opinion in relation to the Proposed Development from Scottish Ministers. It is anticipated that the Scoping Opinion will be based on responses to this Offshore Scoping Report from key statutory and non-statutory consultees, which will help guide the Applicant in progressing the Offshore EIA Report.Contents
Topic |
Summary of content |
Section |
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Introduction |
Background to the Proposed Development and outlines the purpose and approach of the Offshore EIA Scoping Report. |
Section 1 Open ▸ |
Proposed Development Description |
Description of the design for the Proposed Development, based on preliminary conceptual design information and current understanding of the environment from initial site investigation studies. |
Section 2 Open ▸ |
Site Selection Methodology and Consideration of Alternatives |
Description of the site selection process and the approach undertaken by SSER to identify the siting of the Proposed Development and reasonable alternatives considered to date. |
Section 3 Open ▸ |
Environmental Impact Assessment Methodology |
Description of the proposed principles of the EIA process and the approach that will be applied in the Offshore EIA Report to identify and evaluate the likely impacts and, subsequently, evaluate the significance of effects, associated with the Proposed Development. |
Section 4 Open ▸ |
Offshore Physical Environment |
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Physical Processes |
Overview of the offshore physical environment (tidal elevations, current, waves, bathymetry, geology, seabed sediments, suspended sediments and sediment transport) within the Proposed Development. Supports assessment of potential impacts to the offshore physical environment from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 5.1 Open ▸ |
Subsea Noise |
Overview of ambient subsea noise within the Proposed Development. Required for understanding of potential impact to subsea noise sensitive receptors such as marine mammals and fish from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 5.2 Open ▸ |
Airborne Noise |
Overview of ambient airborne noise within the Proposed Development. Required for understanding of potential impact to airborne noise sensitive receptors such as fishing vessels, offshore oil and gas platforms and commercial shipping from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 5.3 Open ▸ |
Offshore Air Quality |
Overview of the offshore air quality within the vicinity of the Proposed Development. Required for understanding of potential impact to offshore air quality from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 5.4 Open ▸ |
Climatic Effects |
Required for understanding of potential impact to climatic effects from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 5.5 Open ▸ |
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Benthic Subtidal and Intertidal Ecology |
Overview of the ecology of the seabed within the Proposed Development. Required for understanding of potential impacts to seabed ecology from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 6.1 Open ▸ |
Fish and Shellfish Ecology |
Overview of the fish and shellfish ecology of the seabed within the Proposed Development. Required for understanding of potential impact to fish and shellfish ecology from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 6.2 Open ▸ |
Marine Mammals |
Overview of the marine mammals within the vicinity of the Proposed Development. Required for understanding of potential impacts to marine mammals from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 6.3 Open ▸ |
Offshore and Intertidal Ornithology |
Overview of the ornithology features within the vicinity of the Proposed Development. Required for understanding of potential impacts to ornithology from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 6.4 Open ▸ |
Offshore Human and Socio-economic Environment |
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Commercial Fisheries |
Overview of commercial fisheries within the vicinity of the Proposed Development. Required for understanding of potential impacts to commercial fisheries from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 7.1 Open ▸ |
Shipping and Navigation |
Overview of the baseline shipping and navigation within the vicinity of the Proposed Development. Required for understanding of potential impacts to shipping and navigation from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 7.2 Open ▸ |
Aviation, Military and Communications |
Overview of aviation, military and communications within the vicinity of the Proposed Development. Required for understanding of potential impacts to aviation, military and communications from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 7.3 Open ▸ |
Marine Archaeology and Ordnance |
Overview of marine archaeology within the vicinity of the Proposed Development. Supports understanding of impact to marine archaeology from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 7.4 Open ▸ |
Seascape, Visual Resources |
Overview of the seascape and visual resources within the vicinity of the Proposed Development. Required for understanding of potential impacts to seascape, visual resources and cultural heritage setting from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 7.5 Open ▸ |
Cultural Heritage Setting |
Overview of the cultural heritage within the vicinity of the Proposed Development. Required for understanding of potential impacts to cultural heritage setting from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 7.6 Open ▸ |
Infrastructure and Other Users |
Overview of aviation, military and communications within the vicinity of the Proposed Development. Required for understanding of potential impacts to aviation, military and communications from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 7.7 Open ▸ |
Offshore Socio-economics and Tourism |
Overview of the baseline offshore socio-economics and tourism within the vicinity of the Proposed Development. Required for understanding of potential impacts to baseline offshore socio-economics and tourism from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 7.8 Open ▸ |
Concluding Sections |
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Summary |
Presents a summary of those impacts that are proposed to be scoped in and out of the Offshore EIA Report. |
Section 8 Open ▸ |
Appendices
Scoping Road Maps |
For each technical topic, it summarises the expected receptors, sensitivity and evidence, baseline data sources, mitigation and approach to the EIA. |
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Mitigation and Monitoring |
Includes all mitigation and monitoring commitments that have been committed to within the Offshore EIA Scoping Report. |
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Transboundary Screening |
Includes a screening assessment of potential transboundary impacts arising from the Proposed Development. |
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Policy and Legislation |
Overview of international obligations, and national legislation and policy applicable to the Proposed Development. |
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Consultation and Stakeholder Engagement |
Consultation undertaken to date has focused on the initial Berwick Bank Wind Farm Proposal and to a lesser extent the Marr Bank Wind Farm Proposal. |
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Physical Processes Baseline Environment |
Baseline environment in relation to Physical Processes. |
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Benthic Ecology Baseline Environment |
Baseline environment in relation to Benthic Ecology. |
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Fish and Shellfish Baseline Environment |
Baseline environment in relation to Fish and Shellfish. |
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Marine Mammals Baseline Environment |
Baseline environment in relation to Marine Mammals. |
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Ornithology Baseline Environment |
Baseline environment in relation to Ornithology. |
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Commerical Fisheries Baseline Environment |
Baseline environment in relation to Commercial Fisheries. |
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Shipping and Navigation Baseline Environment |
Baseline environment in relation to Shipping and Navigation. |
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Marine Archaeology Baseline Environment |
Baseline environment in relation to Marine Archaeology. |
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Seascape, Landscape, Visual Resources and Cultural Heritage Baseline Environment |
Baseline environment in relation to Seascape, Landscape, Visual Resources and Cultural Heritage. |
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Infrastructure and Other Users Baseline Environment |
Baseline environment in relation to Infrastructure and Other Users. |
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Offshore Socio-economics and Tourism Baseline Environment |
Baseline environment in relation to Offshore Socio-economics and Tourism. |
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Marine Protected Area (MPA) Screening |
Preliminary initial screening of designated MPAs which it is proposed are carried forward for consideration in the MPA Main Assessment in the EIA Report. |
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References |
Includes a list of all references included in the Offshore EIA Scoping Report. |
Digital Acknowledgement
The content provided in this Digital Scoping Report is a digital replication of the information presented within the Berwick Bank Scoping Report submitted to Marine Scotland on 18 October 2021, which can be found here.
Further, this digital report will not be subject to any updates as may occur with other webpages following the launch of this webpage on 20 October 2021.