Neart na Gaoithe Proposed Offshore

Wind FarmScoping ReportNovember 2009

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ProposedOffshoreWindFarmScopingReport:NeartnaGaoithe

DocumentReleaseandAuthorisationRecord

JobNo:ReportNo:Date:ClientName:ClientContact(s):

J/1/06/141909/J/1/06/1419/0848November2009NeartnaGaoitheOffshoreWindLtdCameronSmithZoeCrutchfield

Version:1

Status:Final

QA Name Signature Date

ProjectManager BruceTomlinson

ReportwrittenbyGenevraHarkerRosieBuse

Reportcheckedby StevenFreeman

Reportauthorisedby BruceTomlinson

Projectwebsite:www.neartnagaoithe.com

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TableofContents

ProposedOffshoreWindFarmScopingReport:NeartnaGaoithe.................................................................. i TableofContents.......................................................................................................................................... i TableofFigures...........................................................................................................................................vii TableofTables.............................................................................................................................................ix Acronyms...................................................................................................................................................... i ExecutiveSummary...................................................................................................................................... 1

1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 2 1.1 BackgroundInformation............................................................................................................. 2 1.2 MainstreamRenewablePowerLtdandNeartnaGaoitheOffshoreWindLtd .............................. 2 1.3 EmuLimited............................................................................................................................... 2 1.4 ScopingDocument ..................................................................................................................... 3

1.4.1 AimsofDocument ..........................................................................................................................3 1.4.2 GetInvolved.................................................................................................................................... 3

1.5 SiteSelection ............................................................................................................................. 4 1.6 Consultation .............................................................................................................................. 8

2 LegislativeFramework ......................................................................................................................... 9 2.1 TheNeedforOffshoreWindinScotland..................................................................................... 9 2.2 ScottishOffshoreWindPolicy..................................................................................................... 9

2.2.1 ScottishTerritorialWindFarms .................................................................................................... 10 2.2.2 StrategicEnvironmentalAssessmentinScottishTerritorialWaters ............................................ 11

2.3 RegionalPolicy......................................................................................................................... 11

3 ProjectDescription ............................................................................................................................ 13 3.1 SiteLocation ............................................................................................................................ 13 3.2 WindResource......................................................................................................................... 13 3.3 DevelopmentDetails................................................................................................................ 14 3.4 PlanningandConsentforNeartnaGaoithe .............................................................................. 15

3.4.1 NavigationRights ..........................................................................................................................17 3.5 EngineeringConsiderations ...................................................................................................... 17 3.6 GridConnection ....................................................................................................................... 18

3.6.1 OffshoreCableRoute.................................................................................................................... 18 3.6.2 OnshoreSubstation ......................................................................................................................19

3.7 Operation,MaintenanceandMonitoringofPerformance......................................................... 20

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4 PhysicalEnvironment......................................................................................................................... 21 4.1 Metocean ................................................................................................................................ 21

4.1.1 GeneralDescription ......................................................................................................................21 4.1.2 AvailableData ...............................................................................................................................21 4.1.3 MethodofAssessment ................................................................................................................. 23 4.1.4 FurtherRequirements .................................................................................................................. 23 4.1.5 PotentialMitigationandMonitoring............................................................................................ 23 4.1.6 CumulativeImpacts ...................................................................................................................... 23

4.2 Bathymetry.............................................................................................................................. 24 4.2.1 GeneralDescription ......................................................................................................................24 4.2.2 AvailableData ...............................................................................................................................24 4.2.3 MethodofAssessment ................................................................................................................. 24 4.2.4 FurtherRequirements .................................................................................................................. 27 4.2.5 PotentialMitigationandMonitoring............................................................................................ 27 4.2.6 CumulativeImpacts ...................................................................................................................... 27

4.3 Geology ................................................................................................................................... 27 4.3.1 GeneralDescription ......................................................................................................................27 4.3.2 AvailableData ...............................................................................................................................28 4.3.3 MethodofAssessment ................................................................................................................. 28 4.3.4 FurtherRequirements .................................................................................................................. 28 4.3.5 PotentialMitigationandMonitoring............................................................................................ 28 4.3.6 CumulativeImpacts ...................................................................................................................... 28

4.4 SeabedSedimentsandBedforms ............................................................................................. 29 4.4.1 GeneralDescription ......................................................................................................................29 4.4.2 AvailableData ...............................................................................................................................29 4.4.3 MethodofAssessment ................................................................................................................. 29 4.4.4 FurtherRequirements .................................................................................................................. 30 4.4.5 PotentialMitigationandMonitoring............................................................................................ 30 4.4.6 CumulativeImpacts ...................................................................................................................... 30

4.5 SedimentTransport.................................................................................................................. 30 4.5.1 GeneralDescription ......................................................................................................................30 4.5.2 AvailableData ...............................................................................................................................30 4.5.3 MethodofAssessment ................................................................................................................. 31 4.5.4 FurtherRequirements .................................................................................................................. 31 4.5.5 PotentialMitigationandMonitoring............................................................................................ 31 4.5.6 CumulativeImpacts ...................................................................................................................... 32

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5 BiologicalEnvironment ...................................................................................................................... 33 5.1 MarineEcology ........................................................................................................................ 33

5.1.1 GeneralDescription ......................................................................................................................33 5.1.2 AvailableData ...............................................................................................................................35 5.1.3 MethodofAssessment ................................................................................................................. 36 5.1.4 FurtherRequirements .................................................................................................................. 37 5.1.5 CumulativeImpacts ...................................................................................................................... 37

5.2 FishandShellfishEcology......................................................................................................... 37 5.2.1 GeneralDescription ......................................................................................................................37 5.2.2 AvailableData ...............................................................................................................................40 5.2.3 MethodofAssessment ................................................................................................................. 42 5.2.4 FurtherRequirements .................................................................................................................. 42 5.2.5 PotentialMitigationandMonitoring............................................................................................ 43 5.2.6 CumulativeImpacts ...................................................................................................................... 43

5.3 MarineMammals..................................................................................................................... 43 5.3.1 GeneralDescription ......................................................................................................................43 5.3.2 AvailableData ...............................................................................................................................45 5.3.3 MethodofAssessment ................................................................................................................. 46 5.3.4 FurtherRequirements .................................................................................................................. 46 5.3.5 PotentialMitigationandMonitoring............................................................................................ 47 5.3.6 CumulativeImpacts ...................................................................................................................... 47

5.4 Noise ....................................................................................................................................... 47 5.4.1 GeneralDescription ......................................................................................................................47 5.4.2 AvailableData ...............................................................................................................................47 5.4.3 MethodofAssessment ................................................................................................................. 48 5.4.4 FurtherRequirements .................................................................................................................. 49 5.4.5 PotentialMitigationandMonitoring............................................................................................ 49 5.4.6 CumulativeImpacts ...................................................................................................................... 49

5.5 Ornithology.............................................................................................................................. 50 5.5.1 GeneralDescription ......................................................................................................................50 5.5.2 AvailableData ...............................................................................................................................54 5.5.3 MethodofAssessment ................................................................................................................. 54 5.5.4 FurtherRequirements .................................................................................................................. 55 5.5.5 PotentialMitigationandMonitoring............................................................................................ 55 5.5.6 CumulativeImpacts ...................................................................................................................... 55

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5.6 TerrestrialEcology.................................................................................................................... 56 5.6.1 GeneralDescription ......................................................................................................................56 5.6.2 AvailableData ...............................................................................................................................58 5.6.3 MethodofAssessment ................................................................................................................. 59 5.6.4 FurtherRequirements .................................................................................................................. 63 5.6.5 PotentialMitigationandMonitoring............................................................................................ 64 5.6.6 CumulativeImpacts ...................................................................................................................... 64

5.7 NatureDesignations................................................................................................................. 64 5.7.1 GeneralDescription ......................................................................................................................64 5.7.2 AvailableData ...............................................................................................................................66 5.7.3 MethodofAssessment ................................................................................................................. 68 5.7.4 FurtherRequirements .................................................................................................................. 68 5.7.5 PotentialMitigationandMonitoring............................................................................................ 69 5.7.6 CumulativeImpacts ...................................................................................................................... 69

6 HumanEnvironment.......................................................................................................................... 70 6.1 Landscape,SeascapeandVisualAssessment ............................................................................ 70

6.1.1 GeneralDescription ......................................................................................................................70 6.1.2 AvailableData ...............................................................................................................................71 6.1.3 MethodofAssessment ................................................................................................................. 72 6.1.4 FurtherRequirements .................................................................................................................. 74 6.1.5 PotentialMitigationandMonitoring............................................................................................ 74 6.1.6 CumulativeEffects ........................................................................................................................ 75

6.2 ArchaeologyandCulturalHeritage ........................................................................................... 75 6.2.1 GeneralDescription ......................................................................................................................75 6.2.2 AvailableData ...............................................................................................................................77 6.2.3 MethodofAssessment ................................................................................................................. 78 6.2.4 PotentialMitigationandMonitoring............................................................................................ 79 6.2.5 CumulativeImpacts ...................................................................................................................... 80

6.3 Navigation ............................................................................................................................... 80 6.3.1 GeneralDescription ......................................................................................................................80 6.3.2 AvailableData ...............................................................................................................................80 6.3.3 MethodofAssessment ................................................................................................................. 81 6.3.4 FurtherRequirements .................................................................................................................. 83 6.3.5 PotentialMitigationandMonitoring............................................................................................ 83 6.3.6 CumulativeImpacts ...................................................................................................................... 83

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6.4 CommercialFishing .................................................................................................................. 83 6.4.1 GeneralDescription ......................................................................................................................83 6.4.2 AvailableData ...............................................................................................................................85 6.4.3 MethodofAssessment ................................................................................................................. 86 6.4.4 FurtherRequirements .................................................................................................................. 87 6.4.5 PotentialMitigationandMonitoring............................................................................................ 87 6.4.6 CumulativeImpacts ...................................................................................................................... 87

6.5 MilitaryandAviation................................................................................................................ 87 6.5.1 GeneralDescription ......................................................................................................................87 6.5.2 AvailableData ...............................................................................................................................89 6.5.3 MethodofAssessment ................................................................................................................. 89 6.5.4 FurtherRequirements .................................................................................................................. 90 6.5.5 PotentialMitigationandMonitoring............................................................................................ 90 6.5.6 CumulativeImpacts ...................................................................................................................... 91

6.6 Socioeconomics ...................................................................................................................... 91 6.6.1 GeneralDescription ......................................................................................................................91 6.6.2 AvailableData ...............................................................................................................................91 6.6.3 MethodofAssessment ................................................................................................................. 92 6.6.4 FurtherRequirements .................................................................................................................. 93 6.6.5 PotentialMitigationandMonitoring............................................................................................ 93 6.6.6 CumulativeImpacts ...................................................................................................................... 93

6.7 OtherHumanActivities ............................................................................................................ 93 6.7.1 GeneralDescription ......................................................................................................................93 6.7.2 AvailableData ...............................................................................................................................95 6.7.3 MethodofAssessment ................................................................................................................. 96 6.7.4 FurtherRequirements .................................................................................................................. 96 6.7.5 PotentialMitigationandMonitoring............................................................................................ 96 6.7.6 CumulativeImpacts ...................................................................................................................... 96

7 ConclusionsandRecommendations ................................................................................................... 97 References................................................................................................................................................. 98

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TableofFigures

Figure11 OverviewoftheThreeZoneswithinScottishTerritorialWaters ................................................... 4 Figure12 ShippingDensityDataandPotentialSites...................................................................................... 5 Figure21 NnGOWLsite(9)inrelationtoBellRock(8),InchCape(7)andForthArray(10)sites................11 Figure31 ProposedLayout&Design............................................................................................................ 13 Figure33 ProposedCableRoutesfortheNeartnaGaoitheOffshoreWindFarm....................................... 19 Figure41 WaveriderLocationinOuterFirthofForth .................................................................................. 22 Figure42 TidalDiamondInformationfortheOuterFirthofForth .............................................................. 24 Figure43 BathymetryoftheSurroundingArea ........................................................................................... 25 Figure44 2mIntervalDepthContoursforNeartnaGaoithe ...................................................................... 26 Figure45 BedrockGeology...........................................................................................................................27 Figure46 SeabedSediments.........................................................................................................................29 Figure51 FishSpawningandNurseryAreas................................................................................................. 39 Figure52 TheDistributionofNephrops.Source:SOAEFD(inRobson,C.F.1997)........................................ 40 Figure53 MarineMammalsightingsinFirthofForth(KeySpecies) ............................................................ 44 Figure54 LeftHandSideTracksof108greysealsfittedwithsatelliterelaydataloggersoveraperiodof

about10years(McConnelletal.1999;SMRUunpublisheddata).RightHandSideHarboursealdistributioninthenorthwesternNorthSeaafterReijndersetal.(1997).Alsoshownarehauloutsitesduringthemoult(SMRUunpublisheddata)andatseasightingsfromJNCCsurveys(Pollocketal.2000).Source:Hammondetal.,2004 ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 45

Figure55 BirdsensitivityintheregionofNeartnaGaoithe ....................................................................... 51 Figure56 PotentiallysensitivespeciesoccurringwithintheForthinNationallyimportantnumbers.........52 Figure57 PotentiallysensitivespeciesoccurringwithintheForth(1) ......................................................... 52 Figure58 PotentiallysensitivespeciesoccurringwithintheForth(2) ......................................................... 53 Figure59 PotentiallysensitivespeciesoccurringwithintheForth(3) ......................................................... 53 Figure510 NatureConservationDesignationsAssociationwiththeNeartnaGaoitheCableRoutes...........57 Figure511 NatureConservationDesignationsOnshorefromNeartnaGaoithe ........................................... 65 Figure61 SiteLocationinRelationtotheFifeandEastLothianCoasts....................................................... 71 Figure62 ProtectedWrecksandChartedWreckswithintheStudyArea .................................................... 76 Figure63 ShippingDensity ...........................................................................................................................80 Figure64 CreelAreaandFishLandingsandSurveillanceData .................................................................... 84 Figure65 MilitaryPracticeAreasandRAFLeuchars .................................................................................... 88 Figure66 OtherMarineUsersandActivities................................................................................................ 94

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TableofTables

Table11 SiteSelectionConstraints 7 Table12 StakeholderConsultationList 8 Table21 WindFarmsinScottishTerritorialWaters 10 Table31 CoordinatesofNeartnaGaoithe(WGS84DecimalDegrees) 14 Table32 MetMastLocation 15 Table51 Summaryofthecharacteristichabitats,biotopesandassociatedspecies 35 Table52 SpawningPeriodsforSpeciesintheFirthofForth 38 Table53 AnApproachforAssessingtheValueorSensitivityofEcologicalReceptorsinScotland 62 Table54 CriteriaforDescribingImpactMagnitude 62 Table55 MatrixforDeterminingSignificanceofEcologicalImpacts 63 Table61 OnshoreWindFarmsintheregion 95

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Acronyms

AD AirDefence

ADS ArchaeologyDataService

AGDS AcousticGroundDiscriminationSystem

AIL AbnormalIndivisibleLoads

AIS AutomaticIdentificationSystem

AML AdditionalMilitaryLayers

ANSP AirNavigationServiceProvider

ATC AirTrafficControl

BAE BAESystemsInsyte

BAP BiodiversityActionPlan

BERR DepartmentforBusiness,EnterpriseandRegulatoryReform

BGS BritishGeologicalSurvey

BODC BritishOceanographicDataCentre

BWEA BritishWindEnergyAssociation

CA CruisingAssociation

CAA CivilAviationAuthority

CAP CivilAviationAuthorityPublication

CD ChartDatum

CEC CrownEstateCommission

CEFAS CentreforEnvironment,FishandAquacultureScience

CEO ChiefExecutiveOfficer

CERT CarbonEmissionsReductionTarget

CMACS CentreforMarineandCoastalStudies

COWRIE CollaborativeOffshoreWindResearchintotheEnvironment

CPA CoastalProtectionAct

CREEM CentreforResearchintoEcologicalandEnvironmentalModelling

DASSH DataArchiveforSeabedSpeciesandHabitats

DECC DepartmentforEnergyandClimateChange

DEFRA DepartmentforEnvironment,FoodandRuralAffairs

DFT DepartmentforTransport

DTi DepartmentofTradeandIndustry

EC EuropeanCommission

ECU EnergyConsentsUnit

EcIA EcologicalImpactAssessment

EIA EnvironmentalImpactAssessment

Emu EmuLimited

EO EarthObservation

ERMC EnvironmentalRiskManagementCapability

ES EnvironmentalStatement

ESRC EconomicandSocialResearchCentre

EST EnergySavingsTrust

EU EuropeanUnion

FEPA FoodandEnvironmentalProtectionAct

FREDS ForumforRenewableEnergyDevelopmentinScotland

FRPB ForthRiverPurificationBoard

FRS FisheriesResearchServices

GH GarradHassan

GIS GeographicalInformationSystems

GLOSS GlobalSeaLevelObservingSystem

GOOSAG GlobalOceanObservingSystemActionGroup

HER HistoricEnvironmentRecords

HS HistoricScotland

IBA ImportantBirdArea

ICES InternationalCouncilfortheExplorationoftheSea

ICOMOS InternationalCouncilonMonumentsandSites

IEEM InstituteofEcologicalandEnvironmentalManagement

IFA InstituteforArchaeologists

IHO InternationalHydrographicOrganisation

ILS InstrumentedLandingSystems

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IODE InternationalOceanographicDataandInformationExchange

IWC IntegratedWaterColumn

JNAPC JointNauticalArchaeologyPolicyCommittee

JNCC JointNatureConservationCommittee

LBAP LocalBiodiversityActionPlan

MAGIC MultiAgencyGeographicInformationfortheCountryside

MCA MaritimeandCoastguardAgency

MEDIN MarineEnvironmentalDataandInformationNetwork

MESH MappingEuropeanSeabedHabitats

MOD MinistryofDefence

MTZ MandatoryTransponderZones

NAS NationalArchiveofScotland

NATS NationalAirTrafficService

NBN NationalBiodiversityNetwork

NERCEODCNaturalEnvironmentResearchCentreEarthObservationDataCentre

NERL NATSEnRoutePlc

NFFO NationalFederationFishermensOrganisation

NGET NationalGridElectricityTransmission

NnGOWL NeartnaGaoitheOffshoreWindLimited

NRL NaturalResearchLtd

NVC NationalVegetationClassification

OBS OpticalBackscatterSensor

ode odeLimited

OFGEM OfficeofGasandElectricityMarkets

OFTO OffshoreTransmissionOwner

OREI OffshoreRenewableEnergyInstallations

OSPAR TheConventionfortheProtectionofthemarineEnvironmentoftheNorthEastAtlantic

OWE OffshoreWindEnergyEurope

PAR PrecisionApproachRadar

PSR PrimarySurveillanceRadar

PTS PermanentThresholdShift

RAMSAR TheRAMSARConventiononWetlands

RCS RadarCrossSection

RO RenewablesObligation

ROW ReceiverofWreck

RSL RelativeSeaLevel

RSPB RoyalSocietyfortheProtectionofBirds

RYA RoyalYachtingAssociation

SAC SpecialAreaofConservation

SEA StrategicEnvironmentalAssessment

SEL SoundExposureLevel

SEPA ScottishEnvironmentProtectionAgency

SFF ScottishFishermensFederation

SKM SinclairKnightMerzGroup

SMRU SeaMammalResearchUnit(Ltd)

SNH ScottishNaturalHeritage

SPA SpecialProtectionArea

SPP ScottishPlanningPolicy

SRA SyntheticRadarAperture

SSR SecondarySurveillanceRadar

TCP TownandCountryPlanningAct

TTS TemporaryThresholdShift

UKHO UnitedKingdomHydrographicOffice

UNESCO UnitedNationsEducational,ScientificandCulturalOrganization

UXO UnexplodedOrdnance

VMS VesselMonitoringSystem

VTS VesselTrafficServices

WWII WorldWar2

ZTV ZoneofTheoreticalVisibility

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ExecutiveSummary

NeartnaGaoitheisaScottishGaelicphrasemeaningmightofthewind.

NeartnaGaoitheOffshoreWindLtd(NnGOWL),asubsidiarycompanyofMainstreamRenewablePowerLtd,isproposingtodevelopanoffshorewind farm15.5kmeastofFifeNess. Theproposedoffshorewindfarm iscalledNeartnaGaoithe. Thedevelopment ispartofTheCrownEstates invitation todevelopers tobid forpotential offshorewind farm siteswithin Scottish territorialwaters. Following the bid, the Crown Estateoffered exclusivity agreements for ten sites around Scotland,with thepotential to generateover6GWofoffshorewindpower. Theseagreementsare subject to theScottishGovernmentsStrategicEnvironmentalAssessment(SEA)foroffshorewindwithinScottishterritorialwaters.TheSEAisduetobecompletedin2010,subject to its findings, TheCrown Estatewill award agreements for lease for suitable sites. LeaseswhichenablethedeveloperstoprogresswithconstructionworkswillonlybegrantedbyTheCrownEstateoncethedeveloperhasobtainedstatutoryconsentsandpermissionsfromtheScottishGovernment.

As part ofNnGOWLs development ethos, this scoping report has been prepared to ease the process andprovideasmuchinformationupfrontaspossible.Thereportthereforecontainsmoredetailedinformationatthisstagethanusuallyexpected. NnGOWLarecommittedtothisdevelopmentandbyundertakingdetailedstudiesandconsultationearlyintheprocess,NnGOWLaimtoachieveconsentofthebestpossibleprojectinatimelymanner.

Theaimofthisscopingreportistoinformstakeholdersabouttheproposedoffshorewindfarmdevelopment,giveanoverviewof theexistingenvironment,andproposemethods forassessing thepotential impacts. Itgivesstakeholderstheopportunitytocommenton,andmakesuggestions for improving,theenvironmentalassessment.Assuch,thisdocumentidentifiesthekeyconstraintstodevelopment,theavailabledatasources,outlines the proposed methods of assessment, describes further requirements and considers potentialmitigationandmonitoringrequirementsaswellasidentifyinganycumulativeimpactsforeachissue.

Keyissuesthathavebeenidentifiedthroughthisscopingphase,include:

RadarNeartnaGaoithe is likely toaffect thePrimarySurveillanceRadar (PSR)atRAFLeuchars. PotentialsolutionswillneedtobediscussedwithRAFLeucharstodeterminesuitablemitigation.

BirdsTheproposed site is relatively close to several SPAson the coast and Firthof Forth Islands, and isadjacenttoapotentialfeedinggroundatWeeBankie.Inparticular,thecoloniesontheIsleofMayandBassRockwillbe considered. The speciesmost likely tooccur in theareaaregannet,kittiwake,puffin, fulmar,guillemotandrazorbill.

Marine Mammals Several species of marine mammal are known to occur in the Outer Firth of Forth,includingminkewhale, harbour porpoise,whitebeaked dolphin,Atlanticwhitesided dolphin, killerwhale,Rissodolphinandbottlenosedolphin.ThebottlenosedolphinsmaybeindividualsfromtheMorayFirthSAC.TheFirthofTayandEdenEstuarySACisimportantforcommonseal,whiletheIsleofMaysupportsabreedingcolony of grey seals. The potential impacts on these specieswill need robust study andmay require anAppropriateAssessment.

OtherSeaUsersNnGOWLrecognisethattheproposedwindfarmoperationhasthepotentialtoimpactuponexistinguserstheareaandarecommittedtoworkingwithstakeholderstominimiseandmitigateallpotentialconflicts.

Suitable methods for assessment will be discussed with the relevant stakeholders through this scopingprocess,andappropriatemitigationandmonitoringdevelopedwhererequired.

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1 Introduction

1.1 BackgroundInformationTheworldisfacingnewchallenges,whichhavesignificantsocial,environmentalandeconomicconsequences;inparticular,climatechangeandenergysecurity.Consequently,governmentsareimplementingradicalpolicychangesandsetting targetstoreducecarbondioxideemissions. EuropeanUnion leadershaveagreedonabindingtargetof20%ofEUenergyconsumptiontobeprovidedbyrenewablesourcesby2020.Bythesameyear, they have also agreed to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 20% from 1990 levels. Although energysecurityisanimportantissue,thisscopingreportisfocussedontheenvironmentalconcerns,ratherthanthesocialandeconomic.

Tohelpachievethesetargets,inMay2008TheCrownEstateinviteddeveloperstobidforpotentialoffshorewind farm siteswithin Scottish territorialwaters. Following the bid, the Crown Estate offered exclusivityagreementsfortensitesaroundScotland,withthepotentialtogenerateover6GWofoffshorewindpower.

NeartnaGaoitheOffshoreWindLtd(NnGOWL),asubsidiarycompanyofMainstreamRenewablePowerLtd,wasawardedoneoftheseexclusivityagreements.TheproposedoffshorewindfarmprojectiscalledNeartnaGaoitheandislocatedtothenortheastoftheFirthofForth,15.5kmdirectlyeastofFifeNess.Theproposedwind farmwould coveranareaofapproximately105km2; comprisearound75 turbinesandhavea targetcapacityofupto450MW.

1.2 MainstreamRenewablePowerLtdandNeartnaGaoitheOffshoreWindLtdMainstreamRenewablePowerLtd(referredtoasMainstreamthroughoutthedocument)wasfoundedin2008byDr.EddieOConnorandFintanWhelan,theformerCEOandCorporateFinanceManagerofAirtricity.SinceFebruary2008Mainstreamhas:

SetupofficesinBerlin,Chicago,Dublin,London,Santiago,SydneyandToronto; Identifiedandrecruitedsomeofthemosttalentedandexperiencedteamsintheindustry; Established itsboard to includechairman,FintanDrury,SirRoyGardner, formerheadofCentrica,

BrendanHalliganofSustainableEnergyIrelandandMarkBrownofBarclaysCapital;

Raised72millioninequityincluding20millionfromBarclaysCapitalinreturnfora14.6%stakeinthecompany;and

Identifiedpotentialpartnersinkeymarkets.Mainstream,anditssubsidiarycompanyNnGOWL,iscommittedtoundertakingallnecessaryworktodeliveraconsentedwind farm thatwillbe responsiblydesignedandcapableofbeingconstructedandoperated inatimelyfashion,efficientlyandsafely.

1.3 EmuLimitedThisScopingdocumenthasbeenproducedbyEmuLimited inclosecollaborationwith staffatMainstream.EmuLtdspecialisesinconsultancy,researchandsurveyinthemarinesector.Thecompanyundertakesfulllifecyclemarinedevelopmentprojects. Inparticular, Emu assistsdevelopers and regulators indata collection,analysisandinterpretationrangingfromsiteselection,feasibilityandconsenttomonitoringandmitigation.

The team comprising Emu Ltd has been operating since 1988 and currently operates with 110 staffundertakingmultidisciplinarymarinerelatedprojectsacrosstheglobe.Significantexperiencehasbeengainedinmarine renewables (wind,waveand tide),marineaggregates (sandandgravel)andoilandgas.RecentlyEmu Ltd has been heavily involved in Regional Environmental Assessments (REA) which focus heavily oncumulativeandincombinationimpacts,stakeholderengagementandexploringopportunitiesforstreamliningtheconsentingprocess.

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1.4 ScopingDocument

1.4.1 AimsofDocumentNnGOWLregardseffectiveplanningandtherobustscopingoftheenvironmentalimpactassessment(EIA)asacriticalsteptosecuringconsentwiththesupportofstakeholders.Aspartofthefeasibilityworktodefinethesiteduringthebidphase, initialconsultationwasundertakenwithvariousstakeholders. These includedtheMaritimeandCoastguardAgency (MCA),FisheriesResearchServices (FRS),ScottishNaturalHeritage (SNH),Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Scotland,Chamber of Shipping, Scottish Fishermens Federation (SFF), and the Ministry of Defence (MOD). Theknowledgeandadvicegainedfromthisprocesshavebeenincorporatedintothisscopingdocumentandinitialwindfarmproposals.

ThisScopingDocumentispartoftheconsentprocess.ItistheinitialdocumentwhichdescribestheproposedNeartnaGaoithedevelopment,andsurroundingenvironment. Itthendescribespotential impacts identifiedatthisstage,whatdataareavailable,andhowthefullassessmentwillbeundertaken.ThisinformationisthebasisfortheEIA,whichwillbesubmittedinsupportoftheplanningapplicationasanES.

NnGOWL value the feedback received during the scoping process and particularly welcome advice fromstakeholderson:

AdditionaldatasetsorimpactassessmenttoolsthatmaybebeneficialtotheEIAprocess. Howtobetterunderstandthepotentialimpactstolocalcommunitiesandindustriesandmitigation

optionsavailable.

SuggestionsandadviceonhowtobestengageallstakeholdersintheEIAprocess.

1.4.2 GetInvolvedThereareanumberofways inwhichyoucanget involved in thescopingprocessandbekept informedofdevelopments:

Websitewww.neartnagaoithe.com

Registeratthewebsitewww.neartnagaoithe.comto:

DownloadourScopingdocumentandotherdocumentationasitbecomesavailable. Receivealertsviaemailonprojectupdatesandupcomingevents. Emailusyourqueriesandfeedback. Wewillbeorganisingconsultationeventsthroughoutthedevelopmentprocessandwillbeposting

detailsonthiswebsite.Wecaninformyouofeventsbyemailonceyouhaveregistered.

Email

Contactusatinfo@neartnagaoithe.comWritetous:

OffshoreEnvironmentManagerNeartnaGaoitheOffshoreWindLtdAbbeyBusinessCentreTheBeacon176St.VincentStreetGlasgowG25SG.

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1.5 SiteSelectionThefirststageofsiteselectionwasto identifyareasofseabed lessthan60m indepth,aroundtheScottishcoast. Thiswas refined toareas locatedwithinaneconomicdistanceofmajorgrid connectionpointsandports,butthatavoidedareasofexcessivewaveheights,thatwereremote(suchasareasinthefarwestandnorthofScotland)orhadknownmajorecologicalconstraints. Thisprocess ledtothe identificationofthreelargeareasforfurther inspection:theFirthofClyde,theouterSolwayFirth,andtheareatotheeastoftheFirthsofForthandTay(Figure11).

Allthreeregionswerefoundtohaveenvironmentalconstraints.However,overall,theeastcoastregionwasdeemedthemost feasibleasthewestcoastzoneshadsignificantbird,shippingandMOD issues,aswellaspossible limitationswiththegeologyandgridconnectionopportunities. Consequently,variousstudieswerethencommissionedtoassesstheeastcoastregioninmoredetailtoselectapossiblecandidatesite.

Figure11 OverviewoftheThreeZoneswithinScottishTerritorialWaters

Earlyresultsindicatedthatbothbirdandmarinemammalissuesarekeyfactorsacrosstheeastcoastregion.However,giventhemobileandwiderangingnatureofthesefactorsalternativeconstraintswereinitiallyusedto define potential sites. Therfore, the first dataset used to divide the region into potential areas fordevelopmentwasshippingdensity.TheinitialdatawereprovidedinJune2008(Anatec,2008a);thesewerethen further refined in August (Anatec, 2008b), prior to the bid, and have subsequently been updated inDecember(Anatec,2008c).

Figure12belowshowstheoriginalsitesconsidered(whichwerebasedontheJune2008data)superimposedon the updated shipping density data from December 2008. The cells are presented with the followingrankings:

Rank1:150shipsperyear.

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Figure12 ShippingDensityDataandPotentialSites

The figure shows that thereare some relativelyhighdensity routeswithin the region. Thedataalso showareaswherethereislittleornoshippingactivitythroughouttheyear.TheNeartnaGaoithesiteclearlyfitsinanareaofvery lowshippingdensities. Itshouldalsobenotedthatotherareasthatwere initiallybasedonareaswith lowshippingdensitieshavesubsequentlybeenshowntoaffectareasofhigherrelativedensityasmoreinformationhasbeencollated(e.g.SitesBandF),whichcontributedtothechoiceofthepreferredsite(E).

Having assessed the birds, marine mammals and navigation datasets, NnGOWL commissioned technicalappraisalsofallsixeastcoastsitesinordertoassess,refineandultimatelyrankthecandidatesitesfromthefollowingorganisations:

GarradHassan(GH)(windresourceandenergyyield); EmuLtd.(overallenvironmental); SKM(grid);and odeLtd(geotechnicalandfoundationdesign).

Theenvironmentalreportcontainedfurtherspecialistreportsfrom:

CorkEcology(ornithologyandmarinemammals); NaturalResearchLtd(ornithology);and LUC(landscape/seascapeandvisual).

In addition to the above, consultationswereundertakenwith the ScottishGovernment,MCA,ChamberofShipping,RSPB,SNH,FRS,SEPA,SFF,MontrosePort,MOD,VisitScotland,andFifeCouncil.

TheassessmentofthewindresourcecarriedoutbyGHshowedthatSiteEhadthehighest longtermmeanwindspeedamongstthesitesthatwereconsidered.

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Theconclusions from theenvironmental,engineeringandenergyyieldassessmentswere thencombined toidentifythemostfeasiblesitewithintheregion.ThiswasdeterminedtobeSiteE,asshowninTable11.

ThecolourcodingschemeforTable11isillustratedbelow:

Technical Consent/Environmental

Red MajorTechnicalIssue Red MajorIssueSignificantConsentRisk

Orange SignificantAdverseFinancialImpactonProjectViability

Orange ModerateIssue

Yellow Someremainingmanageabletechnicalrisk

Yellow Minorissue

Green Technicalaspectwhichissignificantlybeneficial

Green NoIssues

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Item EnvironmentalCriteria TechnicalCriteriaRank Site

SiteSpecificEcologyandWildlife

VisualImpactAviationand

RadarShipping Fishing

EnergyYield(estimatedwindspeedinms1)

FoundationType

PhysicalConditions

GridConnection

1 E Ornithology(highsensitivity:proximitytoIsleofMay,WeeBankieforagingarea/sandeelfishery)

LowOutside13kmmediumzone

PotentialRAFLeucharsPSR

Minimalimpact,flexibilitytoadjustalignment

Minimallocalimpact

HighyieldGoodwindspeedof9.0/9.1ms1,

clearofshore

JacketandTripod

South:firmbearing,North:

moresedimentary

PossibleconnectiontoTorness,CockenzieorKintoreTealing

2 C Ornithology(mediumsensitivity);possiblesalmonissueswithTayestuary;closeproximitytosealcolony

Moderate/Majorpooralignment8kmfromsensitiveshore

PotentialRAFLeucharsPSR

PossiblemitigationrequiredforMontrosePort

Possibleimpactonnephropsfishing

LowyieldWindspeedof8.5/7.9ms1onmarginofviability

Jacket,tripodandsomepiling

1030msedimentarydepositsoverbedrock.

PossibleconnectiontoKintoreTealingSignificantlandfall

issue

3 B Ornithology(overlaphighsensitivityarea:proximitytoMontroseBaySPA)possiblesalmonissues

Moderatepooralignmentalongcoast,8kmfromShore

RAFBuchan.PotentialPARatLeuchars

PossiblemitigationforMontrosePort,limitedalignmentflexibility

PossibleimpactonNephropsfishing

LowyieldWindspeedof8.5/7.5ms1below

viability

Jacket,tripodandsomepiling

1030msedimentarydepositsoverbedrock.

PossibleconnectiontoKintoreTealingSignificantlandfall

issue

4 A Ornithology(proximitytoWeeBankieforaging)

LowOutside13kmmediumzone

RAFBuchan&Perwinnesradar

MinimalImpact,flexibilitytoadjustalignment

PossibleimpactonNephropsfishing

HighyieldGoodwindspeedof9.1ms1,clear

ofshore

JacketandTripod

Weakdepositunsuitableforfoundations

Added10kmoffshorecompoundsissueswithMontroseinshoresites

5 F Ornithology(highsensitivityarea:proximitytoIsleofMay&coastalSPAs)

MajorImpactonsensitivelandscapesN.BerwickEyemouth

MinimalImpact Sitelocatedbyhighdensity,majorshippinglanesignificantCoSconcern

Significanttrawlingimpact,alsopotting&manysmallfishingboats.

LowyieldWindspeedof8.5/7.5ms1below

viability

JacketandTripod

StAndrewsBayformationwithsomebedrock

issues

PossibleconnectiontoTorness.

6 D Ornithology(consideredextremeimpactarea,proximitytocoastalSPAdueforexpansion);BellRocksubmergedreef;sealcolony;Taysalmon

MajorImpactonsensitivelandscapesincludingmajortouristcentreStAndrews

MajorimpactonRAFLeucharswithin15nmofSSR,inPARlineofsight

PotentialimpactonshippingidentifiedinAugust08Anatecdata

Limitedimpactonlocalfishingfleet,possibleimpactoncodnursery

LowyieldWindspeedof8.5/7.5ms1below

viability

Jacket,tripodandsomepiling

QuaternarydepositswithasmallareaofTertiarysheerissuewillneedaddressed

PossibleconnectiontoKintoreTealingRoutingcomplex

DataSource 2008EmuReport,NaturalResearchReport2008,CorkEcologyReport2008,ConsultationwithRSPB,SNH,FRS,ScottishGovernmentSeabirdgroups

2008LUCReport,2006DtiSEAstudy,FifeCouncilguidance,2006ASHreport

2008PagerPowerReport,MODconsultation

2008AnatecReport,ConsultationwithChamberofShipping,MCA,MontrosePort

ICESlandingdata,ConsultationwithFRS,ScottishFisheriesFederation,MontrosePort

GHReport,Mainstreamspecialistknowledge

odeReport odeReport,EmuGeologyStudy

SKMReport,Mainstreamexperience

Table11 SiteSelectionConstraints

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1.6 ConsultationNnGOWLrecognisethatconsultationisanimportantaspectoftheconsentingprocess,bothtoinformothersandtogainmoreinformationaboutthelocationandappropriatemethodologiesforassessment.Duringbidpreparation,consultationwasundertakenwithkeystakeholders,giveninTable12withupdatesofmeetingssince.

STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION DATEOFMEETING

ChamberofShipping Meetingpluscorrespondence 31Jul08

FifeCouncil Meetingspluscorrespondence 13Mar09,20May09

FisheriesResearchServices(FRS) Meetingpluscorrespondence 26Aug08,11Mar09

HistoricScotland Correspondence

JointNatureConservationCommittee(JNCC)

Correspondence

MaritimeCoastguardAgency(MCA) Meeting 02Sep08

MODCNSHeritage Correspondence

MODSafeguarding Correspondenceandformalproforma

MontroseHarbourMaster Meetingpluscorrespondence 22Aug08

RoyalCommissionontheAncientandHistoricMonumentsinScotland(RCAHMS)

Correspondence

RoyalSocietyfortheProtectionofBirds(RSPB)

Meetingspluscorrespondence 22Juland28Aug08

ScottishEnvironmentProtectionAgency(SEPA)

Correspondence

ScottishFisheriesFederation(SFF) Meetingpluscorrespondence 26Aug08

ScottishFisheriesProtectionAgency(SFPA) Correspondence

ScottishGovernment Meeting 10Mar09

ScottishNaturalHeritage Informalscopingmeeting 18Jun09

ScottishNaturalHeritage(SNH) Meetingpluscorrespondence 28Aug08

TheCrownEstate Meeting ongoing

UKHydrographicOffice(UKHO) Correspondence

Table12 StakeholderConsultationList

As part of scoping, and continuing throughout the EIA process, further consultation will be undertaken,particularlywith localcommunities, industriessuchasshippingandfishingaswellasstatutoryagencies,TheCrown Estate and the ScottishGovernment. See 1.4.2 for details on how to get involved in the scopingprocess.

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2 LegislativeFramework

2.1 TheNeedforOffshoreWindinScotlandTheScottishGovernment'sClimateChangeBill,passedbytheScottishParliamentinJune2009,setsatargetofreducingemissionsby80%by2050,includingemissionsfrominternationalaviationandshipping.Italsosetsaworldleading interimtargetfora42%cut inemissionsby2020. Inadditiontothis,ScottishMinisterswant50%of thedemand forScottishelectricity tobesupplied from renewablesourcesby2020,withan interimmilestoneof31%by2011(ScottishExecutive,2008).

TheScottishMinisterssupportthefullrangeofrenewablegenerationtechnologies,includingoffshorewind,toenableScotlandtorealiseitsrenewableenergypotential(GlobalEnergyNetworkInstitute,2007).Currently,thelargestpotentialresourceavailabletohelpachievethistargetisoffshorewind.

Themainenvironmentalbenefitsofoffshorewindfarmsare:

Verylowcarbondioxideemissionsperunitofelectricitygenerated; Theimprovementofairquality; Alargeresource; Increaseddiversityandsecurityofelectricitysupply; Eliminationofcostuncertaintiesassociatedwithfuelsupplyfluctuations;and Increasedlevelsofsustainabilityinenergyresourceuse.

2.2 ScottishOffshoreWindPolicySince the introduction of supportive planning policies for renewables in Scotland in 2001, the ScottishExecutivetargetsforrenewableelectricitysetin2003,andthestartoftheRenewablesObligationin2003andgrowing commitmentsby theUK tohelp tackle climate change, strong signalshavebeendelivered to therenewableelectricitysectortostartdeveloping.

SinceMarch2007,therenewableplanning frameworkhasbeensetout inScottishPlanningPolicy6 (SPP6),whichhelpsensurethedeliveryofrenewableenergytargetsaswellassupportingthedevelopmentofaviablerenewables industry inScotland. ThroughSPP6 theScottishGovernmentencourages renewablegenerationfrommanysourcesincludingoffshorewind,wave,tidalandsolarfacilities,andgreateruseoffuelfromwoodandotherenergycrops.ThemarketforrenewablesisbeingfurtherencouragedbytheRO(Scotland),whichrequireselectricitycompaniestobuyrenewableenergyorfaceapenalty.

SPP6requiresthatlocalplanningauthoritiesprovidepositivelyforrenewableenergydevelopmentswherethiscanbeachieved inanenvironmentallyacceptablemanner. However,SPP6doesnotsetregionalproductiontargets.

ScottishNaturalHeritage(SNH)asagovernmentagencyprovidesadviceonhowenergypolicy,developmentplanpolicies,and individual renewableenergydevelopmentproposalswillaffectnaturalheritage interests.SNHspolicyonoffshorerenewablesissetoutinSNHPolicyStatementNo.01/02"SNH'sPolicyonRenewableEnergy" (ScottishNaturalHeritage,2000). In general, SNH supports theuseof renewables to counter theeffectsofclimatechangeandpromotethedevelopmentofmeasures,includingenergyefficiencymeasures,toreducetheemissionofCO2,inlinewithgovernmentpolicy.

TheEnvironmentalAdvisoryForumforRenewableEnergy(EAFRE)isaScottishbodyappointedtooverseetheproductionofnewplanningpoliciesforrenewablesinScotland.MembersoftheforumincludeRSPBScotlandandScottishEnvironmentalProtectionAgency.

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2.2.1 ScottishTerritorialWindFarmsSinceTheCrownEstate initially inviteddeveloperstoconsideroffshorewindfarmswithinScottishterritorialwaters therehasbeen apositive reaction from the industry. In February2009, TheCrownEstateofferedexclusivityagreements toninecompaniesandconsortia for tensiteswithinScottish territorialwaters. ThedetailsarepresentedbelowinTable21.

PlanID SiteName Company/Consortia Size(MW) Area(km2)

1 SolwayFirth E.ONClimate&RenewablesUKDevelopments

300 61.5

2 WigtownBay DongWind(UK)Ltd 280 51.1

3 Kintyre AirtricityHoldings(UK)Ltd 378 69.4

4 Islay AirtricityHoldings(UK)Ltd 680 94.6

5 ArgyllArray ScottishPowerRenewables 1,500 361

6 Beatrice AirtricityHoldingsUKLtdSeaEnergyRenewablesLtd

920 121.3

7 InchCape NPowerRenewablesLtdSeaEnergyRenewablesLtd

905 149.9

8 BellRock AirtricityHoldingsUKLtdFluorLtd

700 92.8

9 NeartnaGaoithe

MainstreamRenewablePowerLtd 360 105.1

10 ForthArray FredOlsenRenewablesLtd 415 128.4

Table21 WindFarmsinScottishTerritorialWaters

Thetenexclusivityagreementsaredesignedtoallowdeveloperstobegin initialsurveysandconsultationfortheirsites.Figure21showstheNnGOWLsiteinrelationtoBellRock,InchCapeandForthArraysites.UnderthetermsofTheCrownEstateexclusivityagreement,developersareobligedtocooperatewitheachotherandthisismanagedbyTheCrownEstatethroughtheForthandTayDeveloperOffshoreWindGroup.Thisgroupisalreadycollaboratingon issues suchascumulative impacts, surveymethodologiesandundertaking regionalstudies.

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Figure21 NnGOWLsite(9)inrelationtoBellRock(8),InchCape(7)andForthArray(10)sites

2.2.2 StrategicEnvironmentalAssessmentinScottishTerritorialWatersThe Scottish government is in the process of conducting a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) foroffshore wind within Scottish territorial waters, to establish a clear and consistent approach to futuredevelopment. Following completion of the SEA, The Crown Estate will award agreements for lease forsuitablesites.LeaseswhichenablethedeveloperstoprogresswithconstructionworkswillonlybegrantedbyThe Crown Estate once the developer has obtained statutory consents and permissions from the ScottishGovernment.

NnaGOWL is following theScottishTerritorialWatersSEAprocess closely through the scopingexerciseandinvolvements ingroupssuchastheScottishRenewables. Recommendations,dataandreportsfromtheSEAwillcontributetowardstheNnGOWLEIAprocess.

2.3 RegionalPolicyTheproposedNeartnaGaoitheOffshoreWindFarmislocatedoffshorefromtheconstituenciesofEdinburghand Lothian,East Lothianand Fife councils. Eachof the councils regional renewablepoliciesare reviewedbelow.

TheEdinburghandLothiansStructurePlan2015 incorporatesand supports thedevelopmentof renewableenergy resourceswhere this canbeachieved in anenvironmentally acceptablemanner, and requires localplanstosetoutthecriteriaagainstwhichrenewableenergydevelopmentwillbeassessed.

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The East Lothian Local Plan 2008Written Statement and Plan,was adopted on 28thOctober 2008 and isavailableontheEastLothianCouncilwebsite.Theystate:

TheFifeCouncilStructurePlan20062026setsoutthattheyareencouragingtheuseofrenewableenergytechnologies,includingwindpower,asanalternativetofossilfuels(FifeMatters,2006).Althoughtheydonotspecifically mention offshore wind, Fife council has thoroughly considered onshore wind development andproducedsupportingguidancedocuments.

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3 ProjectDescription

3.1 SiteLocationTheproposedsite is15.5kmeastofFifeNessandcoversanareaof105km2. Theproposedsite is located11.5kmsoutheastfromBellRockand16kmeastoftheIsleofMay.ThisisshowninFigure31.

Figure31 IllustrativeLayout&Design

3.2 WindResourceFurthertothe initialassessmentbyGarradHassan(GH),NnGOWLundertookfurtheranalysisandestimatedthatthesitecouldhaveaninstalledcapacityofupto450MW.

GHestablishedthewindresourcefortheNeartnaGaoithesitefromacombinationofdatasources,includingmesoscale modelling, Earth Observation data and published estimates, all of which have an element ofuncertainty. ThemesoscaleresultswerecomparedtotheAtlasofUKMarineRenewableResources(DTIetal.,2004).AvalidationofthemesoscalemodelresultswasalsoundertakenusingthreeindependentsourcesofEarthObservation(EO)windspeeddatatocreateawindmapfortheFirthofForth.

Themesoscalemodel resultswereconsidered reliable firstestimatesof thewind regime,and indicate thatNeartnaGaoitheisarelativelywindysitewithintheFirthofForth,withwindspeedsof8.9to9.1ms1.Intheabsenceofonsitemeasurementsseveralotheractionswereundertaken:

AreviewofavailablemeteorologicalstationsintheFirthofForth; Areviewoflongtermwindspeedanddirectionfrequencydistributionfromoneofthesestations; ScalethedistributiontothemeanwindspeedofNeartnaGaoithe,accordingtomesoscaleresults;

and

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AnalysisofthechangeinthedistributionfromthemeteorologicalstationtoNeartnaGaoitheusingmesoscalewindclimateresultsforvalidationpurposes.

Thewind speed anddirectiondistributionwasderived from anonshoremeteorological station (Leuchars),located25kmtothenorthwestoftheproposedNeartnaGaoithesite.ThiswasthenscaledtotheestimatedmeanwindspeedatNeartnaGaoithe,toprovideestimatedwindvaluesforuse inapreliminary layoutandenergyyieldassessments.

ThewinddirectiondatafromthemeasurementsattheLeucharsMeteorologicalStationshowaclearwesterlypredominance,whilstthemesoscalemodelresultsatthesamelocationweregenerallymoreomnidirectional.The observations are consideredmore reliable and have therefore been used for definingwind directiondistributionsforNeartnaGaoithe.

Analysisoftheenergycontentofthewindspeedfrequencydistributionsindicatesthatthemeasureddataarelessenergeticthanthemodelresults.Inaddition,comparisonofthemodelresultsindicatesthattheoffshorewindclimatesmaybemoreenergeticthanatthelocationoftheLeucharsonshoremeasurements.

FollowingtheGHreport,NnGOWLintendtoinstallahighqualityoffshoremeteorologicalmastonthesiteandcollectdata foraperiodofat least12monthsandpossiblyup to5years.Thesedatamay thenbeused torefine the preliminary wind climate estimates presented in the GH report and to bring the uncertaintiesassociatedwithsuchestimateswithinaquantifiablerange.

3.3 DevelopmentDetailsThecoordinatesoftheproposedNeartnaGaoithesite(Figure31)aregivenbelowinTable31:

CoordinatePoint

Longitude Latitude

1 2.33719 56.290462 2.29708 56.329153 2.27529 56.338484 2.24848 56.336145 2.16495 56.254476 2.15424 56.211977 2.27154 56.212728 2.33423 56.26373

Table31 CoordinatesofNeartnaGaoithe(WGS84DecimalDegrees)

Theproposeddevelopment is likelytoconsistof75turbines,eachhavingacapacityof6MW,givingatotalinstalled capacityof450MW. The capacity factor for the site isestimated tobe4045%,although,amoreaccuratefigurewillbecalculatedwiththesitespecificwinddata.Theestimatedhubheightisapproximately105mwitharotordiameterofapproximately137m. Theproposed layout ispresented inFigure31. Thelayoutisdesignedtomaximisethewindfromthesouthwest,thepredominantwinddirection.

Atthetimeofpublicationofthisdocument,potentialturbinessuppliersRepowerandSiemens(bothmakersofstandard3bladeturbines)arebeingconsidered.Howeverthereisflexibilitytousedifferenttechnologyifitprovessuitable.Thedesignlifeoftheturbinesisapproximately20yearsbuttheleasetermisexpectedtobein the region of 40 years. This therefore entails repowering 20 years after construction and thendecommissioningafurther20yearslater.

Whilemonopileshavemainlybeenusedasturbinefoundationstodate,theseareconsideredunsuitablefortheproposedwaterdepths. Similarly,gravitybasefoundationshavenotyetbeenusedforwindturbinesatthisdepth. Consequently,alternativessuchas jacket foundationsarebeingconsidered. However,detailedfoundationdesign,basedonthegeotechnicalstudy,isrequiredbeforethefinaldecisionismade.

Thereisaproposedcentraloffshoretransformerplatform,withradialinterarraycables.ThepreferredexportcablerouteistoTorness,southofNeartnaGaoithe.However,analternativeroutetoCockenzie,locatedto

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the southwestofNeartnaGaoithe, isalsobeing considered.Sixpotential connection locationshavebeenreviewedincluding,Tealing,Arbroath,Blyth,andCrystalRig.

Anoffshoremeteorologicalmastorsimilar,willbeinstalledtomeasurethewindspeedandthusestimatetheenergyproducedbyaproposedwindfarm.Themetmastlocationmustberepresentativeoftheturbinesinorder to reduceuncertainties in this energy estimate. Aproposedmetmast locationwithin theNeartnaGaoithesite isgiven inTable32below. Itshouldbenoted that this location is indicativeonlyandmaybesubjecttochange.

Longitude Latitude

ProposedMastLocation(UTMZone31NWGS84) 2.263697 56.259061

Table32 MetMastLocation

Astheturbinetechnologyandhubheightoftheproposedwindfarmhavenotyetbeenconfirmed,themastwillmeasureupto100mabovemeansealevel.

Thetypeoffoundationfortheoffshoremetmastdependsonthewaterdepthandgeologicalconditions.Thedesignwillbeinformedbythegeophysicalsurveyandsubsequentgeotechnicalinvestigationsatthesite.Themast is likelytobearobustfreestanding latticetowerdesignedtowithstandoffshoreconditions. Thefacewidth of themastwill beminimised,within technical constraints, to reduce the influence of themast onmeasurements,especiallyatthelowerlevels.

Instrumentationwill consistof an anemometer at100m abovemean sea level andpairsof anemometersinstalledatvariousheightsonthemasttoallowmeasurementofthewindspeedshearprofile. Windvaneswill bemounted at variousmeasurement heights tomeasurewind direction. Pressure, temperature andhumiditysensorswillalsobeinstalledonthemast.Othersensorstomeasurethewaveandtidalclimatemaybeinstalled.

3.4 PlanningandConsentforNeartnaGaoitheTheconsentingprocessforwindfarmswithinScottishterritorialwatersisaproductofcontinuingdevolutionofkeyresponsibilitiesthroughouttheUK.Whilstthestatutoryrequirements,consentsandlicencesthemselvesare broadly uniform across theUK, the regulatory bodies, the statutory advisors and stakeholders for theNeartnaGaoitheOffshoreWindFarmaredistinctfromprojectsinEnglishandWelshwatersorthoseoutside12nauticalmiles.

Duringthebidprocess,MainstreamconsultedandmetwiththeScottishGovernmentandFRSasregulatorsand SNH as a critical statutory advisor, to ensure clarity over consent requirements and to agree theappropriatewayforward.On1April2009,MarineScotlandtookoverthemarineconsentingfunctionsofFRS.The existing consenting process is due to be overhauledwhen theMarine (Scotland) Bill is passed. It isenvisagedthat,atthetimeofapplication,theMarine(Scotland)Billwillhavebeenpassedandtheconsentingprocedurewillhavebeen clarified through secondary legislation. Atpresent theBilldoesnot setout theproposed application procedure in detail but one of the key changeswill be the replacement of consentsundertheFoodandEnvironmentProtectionAct1985(FEPA)andtheCoastProtectionAct1949(CPA)withaMarineLicence.

UnderthecurrentprocedureconsentisrequiredfromtheScottishGovernmentunder:

Section36oftheElectricityAct1989 (Section36)toconstructandoperateageneratingstationofover50MW;

Section5ofFEPAforthedeposit/constructionofinstallationssuchasfoundations,cablesandscourprotectiononorwithintheseabed;

Section34ofCPAforallworksaffectingnavigationrights,includingstructuresorinvestigativeworksthatmaycreateobstructions;and

Section 57 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (TCP(S)A) deemed planningpermissionforonshoreworksifnecessary.

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Additionalconsentsthatmayberequiredinclude:

Workslicencesfromtherelevantportorharbourauthorities; PermissionundertheProtectionofWrecksAct1973forthedepositofanythingontheseabedthat

coulddamage,destroyorobstructaccesstowreckswithinareasdesignatedunderthisAct;

Approvals from Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) under Section 20 of the WaterEnvironment&Water Services (Scotland)Act2003 andWaterEnvironment (ControlledActivities)(Scotland) Regulations 2005 for activities liable to pollute or significantly affect the waterenvironment.

It isNnGOWL understanding that the regulatory bodies in Scotland propose to offer a onestop shop toadministerthesevariousapplications.AtpresentSection36isconsideredtobetheprimaryconsentandtheScottishGovernment (EnergyConsentsUnit)actsasthe leadconsentingbody. TheEnergyConsentsUnit isresponsibleforliaisingwiththeScottishgovernmentsTransportDirectorate,Ports&HarboursUnitinrelationtotheCPAapplicationandMarineScotlandfortheFEPAapplication,aswellaswithotherrelevantauthoritiesforadditionalconsents.TheEnergyConsentsUnitmanagesallstatutoryconsultations,andprovidesasinglepointofcontactwithintheScottishGovernment.Bywayofexample,theEnergyConsentsUnitseeksfeedbackfromtheMCAonnavigationalsafetyissuesaccordingtoCPA,FEPAandSection36requirements,feedingbacktheresponsetocolleaguesinthePortsandHarboursUnitandMarineScotland. MarineScotlandisexpectedto start advising on applications towards the end of 2009 and to start receiving applications for MarineLicencesbyApril2010.

NnGOWL is considering the various consenting approaches for the onshore elements of the project inconjunction with the Scottish Government. The first option is to apply for Section 36 consent for thedevelopmentasawholewithdeemedplanningconsentunderSection57oftheTownandCountryPlanning(Scotland)Act1997 (TCP(S)A) foranyonshoreancillaryworks. Thesecondoption istoapply forSection36consent for the offshoreworks and separate permission under Section 37 of the TCP(S)A for the ancillaryonshoreworks.NnGOWLwillcontinuetoliaisewithScottishGovernmentonthisissuewiththefinaldecisionbeinginfluencedbyfinaldesignandgridconnectionrequirements.

Theconsentingprocessitselfcanbesplitintofourdistinctphases:

Stage1 Projectplanningandscoping:Effectiveplanningiskeytoanefficientandthoroughassessmentoftheprojectpriortoapplicationforconsent. Followingthesubmissionofthescopingdocument,NnGOWLwillorganiseastakeholderworkshoptodiscussanyissuesanddetermineanassessmentplan. Initialdiscussionsregardingtheassessmentofcumulative impacts(includingthedetailsoftheappropriatemethodology forsuchanassessment), taking intoconsiderationotherpotentialsitesandRound3proposals,havealreadyhighlightedthisisakeyissuethatwillrequireextensivediscussionandconsiderationgoingforward.

Stage2 Data collection, surveys and analysis: The outcomes of the scoping process and associatedconsultationwillinformextensivedatacollectionandsurveys.TheapproachagreedwithSNHandtheregulatorsdescribedabovewillacceleratethe initiationofcriticalpathsurveysandwillhelpensure the associated analysis is robust. NnGOWL has already commenced critical path birdsurveysandotheroffshoredatacollection.

Stage3 Consent Application and Determination: NnGOWLs work with regulators and advisors willcontinueafterapplicationshavebeensubmitted. Earlyconsultationwillsupporta nosurprisesphilosophyandNnGOWLwillretainclosedialoguethroughoutthedeterminationprocess.AcoreEIAelementwillbe toapply lessons learned frompreviousprojectsandproposemitigationandmonitoringmeasuresatanearly stage toavoid lengthynegotiationsanddiscussions thatcoulddelaydetermination.

Stage4 PostDetermination:Theimplementationofmonitoringandmitigationprovisionsintheleadupto,during and following construction are an integral part of the consenting process. Securingworkableconditionsthatdonotexposeconstructionoroperationtounacceptablerisksisacoreobjective.Itisimportantthatallmonitoringisdrivenbyclearobjectivesandhypothesestoensure

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it is targeted and produces meaningful results. NnGOWL will work with industry colleaguesthroughouttheconsentprocesstomaximiseknowledgetransferandstreamlinerequirements.

Afurtherconsentthatmustbeobtainedpriortoconstructionrelatestodecommissioning.NnGOWLwillbeissuedwithanoticetoproduceadecommissioningplanuponreceiptofconsent.Responsibilityforapprovalofdecommissioningmeasuresandaccompanying financialsecurityremainswiththeDepartment forEnergyandClimateChange(DECC),withScottishGovernmentbecomingastatutoryconsulteewithothergovernmentbodies.

In addition to the above consents, landowner and other agreements will be required for the project toprogresstoconstruction.InadditiontosecuringaleasewithTheCrownEstate,alicencetocrosstheforeshorewithexportcableswillneedtobesecured.ItmayalsobenecessarytoseekconsentunderSection37oftheElectricityAct1989shouldanyoverheadlineworksberequiredforconnectionintothetransmissionsystem.TheprojectmayalsorequireanagreementunderSection75oftheTCP(S)A.

Aspartoftheapplicationprocess,anEnvironmentalImpactAssessment(EIA)willbecarriedout.ThisEIAwilldetail themethods used and the outcomes of various surveys, consultations and analysis of the potentialimpactsof theproject.TheEIAhasbeenplanned to complywith appropriate legislation andbestpractiseguidanceandtosupportallnecessaryapplicationsforconsent.NnGOWLwillproduceasingleEIAtocoveralloffshoreandonshoreconsents.

3.4.1 NavigationRightsDuringtheEIAandconsentingprocessitmaybenecessarytoconsiderchangestothenavigationrightswithintheoffshorewindfarmsite.PublicrightsofnavigationhavebeenrecognisedinScotslawforcenturiesandaresimplyarightofwayacrossnavigablewaters.Numerouspublicrightsofnavigationhavebeenestablishedoverthe years throughout Scottish waters, primarily for commercial purposes but also more recently forrecreationalpurposes.

PriortotheEnergyAct2004,itwasonlypossibletoextinguishorinterferewiththeserightsonthepassingofanActofParliament,forexampletheRobinRiggOffshoreWindFarm(NavigationandFishing)(Scotland)Act2003.To interferewith these rightswithout thepassingof suchanActwasunlawful.TheEnergyAct2004however,introducedsection36AoftheElectricityAct1989.ThissectionallowsanapplicationtobemadeforadeclarationfromtheScottishMinistersextinguishingtheserights.

Itshouldbenotedthatthedeclarationneednotbetoextinguishtherightsintheirentirety.Thedeclarationcanbetoextinguishtherights,suspendthemforaperiodthatisspecifiedinthedeclaration,suspendthemuntilsuchtimeasmaybedetermined inaccordancewithprovisioncontained inthedeclaration,ortoallowtherighttobeexercisablesubjecttosuchrestrictionsorconditions,orboth,asaresetoutinthedeclaration.In thisway the declaration can dealwith both the temporary impacts on navigation rights as a result ofconstructionand also theongoing /permanent impactsonnavigation rights as a resultof theoperationaldevelopment.

3.5 EngineeringConsiderationsMainstream commissionedode Ltd. to completeageotechnicaland structural review forNeartnaGaoitheduring the bid phase. Initial geological interpretationswere carried out by Emu Ltd., although therewaslimitedboreholeinformation.However,abroadoverviewwasprovidedforpreliminaryconsideration.

Fromtheinterpretation,NeartnaGaoitheischaracterisedbyasequenceofweaksiltymuds(StAndrewsBayandLargoBaymember)overlayingastrongersandgravellytill(WeeBankieFormation),whichinturnoverliesargillaceousrock.Thethicknessofthesequaternarysedimentsvariesfrom0mtoover30mthick.IntheFirthofForth thereareareaswhere theupperweak strataaremissingand the strongerWeeBankieFormationoutcropsattheseabed.Attheselocations,thedepthofsedimentabovebedrockisshallow,from0mto10m.Constructionwithintheseareasmayrequirethatpileswouldbedrilledandgroutedintotheunderlyingrock(odeLtd,2008).

Various typesof foundation arebeing considered includingmonopiles, gravitybases and jacket structures.Consideringthegeologyandwaterdepth,thepreferredfoundationatthisstageisajacketfoundation.

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Thefinaldecisionontheengineeringconsiderationswillbemadeoncompletionofageotechnicalcampaign.This investigationwouldcomprisean intrusivesurveyateachproposedwindturbine locationandatregularpointsalongtheexportcable.Thewindfarmlayoutwillbefinalisedfollowingcompletionofthefirstyearofonsite wind data collection in 2011. This survey will enable detailed design to be optimised and forprocurementtobecompletedin2012withaviewtooffshoreconstructionin2014,dependingonleadtimesforkeycomponentsatthetime.

Subseanoisemodellingwill incorporateengineeringadviceonthemaximumpilediameter(i.e.the loudestoption)toensureflexibilitytouseoptimumfoundationdesignsisretained.

3.6 GridConnectionInScotland,theNationalGridisconsideringtwooptionsforconnection:

i) whethertoinvestinmultipleconnectionpoints,withtheindividualdeveloperschargedseparatelyforconnections;or

i) whethertooptforonecentralpointtowhichalloffshorewindfarmslocaltoanareawouldconnect(BusinessGreen,2009).

NnGOWL will be responsible for gaining all the consents and licences required for the transmissioninfrastructure. However, it isnottheirresponsibilitytodesign,constructandmaintainthe infrastructure,asthisistheresponsibilityoftheOffshoreTransmissionOwner(OFTO).NnGOWLhassubmittedanapplicationtoNationalGridElectricityTransmission (NGET)toconnecttotheonshoretransmissionsystem,namingtheconnectionpoint,cablerouteandlandfall.NnGOWLwillbereimbursedforanycostsincurredingainingtheconsentsandlicences.OFTOswillbeappointedbyanannualtenderprocessonafixeddate,whichwillberunbyOfgem.BothNGETandNnGOWLwillhavekeyrolesinthetenderprocess,asthedeveloperwilldeterminewhatkindofelectricitytransmissioninfrastructureismosteconomicandefficient.

3.6.1 OffshoreCableRouteNnGOWLcommissionedagridconnectionstudybySKMthat identifiedtwopotentialconnectionsites(SKM,2008).TheseareatCockenzieontheFirthofForth,wheretherearelinesat275kVand400kVconnectingthecoalfiredpowerstation,andatTorness,ontheeastcoastsouthofDunbar,wheretwo400kVlinesconvergeto serve the nuclear power station located there. At this stage of the project, specific locations for newsubstationshavenotbeenidentified.

Although a connection point at Tealing was also considered, with an offshore cable route landing atCarnoustie,thiswasdismisseddueto limitedcapacityearly intheprocess. OnceTealingwasruledout,thepreliminarydesignoftheoffshorecableroutestoTornessandCockenziewasinitiatedandcompleted.

NeartnaGaoithewillrequiretwoorthreeexportcablesoperatingat132kV.Thepotentialroutesthathavebeenidentifiedhavebeensurveyed(geophysicalandecological)tofurtherassessfeasibility,althoughresultsarepending.

ThesubstationsatTorness,andCockenziewereoriginallychosenassuitableconnectionpointsdueto theirproximity toNeart naGaoithe and their coastal locations. NnGOWL commissioned an independent cableengineeringconsultanttoreviewtheoffshorecableoptionsforNeartnaGaoithe. TheroutesproposedareshowninFigure32.

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Figure32 ProposedCableRoutesfortheNeartnaGaoitheOffshoreWindFarm

Exportroutesto the two landingzones (Cockenzie (1)andTorness (2))aresimilarovermuchof theirroutelengthsuntilthe50m isobath isreached (ConnellyContracting,2009). FromthispointtheCockenzieroutecontinues throughwhat isessentiallyanestuarineenvironmentcharacterisedby shoalingwaters, relativelymodernsedimentsandalowrelieflanding.TheTornessroutes(2a&2b)runthroughmoreopenwaterswiththinnersedimentoverbedrockbeforeapproachinga rockyshoreline. The route length toeither landingatTorness issignificantly less than that toCockenzie. Thedifferencesbetween theTornessThorntonloch (2a)andSkateraw(2b)landingsarenotgreatbutnegotiatingtheconfinedSkaterawharbourmaybeconsideredtobeanunnecessarycomplication.

FurtherdetailsontheeachoftheoffshorecableroutesareprovidedinAppendixA.

3.6.2 OnshoreSubstation

3.6.2.1 PotentialConnection1Cockenzie

PotentialforaconnectionattheexistingsubstationoranewbuildsubstationinthevicinityofthecoalfiredpowerstationatCockenziehasbeenidentifiedbySKM.However,itshouldbenotedthatthereispotentialfora new gas fired power station at the same locationwhichmay reduce the available capacity for the gridconnection.

3.6.2.2 PotentialConnection2aand2b

TherearetwoproposedlandingsthathavebeenconsideredatTornessonthebasisofsuggestionsbySKMandConnellyContracting(2008):

i. Thorntonloch;and

ii. Skaterawharbour.

Thesewouldbothleadtothesamesubstationforconnection.

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3.6.2.3 PotentialConnection2aTorness(Thorntonloch)

AlandfallhasbeenproposedonthebeachatThorntonloch,whichisapproximately1kmtothesoutheastoftheTornessnuclearpowerstationand400kVsubstationsite.

Thereappearstobeadequatelandinproximitytothepowerstationforasubstationalthoughtheavailabilityof this land isunknown. As an alternative, SKM suggest a substation 2.5km southwestof the villageofInnerwick,whichitselfis3kmwestofthelanding.However,thereappearstobeadequatelandclosertothebeachwithAbnormal IndivisibleLoads (AIL)access fromtheA1roadorbybargeviathepurposebuiltquaywithinthepowerstationcompound.

3.6.2.4 PotentialConnection2bTorness(Skateraw)

Analternative landfallpointhasbeen suggestedwithin the harbourat Skateraw,adjacent to theTornessnuclearpowerstationsite.Theharbour isanatural rockybay thathasbeenheavilymodifiedbystructuresbuiltaspartofthepowerstation,themostsignificantofwhichisthemoleandquaycomplexatthemouthofthebay.

ThesubstationsitesuggestedbySKMis4.5kmtothesouthwestofthelanding;the400kVlinesealingendscompoundsare2.5kmtothesouth.

3.7 Operation,MaintenanceandMonitoringofPerformanceThere is likelytobeanOperationsandMaintenancebase ina localport,withworkboatstotakepersonnel,tools,andequipmenttothesiteonschedulesthatrequireeachturbinetobevisitedbetweenoneandfourtimeseachyear.Unscheduledmaintenancewillalsoberequired.

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4 PhysicalEnvironment

4.1 Metocean

4.1.1 GeneralDescriptionWithintheNeartnaGaoitheoffshorearea,fogisrareinwinter,occurringforlessthan1%ofthetime,butthisincreasesto34%ofthetime inthesummer. It isusuallyassociatedwithwarmairoverthewater,sowithwindsfromthesoutheastorsouthwest(UKHO,2006).

Thecurrentsarerelatively low,withspring tidesonlyreaching1kn (0.514ms1) in theOuterFirthofForth.WithintheFirthofForth,nearRosyth,thecurrentsare0.71.1ms-1ontheebb,and0.40.7ms-1ontheflood.Ingeneral,thefloodcurrentsarestrongeronthenorthsideoftheFirthandtheebbstrongeronthesouthernshore.Consequently,thereisadrifttowardsthewestinthenorthernandcentralFirth,withaneastwardflowalongthesouthernshore.However,ifthewaternearthenortherncoastbecomesstratifiedinlatewintertoearlyspring,thiscangenerateaseawardflowalongthenortherncoastlineaswell(UKOffshoreEnergySEA,2009).

NEXTmodellingofwindandwavesshowed that the1%exceedence level forsignificantwaveheight in thisareawas4.5m,i.e.thatwavesremainunder4.5mfor99%ofthetime(OffshoreTechnologyReport,2001).Thisalsoshowedthatthereweretwopredominantdirections:fromthesouthwestandfromthenorth.Thisisdue to thedominantwinddirection from the southwest creating localwaves,but swellwaves from theAtlantic coming from thenorth. Waves reach 4.5m frombothdirections. In addition to this, theAngusShorelineManagementPlanlistsa100yearreturnperiodextremewaveheightof11.9matadistanceof9kmoffshore fromMontrose (Angus Council, 2004). This report also lists the 100year return significantwaveheight30kmoffshorefromtheTayEstuaryas8.95m.

MainstreamcommissionedaWindStudy(2008)fromGarradHassanandpartnerswhichcalculatedthelongterm mean wind speed estimates at 80 m AMSL derived from mesoscale modelling and EO data. ThemesoscaleresultsfortheNeartnaGaoithesitehadaminimumof8.9ms-1,andmaximumof9.1ms-1,givinganaverageof9.0ms-1 (GarradHassan,2008).TheEOdatagiveameanof9.2ms-1,andtheMarineRenewablesAtlas1estimateforthesiteis9ms-1.

Aswinds tend to funnel along estuaries, such as the Firth of Forth, this can give local increases inwindsoffshore.

4.1.2 AvailableDataInearlySeptember2008,CEFASdeployedadirectionalwaveriderintheOuterFirthofForth(5611.33N,00230.24W,Figure41)aspartoftheirwavenetmonitoringprogramme,whichenablesrealtimewavedirectionandheighttobeviewedviatheinternet2.

1MarineRenewablesAtlashttp://www.renewablesatlas.info/

2CefasWaveNetwebsitelinkhttp://www.cefas.co.uk/data/wavenet.aspx

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Figure41 WaveriderLocationinOuterFirthofForth

Otherdatasourcesandmarineinventoriesinclude:

BODC(BritishOceanographicDataCentre); WaveClimate3; BERRAtlasofUKMarineRenewableEnergyResources; Tidegaugedataavailablefrom1915August20084; BADC(BritishAtmosphericDataCentreatmosphericDAC); NERCEODC(EarthObservationDataCentre); UKMarineInformationAlliance; MEDIN (Marine Environmental Data Information Network) formerly MDIP (Marine Data and

InformationPartnership);

GLOSS(GlobalSeaLevelObservingSystem); GOOSAGUK(GlobalOceanObservingSystemActionGroup); UKHO(UKHydrographicOffice); IODE(InternationalOceanographicDataandInformationExchange);and OceanNet(MEDIN)(webportaltoMEDAG/MDIP/UKGOOS).

3WaveClimateDatawebsitewww.waveclimate.com

4ProudmanOceanographicLaboratorywww.pol.ac.uk/ntslf/data.html

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4.1.3 MethodofAssessmentTheassessmentforoceanographicparameterswilluseacombinationoffieldmeasurementsandmodelling.Significant impacts are difficult to definewith regard towaves and currents, and therefore significance isdependentonwhetherchangesintheseaspectsaltertheecologyorsedimentregimeinasignificantway.

Thefollowingguidancewillbeused:

GuidanceNote for Environmental Impact Assessment in Respect of FEPA and CPA Requirements,Version2June2004,CEFAS2004.

Asuitablemodel(asdetailed inAppendixB)willbesetuptodeterminethecurrentsandwaves inthearea,andtheprocessescontrollingthem.Thiswillbevalidatedbytheexistingdatasetsthatareavailableplussitespecificmeasurements.Themodelwillcoveranarealargeenoughtostudybothnearfield(withinthewindfarm)andfarfieldaffects,andwillalsoconsiderchangesoverthelifetimeoftheproject(nominally40years)thatwouldoccurwithoutthewindfarmpresent. Theoceanographicregime isexpectedtochangeoverthenext forty years due to factors such as global warming and therefore these trends will be predicted toestablishwhetheranyobservablechangesareduetotheproposedwindfarmorotherbackgroundchanges.

4.1.4 FurtherRequirementsAdatagapanalysisstudyhasbeenundertakenbyHRWallingford todetermineexactlywhat information isrequired to inform thebaselinestudyandmodel.MainstreamareworkingwithseveralotherFirthofForthdeveloperstoprocureacombinedbuoybaseddeployment.

It isanticipated that thesesitespecificcurrentmeasurementswillbecollected foraperiodofat least fourmonths,or asotherwise advised, to inform thephysicalprocessesmodel. Longer termwavedatawillbeacquiredfromthewavenetsystem.Thiswillenableacomparisonofshorttermsitespecificdatawithalongertermdatasetformorerobustanalysis.

4.1.5 PotentialMitigationandMonitoringTheturbinefoundationstructuresarelikelytoalterthewaveandcurrentregimelocallyaroundeachbase.Toensure theseaffectsare localised, the turbine spacing in thealignmentof thepredominantwaveand tidalcurrentdirectionswillneedtobesufficienttoavoidcumulativeeffects.Thiswillbedeterminedthroughthemodellingprocess,andincorporatedwithintheproposedwindfarmdesignasappropriate.

Postconstructionmonitoringcanbeundertakenbydeployingasimilarinstrumenttomeasurecurrentsforthesameperiod,andatthesametimeofyearasthepreconsentmeasurements. Thesecanthenbecomparedwith each other and with the model to establish any noticeable changes. In addition, for long termmonitoring,thewavenetdatacouldcontinuetobestudiedperiodically.

4.1.6 CumulativeImpactsIn thenearfield scale, there is thepotential for cumulative impactsbetween turbines asdiscussed above,whichmaybeavoidedbyappropriatedesignof thewind farm. On the larger, farfieldscale, therearenotconsideredtobeanystructuresoractivitieswhicharecurrentlypresenttocausecumulativeorincombinationeffects.

However,duetothepotentialforthreeotheroffshorewindfarms intheOuterFortharea,the interactions,particularlywherethetidalexcursionsoverlap,willbestudiedindetail(seeFigure42).Asthetidalalignmentisapproximatelynorth/south(withatendencytonorthnorthwest/southsoutheast)thepotentialinteractionwiththeproposedwindfarmstothenorthandsouthwillneedtobeconsidered.However,tidalcurrentsarenotparticularlystrong(oftheorderof0.6ms1whichwillreducethelikelihoodofcumulativeinteractions.

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Figure42 TidalDiamondInformationfortheOuterFirthofForth

4.2 Bathymetry

4.2.1 GeneralDescriptionThe seabeddirectlyoffshore theFifeNessheadland is the steepestwithin theOuterFirthofForth region,descendingto40mdepthapproximately8kmoffshore(Figure43).TheNeartnaGaoithesiteislocatedonaslightlyelevatedsectionof theseabed,wheredepths range from4455m. Thedeepestwater is locatedalongtheeasternportionofthesite.

4.2.2 AvailableDataData from theHydrographicOfficegivenonAdmiraltyChart190andSeaZoneHydrospatialdatahavebeenusedtoassessthebathymetry.

4.2.3 MethodofAssessmentAhighresolutionswathbathymetry (multibeam)geophysicalsurveywasundertaken in Juneand July2009,providing100%coverageof thesurveyarea. Inaccordancewith theMarineGuidanceNoteMGN371, theswath bathymetry data were collected to comply with the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO)Order1standardmultibeambathymetryrequirements.

Thesedatawillbeincorporatedwiththeoceanographicandsedimentregimemodeltopredictanypotentialchangesduetothepresenceoftheproposedwindturbines.Aswithwavesandcurrents,therearelikelytobechanges thatoccurover thenext40yearsdue tobackgroundchanges,and thusanypredictedorobserveddifferenceswillbeconsideredwithinthecontextoftheselargerscalepredictedchanges.

Significantimpactswouldbeconsideredtobetheremovalorcreationofidentifiableseabedfeaturessuchassandwaves.Particularattentionwillbegiventoanychangespredictedwithinnearbynavigationroutes.

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Figure43 BathymetryoftheSurroundingArea

Figure44showsthebathymetrycontoursat2mdepthintervalsfrom0to60m.Thecontoursarepresentedinatrafficlightcolourschemefromgreen(shallow)tored(deep).

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Figure44 2mIntervalDepthContoursforNeartnaGaoithe

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4.2.4 FurtherRequirementsThegeophysicalsurveywillbeanalysedacrosstheproposedsiteandalongthecableroute.Thespecificationsforthissurveyaregivenin