Introduction
Ossian Offshore Wind Farm Limited (Ossian OWFL) (a joint venture between Scottish and Southern Energy Renewables (SSER), Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and Marubeni Corporation (Marubeni), is developing Ossian, an offshore wind farm located off the east coast of Scotland, approximately 80 km south-east of Aberdeen.Ossian OWFL is seeking consent for the Array, which comprises the wind turbines (inclusive of their floating substructures and mooring and anchoring systems), Offshore Substation Platforms (inclusive of their floating substructures and mooring and anchoring systems), and inter-array and interconnector cables.
Ossian OWFL intends to submit separate consents, licences and permissions for the Proposed offshore export cable corridor(s) and Proposed onshore (landward of Mean Low Water Springs) export cable corridor(s) (including onshore substation at the Proposed landfall location(s)).
The EIA Process
This EIA Scoping Report has been prepared in order to support a request for a formal Scoping Opinion in relation to Ossian from Scottish Ministers. It is anticipated that the Scoping Opinion will be based on responses to this EIA Scoping Report from key statutory and non-statutory consultees, which will help guide the Applicant in progressing the Ossian EIA Report.Contents
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Topic |
Summary of Content |
Section |
Link |
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Introductory Chapters |
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Introduction |
Background to the Proposed Array and outlines the purpose and approach of the Array EIA Scoping Report. |
Section 1 |
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Project Description |
Description of the design for the Proposed Array, based on preliminary conceptual design information and current understanding of the environment from initial site investigation studies. |
Section 2 |
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Site Selection Methodology and Consideration of Alternatives |
Description of the site selection process and the approach undertaken by the Applicant to identify the siting of the Proposed Array and reasonable alternatives considered to date. |
Section 3 |
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EIA Methodology |
Description of the proposed principles of the EIA process and the approach that will be applied in the Array EIA Report to identify and evaluate the likely impacts and, subsequently, evaluate the significance of effects, associated with the Proposed Array. |
Section 4 |
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Offshore Physical Environment |
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Physical Processes |
Overview of the offshore physical environment (tidal elevations, current, waves, bathymetry, geology and seabed sediments, suspended sediments and sediment transport) within the Proposed Array. Required for understanding of potential impacts to the offshore physical environment from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 5.1 |
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Subsea Noise |
Overview of ambient subsea noise within the Proposed Array. 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 |
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Airborne Noise |
Overview of ambient airborne noise within the Proposed Array. 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 |
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Offshore Air Quality |
Overview of the offshore air quality within the vicinity of the Proposed Array. Required for understanding of potential impact to offshore air quality from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 5.4 |
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Climatic Effects |
Overview of the climatic effects associated with the Proposed Array. Required for understanding of potential impact to climatic effects from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 5.5 |
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Offshore Biological Environment |
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Benthic Subtidal Ecology |
Overview of the benthic subtidal ecology of the seabed within the Proposed Array. Required for understanding of potential impacts to benthic subtidal ecology from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 6.1 |
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Fish and Shellfish Ecology |
Overview of the fish and shellfish ecology of the seabed within the Proposed Array. Required for understanding of potential impact to fish and shellfish ecology from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 6.2 |
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Marine Mammals |
Overview of the marine mammals within the vicinity of the Proposed Array. Required for understanding of potential impacts to marine mammals from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 6.3 |
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Offshore Ornithology |
Overview of the offshore ornithology features within the vicinity of the Proposed Array. Required for understanding of potential impacts to ornithology from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 6.4 |
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Offshore Human and Socio-Economic Environment |
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Commercial Fisheries |
Overview of commercial fisheries within the vicinity of the Proposed Array. Required for understanding of potential impacts to commercial fisheries from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 7.1 |
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Shipping and Navigation |
Overview of the baseline shipping and navigation within the vicinity of the Proposed Array. Required for understanding of potential impacts to shipping and navigation from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 7.2 |
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Aviation, Military and Communications |
Overview of aviation, military and communications within the vicinity of the Proposed Array. Required for understanding of potential impacts to aviation, military and communications from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 7.3 |
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Marine Archaeology |
Overview of marine archaeology within the vicinity of the Proposed Array. Required for understanding of potential impacts to marine archaeology from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 7.4 |
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Seascape, Landscape and Visual Resources |
Overview of the seascape and visual resources within the vicinity of the Proposed Array. Required for understanding of potential impacts to seascape, landscape and visual resources from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 7.5 |
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Infrastructure and Other Users |
Overview of infrastructure and other users within the vicinity of the Proposed Array. Required for understanding of potential impacts to infrastructure and other users from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 7.6 |
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Offshore Socio-Economics |
Overview of the baseline offshore socio-economics within the vicinity of the Proposed Array. Required for understanding of potential impacts to baseline offshore socio-economics from construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning. |
Section 7.7 |
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Concluding Chapters |
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Summary |
Presents a summary of those impacts that are proposed to be scoped in and out of the Array EIA Report. |
Section 8 |
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Appendices
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Topic |
Summary of Content |
Section |
Link |
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Draft Stakeholder Engagement Plan |
Includes the likely future consultation requirements associated with the EIA and HRA following receipt of the Scoping Opinion to application submission. |
Appendix 1 |
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Mitigation and Monitoring Commitments Register |
Includes all enhancement, mitigation and monitoring commitments that have been committed to within the Array EIA Scoping Report. |
Appendix 2 |
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Transboundary Screening |
Includes a screening assessment of potential transboundary impacts arising from the Proposed Array. |
Appendix 3 |
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Policy and Legislation |
Overview of international obligations, and national legislation and policy applicable to the Proposed Array.Appendix-4-Policy-and-Legislation-part-1.html |
Appendix 4 |
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Physical Processes - Baseline Environment |
Baseline environment in relation to Physical Processes. |
Appendix 5 |
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Benthic Subtidal Ecology - Baseline Environment |
Baseline environment in relation to Benthic Ecology. |
Appendix 6 |
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Benthic Subtidal Ecology - Environmental Survey Report |
Environmental survey report in relation to Benthic Ecology. |
Appendix 7 |
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Fish and Shellfish Ecology - Baseline Environment |
Baseline environment in relation to Fish and Shellfish. |
Appendix 8 |
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Marine Mammals - Baseline Environment |
Baseline environment in relation to Marine Mammals |
Appendix 9 |
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Commercial Fisheries - Baseline Environment |
Baseline environment in relation to Commercial Fisheries. |
Appendix 10 |
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Marine Archaeology - Baseline Environment |
Baseline environment in relation to Marine Archaeology. |
Appendix 11 |
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Offshore Socio-Economics - Baseline Environment |
Baseline environment in relation to Offshore Socio-economics. |
Appendix 12 |
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References |
List of all references included in the Ossian Array EIA Scoping Report |
Appendix 13 |
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Digital Acknowledgement
The content provided in this Digital Scoping Report is a digital replication of the information presented within the Ossian Array EIA Scoping Report submitted to Marine Scotland on 09 March 2023, 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 18/04/2023.