1. Non-Technical Summary

1.1. Introduction

1.1.1. Overview

  1. In January 2022, Ossian Offshore Wind Farm Limited (Ossian OWFL) (hereafter referred to as “the Applicant”) was awarded an Option to Lease agreement to develop Ossian, an offshore wind farm within the E1 East Plan Option (PO) Area as part of the ScotWind Leasing Round. This project (hereafter referred to as “the Array”) is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (SSER), Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and Marubeni Corporation.
  2. Ossian is a proposed offshore wind farm located off the east coast of Scotland, approximately 80 km south-east from the nearest point of Aberdeen (see Figure 1.1   Open ▸ ). The Array is located within the site boundary and includes the offshore infrastructure required to generate electricity including the wind turbines (including their floating substructures, as well as the mooring and anchoring systems), the fixed bottom Offshore Substation Platforms (OSPs) and inter-array and interconnector cables. The Array is the subject of this Array Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report.
  3. In March 2024, as part of the ongoing Holistic Network Design Follow Up Exercise (HND FUE), National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) published their Transitional Centralised Strategic Network Plan (TCSNP) in the ‘Beyond 2030’ report (National Grid, 2024). Beyond 2030 sets out National Grid ESO’s recommendations to achieve a decarbonised electricity network. The proposed grid design aims to facilitate transmission of a number of offshore wind farm projects. Within this publication it was confirmed that Ossian will be offered two grid connection locations in Lincolnshire, one at Weston Marsh and one at the Lincolnshire Connection Node. Onshore and offshore route optioneering work has now commenced to determine appropriate offshore and onshore export cable corridors, and locations for the proposed onshore convertor station(s). As part of this, the Applicant has initiated engagement with key stakeholders in Lincolnshire to inform early design and site selection considerations.
  4. Due to the ongoing nature of the HNDFUE, and the uncertainty associated with landfall locations, and grid connection dates, the Applicant is currently progressing separate consenting applications for the Proposed offshore export cable corridor(s) and Proposed onshore transmission infrastructure. Cumulative effects of the other Ossian elements have been considered insofar as practicable on the basis of available information in the Cumulative Effects Assessment (CEA) forming part of the Array EIA Report.

1.1.2. Purpose of the Document

  1. This document is a Non-Technical Summary (NTS) of the Array EIA Report, which provides the environmental information which has been gathered in order to carry out an assessment of the likely significant environmental effects of the Array.
  2. This NTS is intended to act as a stand-alone document, providing an overview of the environmental effects discussed within the Array EIA Report in non-technical language. For more detailed information, the full Array EIA Report should be referred to (see volumes 1 to 4 of the Array EIA Report).

1.1.3. Purpose of the Array EIA Report

  1. The Array EIA Report provides a description of the Array and details the environmental information gathered to carry out an assessment of the likely significant effects (LSE1) of the Array on the receiving environment.

 

  1. The Array EIA Report specifically:
  • details technical information to help statutory and non-statutory consultees with their understanding of the Array;
  • provides the current environmental baseline information, derived from desktop studies, site-specific surveys and/or consultation;
  • describes the EIA methodology used in the assessments;
  • describes the potential environmental impacts arising from the Array, when considering the baseline information and gathered data, and the analysis and impact assessments completed as part of the EIA process;
  • carries out an assessment of LSE1 and considers mitigating actions for these;
  • outlines the level of confidence in the data used in the assessment along with any data limitations, including where any data gaps or shortfalls exist;
  • describes designed in mitigation measures to avoid, prevent, limit or, wherever possible, offset any significant adverse effects on the environment identified as part of the assessment, and, where appropriate, proposes monitoring arrangements to corroborate findings within the Array EIA Report. Where additional mitigation measures have been identified, the residual significance of effect has also been presented; and
  • provides evidence of the main reasons for site selection and a description of the reasonable alternatives considered for the Array.
  1. The Array EIA Report is divided into four volumes:
  • volume 1 – Introductory Chapters;
  • volume 2 – Array EIA Report Specialist Assessments;
  • volume 3 – Array EIA Technical Reports; and
  • volume 4 – Outline Management Plans.
  1. Based on the Scoping Opinion received and discussions with stakeholders, the Array EIA Report focuses on the following topic areas:
  • Physical Processes;
  • Benthic Subtidal Ecology;
  • Fish and Shellfish Ecology;
  • Underwater Noise;
  • Marine Mammals;
  • Offshore Ornithology;
  • Commercial Fisheries;
  • Shipping and Navigation;
  • Aviation, Military and Communications;
  • Infrastructure and Other Users;
  • Major Accidents and Disasters;
  • Climatic Effects;
  • Socio-Economics;
  • Marine Archaeology; and
  • Inter-Related Effects.
  1. Based on the Scoping Opinion received and discussions with stakeholders the following topic areas were scoped out of the assessment:
  • Seascape, Landscape, and Visual Resources;
  • Cultural Heritage;
  • Air Quality;
  • Water Quality; and
  • Airborne Noise.
  1. Throughout the Array EIA Report process, the Applicant has undertaken extensive consultation with statutory and non-statutory stakeholders, and actively engaged with the public at a virtual public consultation event. Details of the consultation with statutory and non-statutory stakeholders and the public is presented in volume 1, chapter 5, together with a full list of stakeholders who were consulted. Topic specific consultation is also provided in each topic chapter (see volume 2, chapters 7 to 20). A summary of the consultation is presented in section 1.5.

1.1.4. The Applicant

  1. The Applicant holds vast experience in the renewables sector and an ever-growing portfolio in the offshore wind sector as detailed below.
  2. SSER is investing around £7bn to 2027, or almost £4m a day on average, to support the delivery of SSE’s Net Zero Acceleration Programme to address climate change head on. This includes plans to increase installed renewable energy capacity to around 9 GW by 2027, including the delivery of the world’s largest offshore wind farm in construction.
  3. SSER is a leading developer, owner and operator of renewable energy across the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland, with a portfolio of around 4 GW of onshore wind, offshore wind and hydro SSER is part of the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE)-listed SSE plc, with a strategy to drive the transition towards net zero through world class development, construction, and operation of renewable energy assets.
  4. SSER boasts the world’s largest offshore wind energy project in Dogger Bank Wind Farm, located in the North Sea, which when complete will have a generating capacity of 3.6 GW. A planning application has also been submitted in their name for Berwick Bank Offshore Wind Farm, which when complete will be one of the largest offshore wind developments in the world, with a generating capacity of 4.1 GW.
  5. Founded in 2012, CIP today is the world’s largest dedicated fund manager within greenfield renewable energy investments and a global leader in offshore wind. The funds managed by CIP focus on investments in offshore and onshore wind, solar PV, biomass and energy-from-waste, transmission and distribution, reserve capacity, storage, advanced bioenergy, and Power-to-X. CIP manages 12 funds and has to date raised approximately EUR 26 billion for investments in energy and associated infrastructure from more than 150 international institutional investors.
  6. Marubeni Corporation is a Japanese conglomerate with extensive interests in power generation and renewable energy. The company has built considerable offshore wind experience since its first investment into offshore wind in 2011 as the first Japanese Independent Power Producer (IPP) to enter the UK offshore wind market. Part of their ever-growing portfolio is their involvement in the development and operation of over 2 GW of onshore and offshore wind farms (Marubeni Offshore Wind Development, 2023). Marubeni played a key role, in conjunction with Akita Offshore Wind Corporation, in delivering the first large scale fixed bottom offshore wind farm in Japan with their projects at Akiko Port and Noshiro Port in the Akita Prefecture.

1.1.5. Array Overview

  1. The Array (i.e. offshore components of Ossian, including infrastructure such as wind turbines and associated foundations, mooring and anchors, OSPs, and inter-array/interconnector cables) is located within the site boundary, approximately 80 km south-east of Aberdeen (east coast of Scotland) from the nearest point, comprising an area of approximately 859 km2 ( Figure 1.1   Open ▸ ).
  2. A maximum of 265 floating wind turbines will be installed, with associated floating foundations, mooring and anchoring systems and associated infrastructure. There will also be up to six large OSPs, or up to three large and twelve small OSPs which will be installed on piled jackets or suction caisson jackets foundations. The wind turbines will connect to each other and to the OSPs via inter-array cables, and the OSPs will be connected to each other via interconnector cables.
  3. Prior to the construction phase of the Array, a number of site preparation activities will be required to be undertaken. It is assumed that site preparation works will continue throughout the construction phase as required, therefore, these works may be undertaken at any point within the construction programme. These site-preparation activities include pre-construction surveys, sand wave and boulder clearance and clearance of unexploded ordnance (UXO) present.
  4. The construction phase associated with the Array is anticipated to commence in 2031 and is expected to last for up to 96 months. The decommissioning phase is likely to follow a similar programme to the construction, in a reverse manner. The Applicant is seeking a 35 year consent period to operate the Array. Further description of the Array is presented in section 1.3.

Figure 1.1:
Location of the Array

Figure 1.1: Location of the Array