14.13. Proposed Monitoring

  1. No aviation monitoring to test the predictions made within the assessment of LSE1 on aviation is considered necessary.
  2. No monitoring as a result of the CEA is proposed as mitigation will have been required for those receptors which are affected by operational and planned projects, a much-reduced obstacle and radar (if any in some areas of the region) cumulative effect will be apparent and therefore with mitigation in place the residual effect will be minor which is not significant in EIA terms for all scenarios. No monitoring is therefore considered necessary.

14.14. Transboundary Effects

  1. Paragraph 19 to 20 explains that the Array is fully contained within the Scottish FIR2. Each FIR2 is managed by a controlling authority that has responsibility for ensuring that air traffic services are provided to the aircraft flying within it. The UK CAA is the controlling authority for the UK. The Scottish FIR2 covers Scotland and Northern Ireland. A screening of transboundary impacts has been carried out (volume 3, appendix 6.6) and has identified that there were no likely significant transboundary effects with regard to aviation from the Array upon the interests of European Economic Area (EEA) states.

14.15. Inter-Related Effects

  1. A description of the likely inter-related effects arising from the Array on aviation, military and communications is provided in volume 3, chapter 19 of the Array EIA Report.
  2. For aviation, military and communications, the following potential impacts have been considered within the inter-related assessment:
  • creation of a physical obstruction to aircraft operations (including airborne SAR and low flying aircraft); and
  • wind turbines causing interference on aviation radar systems (including PSR and ADR).
  1. The individual project alone impacts were assigned residual significance of impact of no greater than minor adverse once mitigation is applied. It is therefore anticipated that the significance of combined effects on airspace and radar users will not be of any greater significance than the effects when assessed in isolation. Table 14.14   Open ▸ lists the inter-related effects (project lifetime effects) that are predicted to arise during the construction, operation and maintenance phase, and decommissioning of the Array and also the inter-related effects (receptor-led effects) that are predicted to arise for aviation, military and communications receptors.

 

Table 14.14:
Summary of Likely Significant Inter-Related Effects for Aviation, Military and Communications from Individual Effects Occurring Across the Construction, Operation and Maintenance and Decommissioning Phases of the Array (Array Lifetime Effects) and from Multiple Effects Interacting Across all Phases (Receptor-led Effects)

Table 14.14: Summary of Likely Significant Inter-Related Effects for Aviation, Military and Communications from Individual Effects Occurring Across the Construction, Operation and Maintenance and Decommissioning Phases of the Array (Array Lifetime Effects) and from Multiple Effects Interacting Across all Phases (Receptor-led Effects)


14.16. Summary of Impacts, Mitigation, Likely Significant Effects and Monitoring

  1. Information on aviation, military and communications within the aviation, military and communications study area was collected through desktop review and stakeholder engagement. This information is summarised in Table 14.15   Open ▸ and Table 14.16   Open ▸ .
  2. Table 14.15   Open ▸ presents a summary of the potential impacts, designed in measures and the conclusion of LSE1 in EIA terms in respect to aviation, military and communications. The impacts assessed include:
  • creation of physical obstacle to aircraft operations (including airborne SAR operations and low flying aircraft); and
  • wind turbines causing interference on aviation radar systems (including PSR and ADR).
  1. Overall, it is concluded that there will be the following LSE1 arising from the Array during the construction, operation and maintenance or decommissioning phases prior to further mitigation:
  • wind turbines causing interference to aviation radar systems (including PSR and ADR).
  1. Table 14.16   Open ▸ presents a summary of the potential impacts, designed in measures and the conclusion of likely significant cumulative effects on aviation, military and communications in EIA terms. The cumulative effects assessed include:
  • creation of physical obstacle to aircraft operations (including airborne SAR operations and low flying aircraft); and
  • wind turbines causing interference on aviation radar systems (including PSR and ADR).
  1. Overall, it is concluded that there will be the following likely significant cumulative effects from the Array alongside other projects/plans:
  • wind turbines causing interference to aviation radar systems (including PSR and ADR).
  1. No likely significant transboundary effects have been identified in regard to effects of the Array.
Table 14.15:
Summary of Likely Significant Environmental Effects, Secondary Mitigation and Monitoring

Table 14.15: Summary of Likely Significant Environmental Effects, Secondary Mitigation and Monitoring

 

Table 14.16:
Summary of Likely Significant Cumulative Environment Effects, Mitigation and Monitoring

Table 14.16: Summary of Likely Significant Cumulative Environment Effects, Mitigation and Monitoring

14.17. References

CAA (2016a). CAP 764 Policy and Guidelines on Wind Turbines. Available at: http://publicapps.aa.co.uk/modalapplication.aspx?catid=33&pagetype=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=5609 Accessed on: 23 August 2023

CAA (2016b, as amended 2022). CAP 393 The Air Navigation Order. Available at: https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/modalapplication.aspx?appid=11&mode=detail&id=7523. Accessed on: 24 November 2023.

CAA (2019). CAP 670 Air Traffic Services Safety Requirements. Available at: https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/modalapplication.aspx?catid=1&pagetype=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=9124 Accessed on: 23 August 2023.

CAA (2020). CAP 738 Safeguarding of Aerodromes. Available at: https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/modalapplication.aspx?appid=11&mode=detail&id=576 Accessed on: 24 November 2023

CAA (2021). CAP 774 The UK Flight Information Services. Available at: https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/modalapplication.aspx?catid=1&pagetype=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=11032 Accessed on: 24 November 2023

CAA (2022a). CAP 168 Licensing of Aerodromes. Available at: https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/modalapplication.aspx?appid=11&mode=detail&id=6114. Accessed on: 25 August 2023.

CAA (2022b). CAP 785B Implementation and Safeguarding of Instrument Flight Procedures (IFP) in the UK.

CAA (2023a). CAP 032 UK Integrated Aeronautical Information Package (IAIP). Available at: https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/modalapplication.aspx?catid=1andpagetype=65andappid=11andmode=detailandid=223. Accessed on: 25 November 2023.

CAA (2023b). CAP 999 Helicopter Search and Rescue (SAR) in the UK National Approval Guidance. Available at: https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/modalapplication.aspx?appid=11&mode=detail&id=4092. Accessed on: 26 October 2023.

CAA (2023c) The CAA, Statutory Regulator. Available at: https://www.caa.co.uk/. Accessed on: 24 November 2023.

ICAO (2009). Document 8168 Ops/611 Procedures for Air Navigation Services - Aircraft Operations (PANS-Ops)

ICAO (2022). Annex 14 Aerodromes Design and Operations contains Standards and Recommended Procedures (SARPs)

IEMA (2016). Guide to Delivering Quality Developments.

JTF (2021). Air Defence and Offshore Wind Working Together Towards Net Zero. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/air-defence-and-offshore-wind-working-together-towards-net-zero/air-defence-and-offshore-wind-working-together-towards-net-zero. Accessed on: 15 December 2023.

MCA (2021). Marine Guidance Note (MGN) 654: Safety of Navigation Offshore Renewable Energy Installations (OREIs). Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mgn-654-mf-offshore-renewable-energy-installations-orei-safety-response. Accessed on: 14 April 2023.

MD-LOT (2023). Scoping opinion for Ossian Array. Marine Directorate – Licensing Operations Team, Edinburgh

Ministry of Defence (MOD) (2023a). Military Aeronautical Information Publication (Mil AIP).

MOD (2016). Obstruction Lighting Guidance. Available at: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.renewableuk.com/resource/collection/0B792CF1-8B8A-474B-95B6-17886BF724A7/20190002-Windfarm_lighting_review__002_.pdf. Accessed on: 24 September 2023.

MOD (2023b). UK En Route Low Altitude North Sea West Offshore Installations Chart - UK (Low) 5 OIL.

NSTA (2023). Oil and Gas Annual Report and Accounts. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ogansta-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-to-2023. Accessed on: 22 October 2023.

Operational Programme for the Exchange of Weather Radar Information (OPERA) (2009). Statement on the cohabitation between weather radars and wind.

Ossian OWFL (2023). Ossian Array Scoping Report. Available at: https://ossian-eia.com/offshore-scoping/. Accessed on: 15 December 2023

Scottish Government (2015). Scottish National Marine Plan (NMP). Available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-national-marine-plan/. Accessed on: 24 November 2023.

Scottish Government (2020). Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy (SMP). Available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/sectoral-marine-plan-offshore-wind-energy/. Accessed on: 24 November 2023.

Trinity (2016). Guidelines on the Provision and Maintenance of Local Aids to Navigation. Available at: https://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/asset/2425. Accessed on: 24 November 2023.

 

[1] Class G airspace is uncontrolled, pilots may enter the airspace subject to a set of simple rules. Pilots are not obliged to contact air traffic control agencies, but many do for other traffic information, pilots remain responsible for their own safety. 

[2] Class C airspace is controlled airspace in which instructions provided to pilots are mandatory. Subject to the flight conditions and type of flight, aircrafts are separated from each other within this class of airspace.

[3] Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) are rules which allow properly equipped aircraft to be flown under Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC).

[4] CAP 999 defines the SAR operating minima as: “Operating minima for the dispatch and continuation of a SAR operational flight are at the discretion of the aircraft commander. However, he is to consider the urgency of the task, crew and aircraft capability and the requirement to recover the aircraft safely” (CAA, 2023b).

[5] Babcock Group Int also operates two specialist SAR aircraft to support the Oil and Gas industry from Aberdeen International Airport: the Integrated Search and Rescue (ISAR) Consortium (formerly Jigsaw Aviation).

[6] C = Construction, O = Operation and maintenance, D = Decommissioning

[7] C = Construction, O = Operation and maintenance, D = Decommissioning

[8] In aviation terms, “rarity” refers to the state or quality of being rare to the aviation user or service provider, e.g. resilience of radar, availability of a hub/node of operation, or the overall airspace.

[9] Policy paper: Air defence and offshore wind - working together towards Net Zero (29 September 2021)

[10] C = Construction, O = Operation and maintenance, D = Decommissioning

[11] C = Construction, O = Operation and maintenance, D = Decommissioning