1. Introduction

1.1. Purpose

  1. This outline Navigational Safety and Vessel Management Plan (NSVMP) has been prepared by RPS and Ossian Offshore Wind Farm Limited (Ossian OWFL), a joint venture partnership between SSE Renewables (SSER) Limited, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), and Marubeni Corporation, hereafter referred to as ‘the Applicant’, to support the Array Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report for the Ossian Array (hereafter referred to as ‘the Array’).
  2. The NSVMP provides details of the vessel management and navigational safety measures to be implemented, in accordance with relevant guidance, during the construction and operation and maintenance phases of the Array. An NSVMP is likely to be required through the Section 36 Consent and Marine Licence as consent conditions and therefore this NSVMP will be updated and submitted to Marine Directorate - Licensing and Operations Team (MD-LOT) for approval post consent.
  3. Decommissioning will be subject to a separate Marine Licence and navigational safety and vessel management arrangements will be developed at the appropriate time in advance of those activities commencing.

1.2. Project Overview

  1. The Array is located off the east coast of Scotland, approximately 80 km south-east of Aberdeen from the nearest point (see Figure 1.1   Open ▸ ).
  2. The Array covers an area of approximately 859 km2. It comprises up to 265 floating wind turbines and up to 15 Offshore Substation Platforms (OSPs) with fixed foundations. Subsea inter-array cables will connect the wind turbines to each other and to the OSPs, while interconnector cables will connect the OSPs to each other.

Figure 1.1:
Location of the Array

Figure 1.1:  Location of the Array

1.3. Scope and Objectives

  1. This NSVMP has been produced for the purposes of satisfying the relevant consent conditions as outlined in Table 1.1   Open ▸ , which outlines where in this document the specific requirements of the consent conditions are met. This document applies to vessel management and navigational safety of the Array, in accordance with the relevant guidance, during the construction and operation and maintenance phases.
  2. This NSVMP has been produced for the purpose of providing the required information to the Scottish Ministers and Licensing Authority on vessel management and navigational safety during the construction, and operation and maintenance phases, in order to mitigate the impact of project vessels and the navigational risk to other legitimate users of the sea.
  3. The information provided in this document is based on the current understanding of the baseline environment and how the Array will be constructed and operated using the best available technologies, in compliance with current legislation and best practice at the time of writing.
  4. The NSVMP will be reviewed as required and updated if necessary (see section 1.5). Information contained within this document is accurate at the time of submission, but it is recognised that changes or updates may be required to reflect changes following consultation or changes in best practice.

 

Table 1.1:
Consent Conditions Relevant to the NSVMP

Table 1.1:  Consent Conditions Relevant to the NSVMP

 

1.4. Links with Other Consent Plans

  1. This NSVMP forms one of a number of Consent Plans for which the approval from Scottish Ministers will be sought post-consent in compliance with the conditions of the S36 Consent and Marine Licence.
  2. In order to reduce repetition between documents, where detailed information is not deemed fundamental to the understanding of the key objectives of this document, a summary of information may be provided with a reference to where more detailed information is provided in a separate document. Table 1.2   Open ▸ provides an overview of which consent documents are referenced within this document.

 

Table 1.2:
Linkages with Other Consent Plans

Table 1.2: Linkages with Other Consent Plans

 

1.5. Updates and Amendments to the NSVMP

  1. It is acknowledged that this document, once approved, may require updating from time to time. This section outlines the general procedure that will be followed. Factors that may influence the need for a review and/or update include:
  • significant change to the design of the Array;
  • significant change in methods or schedule outlines within this document;
  • significant changes in knowledge of baseline information or environment of relevance to the contents of this document;
  • significant changes in legislation or best practice guidance;
  • significant stage in project lifecycle (for example, completion of construction); and
  • scheduled reviews.
  1. [Project specific review detail to be added post-consent].