Appendix 2 Mitigation and Monitoring Commitments Register
2.1. Introduction
- A number of designed in measures have been applied in this Scoping Report and are detailed in each technical section. Apx Table 2.1 Open ▸ summarises the mitigation and monitoring commitments presented in more detail within each topic section of this Scoping Report which are categorised, as per section 4.3.2, as either:
- primary (inherent) mitigation (P);
- secondary (foreseeable) mitigation (S); or
- tertiary (inexorable) mitigation (T)
- Both primary and tertiary mitigation measures are considered as designed in measures as they are incorporated as part of the project design. Therefore, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) can be undertaken assuming that these designed in measures will be implemented during the relevant project phase. As a result, potential effects which might arise prior to the implementation of designed in measures do not need to be identified as potential effects as there is no potential for them to arise (IEMA, 2016).
- It is expected that the Array EIA Scoping Opinion and post-Scoping stakeholder engagement will inform further development of the mitigation measures as the EIA progresses. Therefore, this mitigation and monitoring commitments register ( Apx Table 2.1 Open ▸ ) is a ‘live’ document which will be updated throughout the EIA process.
Array Mitigation and Monitoring Commitments Register
Reference | Array Phase | Mitigation and Monitoring Commitments | Offshore Topics of Relevance | Means of Implementation | Mitigation Category (Primary (P), Secondary (S) or Tertiary (T)) | ||||||||||||||||
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Physical Processes | Subsea Noise | Airborne Noise | Air Quality | Climatic Effects | Benthic Subtidal Ecology | Fish and Shellfish Ecology | Marine Mammals | Offshore Ornithology | Commercial Fisheries | Shipping and Navigation | Aviation, Military and Communications | Infrastructure and Other Users | Marine Archaeology | Seascape, Landscape and Visual Resources | Offshore Socio-economics | ||||||
1 | Construction. | Development and adherence to an appropriate Code of Construction Practice (CoCP). |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence, via the requirement for a CoCP. | T | |
2 | Construction. | Implementation of soft-start and ramp-up measures for piling activities and unexploded ordnance (UXO). |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence. | P | |
3 | Construction. | Development of, and adherence to, a Piling Strategy (PS) (or equivalent, after consultation with stakeholders) which will set out the mitigation measures including soft-start and ramp-up measures. |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence via requirement for a PS. | T | |
4 | Construction. | Use of low order deflagration (ideally, and where possible) for UXO clearance. |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence. | P | |
5 | Construction. | Buoyed construction area in agreement with Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB). |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence. | P | |
6 | Operation and maintenance | Spacing between wind turbines within the Array will be sufficiently distant (at least 1,000 m) so that wake effects or changes to the wave field will be mitigated. | |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence. | P | |
7 | Operation and maintenance | Scour protection will be deployed around Array mooring and anchoring systems and foundations where required. | |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence. | P | |
8 | Operation and maintenance. | Appropriate cable protection in accordance with a Cable Burial Risk Assessment (CBRA) and post-installation monitoring around Array cables through the development and adherence to a Cable Plan (CaP) or equivalent. | |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence, via the requirement for a CaP. | T | |
9 | Operation and maintenance. | Blade clearance of at least 22 m above the water line, accounting for pitch and roll as per Marine Guidance Note (MGN) 654. |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence. | P | |
10 | Operation and maintenance. | Array to be located at sufficient distance from sensitive seascape, landscape and visual receptors to avoid significant impacts in EIA terms. |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence. | P | |
11 | Operation and maintenance | Implementation and monitoring of Array cable protection with any damage, destruction or decay of cables notified to Marine and Coastguard Agency (MCA), NLB, Kingfisher and United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) no later than 24 hours after discovered. |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence. | P | |
12 | Decommissioning. | Development of, and adherence to a Decommissioning Programme. |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence, and required under Section 105 of the Energy Act 2004 via the requirement for a Decommissioning Programme. | T | |
13 | Construction, and operation and maintenance. | Increasing the share of local/national content through meet the supplier events and contracting requirements. |
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| | Through the Applicant's commitment required through the ScotWind Leasing process and in accordance with the Project SCDS. | P | |
14 | Construction and decommissioning. | Development of, and adherence to, a Marine Mammal Mitigation Plan (MMMP) to outline the additional mitigation to be implemented for piling and UXO clearance. |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence via requirement for a MMMP. | T | |
15 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Development of, and adherence to, an Environmental Management Plan (EMP), including Marine Pollution Contingency Plan (MPCP) and Invasive Non-Native Species Management Plan (INNSMP). |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and Marine Licence via the requirement for an EMP, including MPCP and INNSMP. | T | |
16 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Development of, and adherence to, a Vessel Management Plan (VMP). |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence via the requirement for a VMP. | T | |
17 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Ongoing consultation with the fishing industry and appointment of a Fisheries Liaison Officer (FLO). |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence via the requirement for appointment of a FLO. | T | |
18 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Development of a Fisheries Management and Mitigation Strategy (FMMS). |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence via requirement for a FMMS. | T | |
19 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Adherence to good practice guidance with regards to fisheries liaison (e.g. Fishing Liaison with Offshore Wind and Wet Renewables Group (FLOWW), 2014, 2015). |
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| Through the Applicant’s commitment. | P | |
20 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Timely and efficient distribution of Notice to Mariners (NtM), Kingfisher notifications and other navigational warnings of the position and nature of works associated with the Array. |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence. | T | |
21 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Use of guard vessels, as appropriate. |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence via requirement for a VMP. | T | |
22 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Implementation of a Navigational Safety Plan (NSP). |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence via requirement for a NSP. | T | |
23 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Liaison with Fisheries Industry Representatives (FIRs), as appropriate. |
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| Through the Applicant’s commitment. | P | |
24 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Compliance with MGN 654 (MCA, 2021) and its annexes where applicable. |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence. | T | |
25 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Development of, and adherence to, a Development Specification and Layout Plan (DSLP). |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence via requirement for a DSLP. | T | |
26 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Development of, and adherence to, a Lighting and Marking Plan (LMP). |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence via requirement for a LMP. | T | |
27 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Development of, and adherence to, an Emergency Response Cooperation Plan (ERCoP). |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence via requirement for an ERCoP. | T | |
28 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Notification to the UKHO of the proposed works and appropriate marking on UKHO Admiralty charts. |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence. | T | |
29 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Application and use of safety zones of up to 500 m during construction, periods of major maintenance and decommissioning. |
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| Secured via an application for safety zone prior to construction commencing. | T | |
30 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Compliance of project vessels with international marine regulations as adopted by the Flag State, including the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) (International Maritime Organization (IMO), 1972/77) and the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) (IMO, 1974). |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence via requirement for a VMP. | T | |
31 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Marking and lighting of the site in agreement with NLB and in line with International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) Recommendations and Guidance. |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence. | T | |
32 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Compliance with regulatory expectations on moorings for floating wind and marine devices (Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and MCA, 2017). |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence. | T | |
33 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Fitting of aviation lighting on offshore wind turbines to all required turbines in accordance with Civil Aviation Publication (CAP) 764 (Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), 2016). |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence via requirement for a LMP. | T | |
34 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Helicopter hoist status lighting will be located on the nacelle of the wind turbine in accordance with CAP 437 (CAA, 2021). |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence via requirement for a LMP. | T | |
35 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Development and agreement of an archaeological Offshore Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI), including:
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence via requirement for a WSI. | T | |
36 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Ongoing engagement with oil and gas operators to coordinate activities and facilitate coexistence where possible and appropriate to do so. |
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| Through the Applicant’s commitment. | P | |
37 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Marine coordination and communication to manage vessel movements within the vicinity of the Array. |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence via requirement for a VMP. | P | |
38 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | BPM will be used to reduce the impacts of airborne noise upon sensitive receptors. |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence. | P | |
39 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Monitoring of airborne noise related complaints and undertaking appropriate remedial action. |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence. | T | |
40 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Use of advisory safety distances around vessels undertaking construction, major maintenance, and decommissioning activities. |
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| Secured in the Section 36 Consent and/or Marine Licence via requirement for a VMP. | T | |
41 | Construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. | Refinement of commitments underpinning the Supply Chain Development Statement (SCDS). |
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| | Through the Applicant’s commitment. | P | |