ABPmer to scope-out floating wind in Scotland

Marine Scotland has awarded a contract to ABPmer to prepare scoping documents to support the development of floating offshore wind and other possible deepwater technology in Scottish waters.

The Scottish Government has set a range of challenging targets for renewable energy which include the potential for offshore energy generation (wind, wave and tidal power) in Scottish waters. To assist in meeting these targets, it is developing sectoral marine plans for offshore renewable energy.

Although the draft plans were published for consultation in 2013, they were not finalised due to market uncertainty created by a change in the UK subsidy regime and also because wave and tidal technology has taken longer to mature to the level of commercial readiness.

However, with the development of the world’s first floating windfarm off the coast of Scotland and the recent cost reduction for the offshore wind sector demonstrated in the latest UK contract for difference round, Scottish ministers wish to review the draft sectoral marine plan. They will undertake a strategic marine planning process to ensure an enabling spatial strategy is in place for the successful development of this sector to include deep water technologies.

The sectoral marine planning process is driven by a sustainability appraisal which details the requirements for strategic environmental assessment, social and economic impact assessment (SEIA), strategic habitats regulations (HRA) appraisal and public participation.

In addition to helping to identify the potential opportunities for floating wind and other possible future deepwater wind developments in Scottish waters, the scoping process will also set out the approach to undertaking a strategic SEIA and a plan-level HRA in accordance with relevant Scottish and UK legislation. These outputs will be used to inform the strategic assessments needed for a new Offshore Wind Plan for Scottish Waters.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of March and will be published on the Scottish Government’s website in due course. Risk and Policy Analysts Ltd will provide input to the SEIA scoping process.