Tidal Technologies: Key issues across planning and development for environmental regulators
ER20
June 2011

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Background to the research

The development and deployment of wave and tidal energy in Scottish waters has urgency and high government priority as an important element for national energy security and the mitigation of the effects of climate change. The industry technologies and the regulatory frameworks within which they work are under development.

Objectives of research

The purpose of this research was to clarify the objectives, roles, responsibilities and opportunities for engagement of the UK environment agencies for planning and development of tidal technologies. The issues accompanying the start up of the marine renewables industry have been examined through a case study of the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters (PFOW) area in Scotland which is at the forefront of research, development and regulation in the sector. A key contribution to this research has been the stakeholder workshop held in Inverness in February 2011.

Key findings and recommendations

The report examines the targets, technologies and areas of Scotland involved and the regime of incentives designed to help the industry. The greatest UK marine energy resource is centred in NW Scotland and the Northern Isles. Full scale trials are underway and seabed leases allocated to marine energy developers in the PFOW supported by a banded ROC (Renewables Obligation Certificate) regime. Significant deployment of devices will build up from about 2015 with the aspiration to have installed 1.6GW of capacity by 2020, as an element of the target to supply 80% of Scotland’s power from renewables.

Potential environmental impacts arising from the generation of power using wave and tidal devices are considered, drawing together evidence from previous reviews, modelling studies, information on the functioning of physical and ecological processes in marine environments, and experience from other marine industries such as offshore wind and oil and gas. This review identifies some key environmental issues for further consideration by the regulators:

• Development proposals in areas of high conservation value biotopes and species where seasonal patterns at critical stages in the life history and population viability require consideration, against the background of other anthropogenic changes (e.g. climate);
• Cumulative effects on physical, oceanographic and consequent ecological processes from upscaling the quantity of energy removal in any given area;
• Identification of key indicator species for Environmental Impact Assessments and monitoring to ensure compliance with EU Descriptors of Good Environmental Status
• Methods and monitoring to detect and mitigate potential collisions with the biota in the water column;
• Further investigation of several inter-related issues concerning interactions between marine renewables developments and fisheries, in terms of opportunities for benefits as well as understanding potential disbenefits for the fish stocks and fishers.

Further work is required to address these and many will require systemic modelling of hydrodynamics coupled with ecological processes to develop the predictive capacity necessary to guide the regulation of the future development of marine renewables.

A further challenge for the emerging marine renewable energy industry is to identify and secure local and community benefits to offset disturbance to the environment and existing activities in marine space. Engaging with local communities and embracing localism is a key task. As part of this task it is necessary to establish processes and structures which monitor and analyse the ongoing responses (human and environmental) to the new industry and adapt plans and practices where needed. Further work should include:

• A review of community benefit options and their applicability in a marine context;
• Encourage dialogue with other sea users and better understand their needs for sea space and opportunities for engagement with the emerging marine renewable sector;
• A review of the interaction of the marine and local terrestrial planning systems;
• Local socio-economic impact assessment to understand the effects of job creation at the local level;
• Further work to identify gaps in supply chain raising awareness amongst local suppliers of future opportunities;
• Invest in and encourage development of a marine energy knowledge economy and relevant service sector activities which provide additional economic development and themselves represent export opportunities.

The stakeholder workshop held in Inverness in February 2011 revealed stakeholder concerns and uncertainty as significant new controls are introduced to marine space once held in common. The agreement by Crown Estate to lease large areas of seabed to marine energy developers in the PFOW has run well ahead of the emerging Marine Spatial Planning process and has therefore preceded the proposed formal consultation and stakeholder engagement requirements. Recommendations included:

• Early completion of the socio-economic baseline study and the statutory Marine Spatial Plan;
• A more strategic approach to the overall management of all development sites in the Pentland Firth area;
• Accelerated establishment and formation of the ‘Marine Planning Partnership’ for the region as an important stakeholder forum and element in marine governance;
• Special note of the principal stakeholder concerns of marine safety, livelihoods and the balance between national and local issues;
• Action to raise the capacity of weaker and non-affiliated stakeholders to participate;
• Development of a strategy to help developers and stakeholders manage the prolonged period of uncertainty leading up to commercial deployment after 2016.

Copies of this report are available from the Foundation, in electronic format on CDRom at £20.00 + VAT or hard copy at £15.00, less 20% to FWR members.