Scottish plans for wind energy

It is the Scottish Government’s strategic planning document containing proposals for regional offshore wind development up to 2020 and beyond.

Marine planning for Scottish waters between 12 and 200 miles offshore is executively devolved to Scottish Ministers. The devolved Scottish government meanwhile has jurisdiction over planning issues within territorial waters, up to 12 miles offshore. The plan identifies projected investment opportunities of around £7.1bn over the next decade, with the creation of over 28,000 direct jobs in Scotland by 2020. Around 5GW of offshore wind energy is potentially deliverable within Scottish territorial waters, with a further 4.8GW from two Round 3 sites in Scottish offshore waters before 2020.

The plan states that Scotland is well placed to capture one third of the total UK supply chain market, bringing with it the potential of an additional £100bn of investment. However, competition from within Europe and globally requires early identification of key strategic issues. Measures to mitigate these issues are important in avoiding delays and providing the confidence to supply chain companies seeking to capitalise on the opportunities.

At the heart of the plan is the legal requirement for the Scottish government to carry out a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of such strategies that potentially have significant environmental implications, including the health and diversity of the marine environment and the effects, positive and negative, on the population at both national and regional levels.

The plan proposes two options at regional level: short term sites up to 2020 and medium term areas up to 2030. The actual leasing of the seabed would be awarded by The Crown Estate Commissioners (CEC), who commercially manage the seabed within UK and Scottish Territorial Waters including Exclusivity Agreements for offshore wind sites.

In 2009, ten Exclusivity Agreements for short term sites were awarded to developers for the areas: Solway Firth, Wigtown Bay, Kintyre, Islay, Argyll Array, Beatrice, Inch Cape, Neart na Gaoithe, Forth Array and Bell Rock. In response to this, the Scottish government made a commitment to produce a SEA for both these short term sites and medium term areas, for the latter of which 30 options were identified.

Following further assessments, and the rejection of a number of sites, the medium term candidates were identified as seven Medium Term Areas of Search: East, North East, North, North West, West and South West.

The SEAs involved complex and wide ranging assessments covering a number of areas, including socio-economic assessments and consultations at local and regional levels, which produced a wide ranging estimation of both costs and benefits to marine users, both commercial and recreational. Developers will still have to carry out Environmental Impact Assessments once project level has been reached.

Six short term sites were selected in the final sectoral marine plan: Islay, Argyll Array, Beatrice, Inch Cape, Naert na Gaoithe and Forth Array. The medium term areas of search remain the same as within the consultation draft. The bulk of the plan comprises detailed findings and recommendations for all six short-term sites and medium term areas of search identified on a regional basis within Scottish Territorial Waters.

Blue Seas – Green Energy can be viewed here

By Peter Barker