Offshore wind & the environment: the UK planning system. January 2012 Emma Cole

Transcription

1 Offshore wind & the environment: the UK planning system January 2012 Emma Cole

2 Summary Drivers and ambitions Market and deployment The regulatory framework (More) planning reform Challenges

3 Drivers and Ambitions

4 Why are we doing it? Reduced carbon emissions Increased security of supply Opportunities and jobs Legal obligation

5 Deployment potential differs across sectors 2020

6 Renewable Energy Roadmap Action plan to accelerate UK deployment of renewable energy Sets out ambition with range of estimates Highlights constraints with plan for action Provides trajectories for key technologies like offshore wind, including a view of project pipelines Key is to reduce energy costs to underpin deployment

7 Market and deployment

8 Global Market Cumulative and Annual Offshore Wind Installations (MW) [slightly out of date] HEADING Bullets The UK s wind, wave and tidal resources are spectacularly abundant. The UK leads the global market in terms of installed offshore wind, with over 1.5GW of installed capacity. image source KFW/EWEA

9 Deployment potential to 2020 for offshore wind

10 UK Market: Current and Projected Deployment Round Size (GW) Status Round GW Operational, 0.2GW under or awaiting construction. Round GW Operational, 3.7GW under/awaiting construction, 1.7GW in planning, 1.2GW scoping. Round 3 Up to 32GW Scoping stage Construction from 2015 R1 & R2 Extensions Up to 1.5GW 0.6GW in planning, 1GW scoping. Demo sites 14MW Scoping. Scottish Territorial Waters Up to 4.3GW Scoping.

11 The regulatory system

12 Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment DECC has had a rolling SEA programme since 1999 Offshore Energy SEA 2, published 2011 Covers oil and gas, offshore wind, wave and tidal, and carbon capture and storage 1-2M/year on SEA research SEA website

13 What happens next?

14 Leasing Lease / Agreement for Lease / Exclusivity Agreement awarded by The Crown Estate after a competitive bidding process Round 3 different process, different scale: zones with up to 9 GW potential

15 Pre-application processes Prepare Environmental Statement (EIA) (covers other sea users too) Where Appropriate Assessment (AA/HRA) may be required, developer provides the necessary information for IPC to conduct this. Prepare Statement of Community Consultation (SOCC): statutory requirement for developers to consult local community, interested parties, local authorities and statutory consultees on options before submitting application to the IPC (Planning Act 2008) Prepare draft Development Consent Order (monitoring and mitigation measures likely to be proposed at this stage)

16 Who consents what (offshore)? England and Wales 100MW+ apply to Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) - Created by 2008 Planning Act - statutory timeframes: 1 month accept/reject, 9 months examination, 3 months recommendation, 3 months for DECC Secretary of State decision Under 100MW (i.e. demonstration sites) apply to Marine Management Organisation (MMO) Scotland Consents from Scottish Government, licenses from Marine Scotland Some choices: Marine Licenses, Associated Development Statutory advisors must be formally consulted

17 Framework for consenting National Policy Statements Clarify the national need for new, significant infrastructure projects Advise the IPC about the impacts and acceptability of new energy developments, and how impacts should be mitigated 5

18 Some considerations for new projects Cumulative impacts (including transboundary) Flexibility ( Rochdale envelope ) Appropriate Assessment (AKA Habitats Regulations Assessment) no Round 3 zone unaffected; and Deliberate Disturbance of European Protected Species

19 Features of UK consents / licenses Various mitigation and monitoring requirements will be stipulated, e.g. you cannot pile during certain months due to fish spawning. Could e.g. set a rotor swept area. Make these requirements smarter? Must usually build within 5 yrs but can be more) 25 years operation then required to decommission (plan is part of DCO) unless apply successfully to continue generating/repower

20 (More) Planning Reform

21 Localism Act 2011 National Infrastructure Directorate to replace IPC in April Democratically-accountable system but still fast-track process Recommendation by IPC/NID, with final decision by Ministers in accordance with clear policy framework provided by NPSs

22 Can we shorten the process more? Scottish Government taskforce to speed up consents (2011) RenewableUK looking at ways of knocking 6 months off the pre-application stage (2012) Review of the implementation of the Habitats and Wild Birds Directives (in England) (March 2012)

23 Challenges

24 OFFSHORE WIND Consenting Risks New consenting regime: Inflexible? Frontloading. Uncertainty. Cumulative impacts Mobile species birds and marine mammals Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) Marine Strategy Framework Directive? Other (UK) Marine Protected Areas Resourcing of statutory advisors (responsive to demand for advice)

25 Emma Cole Offshore Wind Deployment Office for Renewable Energy Deployment Department of Energy and Climate Change