Abstract
Nova Innovation has produced this Project Environmental Monitoring Plan (PEMP) to describe the methods and techniques that will be employed to monitor and proactively manage the environmental effects of the Shetland Tidal Array in the Bluemull Sound near Cullivoe in Shetland (the “Shetland Tidal Array”).
The PEMP is a requirement of conditions attached to the following licences for the Shetland Tidal Array:
- Marine Licence 00009110, issued under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010, part 4
- Shetland Islands Council (SIC) Works Licence 2023/015/WL, issued under the Zetland County Council Act 1974
Nova is committed to best environmental practice and avoiding adverse environmental effects in all aspects of its business. Therefore, in addition to being a requirement of Project licences, the PEMP and the environmental management and monitoring measures it sets out are core Project components of the Shetland Tidal Array.
The PEMP provides an overarching framework for environmental monitoring and management during the construction, operation and decommissioning of the Shetland Tidal Array, to avoid adverse harm to marine habitats and species. It sets out the measures by which Nova will gather information on interactions between marine wildlife in Bluemull Sound and the turbines in the array. In doing so, the PEMP builds on the environmental monitoring Nova has already carried out in Bluemull Sound and around the Shetland Tidal Array since November 2010. Details of how this growing evidence base will be shared with Marine Directorate Licensing Operations Team (MDLOT) and Shetland Islands Council (SIC) are provided. Finally, the PEMP details actions Nova will take to avoid or minimise the potential risk of damage to the Scottish marine area as a result of undertaking the licensed activities.
The PEMP is an iterative, live document to be kept under constant review throughout the lifetime of the Shetland Tidal Array to ensure it remains fit for purpose. As knowledge and the evidence base grows on the environmental effects of the Shetland Tidal Array and tidal stream energy more generally, monitoring objectives and methods may evolve and change over time.
This version (7.0) of the PEMP incorporates changes to the monitoring methods following consultation with MD-LOT, NatureScot, Shetlands Islands Council and Whale and Dolphin Conservation. It also incorporates the following changes to the Project:
- Installation of two additional M100D turbines (T5 and T6) in January 2023.
- Decommissioning of the three original M100 turbines (T1-3) in April 2023.
- Completion of the construction phase of the Shetland Tidal Array and transition to the operation and maintenance (O&M) phase of the three M100D turbines (T4-6).
The following key changes to the monitoring methodologies have been incorporated into this version of the PEMP:
- Cessation of vantage point surveys following consultation with MD-LOT and NatureScot.
- Transition to semi-automated analysis of subsea video footage following a successful trial in 2023.