Page 40 - Alderney Regional Environmental Assessment of Renewable Energy: Environmental Report

Alderney Regional Environmental Assessment of Renewable Energy:
Environmental Report
ƒ GDF SUEZ has signed an industrial partnership agreement with four companies to
develop a pilot tidal project on the French side of the Race (Raz Blanchard). Industrial
maintenance specialist Cofely Endel, turbine manufacturer Voith Hydro, French
shipbuilder Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie and ACE1 are joining GDF for
the 3MW to 12MW development. GDF is aiming to secure the required approvals in
order to install the three-to-six-turbine plant by 2016. The partnership has already
selected the HyTide turbine designed by the manufacturer Voith Hydro to equip all or
part of this future pilot plant;
ƒ French naval defence company DCNS proposes to put 10 tidal turbines into the French
side of the Race (Raz Blanchard) by 2016;
ƒ Guernsey’s Renewable Energy Commission’s (GREC, currently referred to as the
Renewable Energy Team) plan for marine renewable energy in Guernsey, Sark and
Herm Waters (GREC, 2011);
ƒ The States of Guernsey (SoG) plan to extend the island’s territorial waters (TW) from
three to 12nm which will potentially increase the possibility of exploiting offshore wind
and other marine renewable energy sources;
ƒ Potential designation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the wider area, including for
the Gulf of Normandy and Brittany by the Agence des Aires marines Protegees;
ƒ Ongoing fishing activities;
ƒ Shipping activities; and
ƒ Air travel.
An ecosystem approach has been adopted to the consideration of cumulative impacts in the
REA. In other words, the cumulative impact assessment which is presented in Section 8 has
identified and evaluated the influence of the totality of current and future human pressures on
the marine environment and the extent to which this might cause changes from the current
state. The main cumulative impacts associated with the potential full build out of the Draft Plan
alone have been considered separately within each of the relevant topic chapters (see
Section 2.2.2).
3. Legislative Framework and Requirements
The intention of an SEA is “to provide for a high level of protection of the environment and to
contribute to the integration of environmental considerations into the preparation and adoption
of plans” […] (SEA Directive, Article 1). In the UK it is a legal requirement to produce an SEA
for all spatial plans and programmes due to the application of European Directive 2001/42/EC
“ the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment” (the SEA
Directive). In addition, there is a requirement under the European Wild Birds Directive
79/409/EEC and Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC to undertake a Habitats Regulations
Assessment (HRA) for any plans or projects that are likely to have a significant effect on Natura
2000 site(s), either alone or in-combination with other plans or projects.
In Alderney, there is not the legislative requirement to undertake an SEA or plan-level HRA as
it is not subject to UK or EU legislation. However, the Commission is committed to adopting
best practice and recognises the benefit that such plan level assessments can provide in
seeking to minimise the environmental effects of plans and programmes. Comparable non-
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