The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is conducting a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of a draft plan to enable future leasing for offshore wind, as well as wave and tidal devices.
The authority published the UK Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment 3 (OESEA3) report, and opened the consultation period which closes on 29 April, 2016.
The offshore wind part of the plan/programme aims to enable further offshore wind farm leasing in the relevant parts of the UK Exclusive Economic Zone and the territorial waters of England and Wales.
The technologies covered will include turbines of up to 15MW capacity and tethered (floating) turbines in waters of up to 200m.
The Scottish Renewable Energy Zone and the territorial waters of Scotland and Northern Ireland are not included in this part of the plan/programme.
OESEA3 is intended to consider the environmental implications of DECC’s draft plan/programme to enable further licensing/leasing for offshore energy (oil and gas, hydrocarbon gas storage, carbon dioxide storage and marine renewables including wind, wave, tidal stream and tidal range). This includes consideration of the implications of alternatives to the plan/programme and consideration of potential interactions with other users of the sea.
Furthermore, it aims to inform the UK Government’s decisions on the draft plan/programme and provide routes for public and stakeholder participation in the process.
Source: DECC