Offshore Development Issues: Navigating the Consenting Process
Session B8 | Day 2, Wed 26 Oct, 16.15-17.30 | Charter 1, Ground Floor
This session will explore a number of key challenges facing developers and stakeholders as projects go for consent, including adapting to the new IPC processes, cumulative impacts, and collecting the right data in the ever changing marine environment. The session will also consider what we have learned from over a decade of offshore consents.
• Chair: Jim McKie, Scottish Government
• Steve Freeman, PMSS
• John Morse, Gardline Marine Sciences Limited
• Liz Dunn, Burges Salmon
• Rosie Manise, Natural England
• Paul Reynolds, RenewableUK
| Chair: Jim McKie, Leader, Licensing Operations Team, Marine Scotland - Marine Planning and Policy, Scottish Government Jim McKie leads the Licensing Operations Team within Marine Scotland. Jim has worked for 36 years in the marine environment and has over 20 years experience in dealing with marine environmental and regulatory matters. He has been involved in a range of projects including early renewable device deployments and more recently the Sound of Islay demonstration tidal array and deployments at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney. Jim’s current role leading the Licensing Operations Team, is about delivering a range of statutory controls of coastal and marine developments, including marine renewable energy power projects. |
Speaker: Steve Freeman, Director of Environment, PMSS A Framework for Assessing Cumulative Impacts: Meeting Round 3 Consent Requirements for Site, Zone and between Zone Interactions Developing methodologies to assess cumulative effects of Round 3 poses a greater challenge and wider scope than previous Rounds. Regulators will be reliant on the evidence-base supplied by developers and require greater scientific certainty if they are to be effective over the entire energy development programme. Inadequate assessments pose a risk to consent failure. Yet, inconclusive guidance, little experience at Round 3 and no industry standard, the 'best' approach remains unclear. We present a framework for assessing cumulative effects that accommodates consent requirements for site, Zone and inter-Zone interactions. It clarifies a many common misunderstandings, implementation and regulator expectations. Steve has 20 years in environmental management and consultancy in coastal and marine waters globally. He has held a number of senior positions with a strong technical focus in offshore renewables and oil and gas sectors. He is currently the EIA manager for Eneco Zone 7 and has played key roles in the consent programmes for a number of other offshore wind farms in UK waters. He is a member of RenewableUK’s C&L Group, SOCC and provides advice on a range of topics including consent, offshore renewables, fisheries and research. He has been instrumental in developing methodologies for cumulative assessments, ZAP guidance and Regional Environmental Assessments. |
| Speaker: John Morse, Manager, Renewables Group, Gardline Marine Sciences Limited Is there a need for Standard Guidelines for Pre-Consenting Survey Activities There is a wide variance in the application of techniques and processes in the execution of offshore survey activities associated with pre-consenting survey activities. In particular, there is little useful information available, specific to the needs of the offshore wind farm sector, covering operational best practice within the fields of hydrography, geophysics and geotechnics. The Society of Underwater Technology, through its Offshore Site Investigation and Geotechnics (OSIG) sub-committee has for many years, been the repository for the development and dissemination of appropriate, commercially focused survey industry guidelines for the Oil & Gas Sector. Similar knowledge and expertise is also clearly available to the offshore wind sector, and the speaker wishes to propose a sector-wide dialogue with this, and other agencies to develop fit for purpose guidelines, specific to, and in the furtherance of best practice within our industry. John Morse is Manager of the Renewables Group at Gardline, and also Director-in-Charge of Gardline’s Geotechnical Consultancy Business, SEtech. John, originally a marine geophysicist has 37 years continuous experience in offshore surveying, originally in the oil & gas sector, and latterly in offshore renewables. His experience has included various technical and managerial assignments both in the UK, and in the Middle East, South East Asia, and from 1997-2005, in the USA. John consults on survey design and the development of technical specifications for the execution of offshore surveys and of particular relevance to the current Offshore Wind Farm opportunity has recently provided technical advice and geophysical consultancy on one of the Round 3 sites. |
| Speaker: Liz Dunn, Renewable Energy Lawyer, Burges Salmon LLP Consenting Offshore Wind Farms Through the IPC Process - A View from the Coal Face After two years of anticipation, the IPC process is now real, with the first small batch of projects having been submitted and passing through the Examination process. The presentation will look at the practical lessons learned to date, including: getting consultation right; approaches to Preliminary Environmental Information; getting your application accepted; drafting Development Consent Orders and Marine Licences for offshore projects; the realities of Examination and the transition to the Planning Inspectorate. The presentation will be informed by hands-on experience of a variety of onshore and offshore IPC electricity projects, including one of the two electricity projects in Examination to date. Liz Dunn is a Senior Associate in the Planning Unit at Burges Salmon LLP. She is advising on a number of IPC electricity projects, including the Kentish Flats extension for Vattenfall, a major biomass project and the Covanta Brig y Cwm energy from waste application, currently in Examination in front of the IPC. Liz has wide ranging electricity experience, including advocacy at onshore wind farm public inquiries, and the defence of a number of section 36 consents from High Court challenge. |
| Speaker: Rosie Manise, Principal Environmental Specialist (Energy), Natural England Consenting and The Environment - Helping Everyone Get a Better Outcome More information to follow. |
| Speaker: Paul Reynolds, Offshore Wind Development Manager, RenewableUK Consents: Past and Future - An Offshore Wind Industry Review of Past Concerns, Lessons Learned and Future Challenges Over the past decade the offshore wind industry has managed to consent 22 projects, overcoming a number of obstacles along the way. However the time taken to gain consent is increasing and new challenges are emerging. RenewableUK have reviewed the experience of Rounds 1 and 2, drawing out some lessons learned and highlighting some key challenges for Round 3. This presentation will summarise the report and propose some recommendations for the future which we will use to engage with regulators and their advisors to help facilitate more timely consents. Paul Reynolds joined RenewableUK as the Offshore Wind Development Manager in early 2010. He is secretariat of the Consents and Licensing Group, leading engagement with the telcoms, fishing and oil and gas sectors. Recent highlights include obtaining a Written Ministerial Statement from Chris Huhne on the longstanding Oil and Gas Clause issue, as well as leading and coordinating the industry engagement with the MCZ designation process. Before joining RenewableUK, he was the lead author for a chapter in the Centre for Alternative Technology's Zero Carbon Britain 2 report. Paul holds an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College and a Ba in Economics from Nottingham University. |