20 March 2017 by Chris Cathrine | Comments: 0
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Hexicon AB’s Dounreay Trì floating offshore wind farm has been granted consent by Scottish Government. This groundbreaking demonstration project will help change the face of offshore wind energy generation by allowing turbines to be installed in waters too deep for conventional technologies. Not only does this open up new areas for wind development, but may also reduce potential impacts on marine wildlife (e.g. on seabirds) that may be associated with these projects.
Offshore renewable energy plants need to be connected to the grid, which means there are onshore elements to the Dounreay Trì project. Caledonian Conservation Ltd is proud to have completed the full suite of onshore ecology and ornithology work, as well as the terrestrial Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) chapters for the Environmental Statement (ES). Ecological features identified and considered in the assessment included various international and national protected sites designated for a range of features including breeding seabirds, raptors, wintering geese and swans, otter, Scottish primrose sand dune habitats. Other ecological features considered included other protected mammals (badger, pine marten, bats), reptiles, barn owl and other bird species. Being objective and clear, we are pleased that our assessment and recommended mitigation was accepted by the determining authorities without objection.
Read the Scottish Government announcement here.
Read more about the recent council approval on the BBC website.
The full Environmental Statement (ES) and Technical Appendices can be read here, or via our publications page.
Read more about RSPB’s support for the Dounreay Trì in The Scotsman.
Read more about Hexicon AB here.
Read more about RES here.
23 February 2017 by Chris Cathrine | Comments: 0
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Hexicon AB’s Dounreay Trì floating offshore wind farm has been approved by Highland Council and has gained support from RSPB. This groundbreaking demonstration project would be built in Caithness, and could change the face of offshore wind, but still requires approval from Marine Scotland and Scottish Government before it gains consent. Floating wind turbines will allow wind farms to be built further offshore, in deeper waters, limiting their impact on sensitive marine wildlife such as seabirds.
Caledonian Conservation Ltd is proud to have provided the complete suite of onshore ecology and ornithology services for the Dounreay Trì project on behalf of RES Offshore and Hexicon AB – offshore wind farms still need to connect to the grid on land, and Caithness hosts much sensitive wildlife. Our surveys and Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) helped ensure the project avoids significant wildlife impacts onshore through careful design and mitigation.
Read more about the recent council approval on the BBC website.
Read more about RSPB’s support for the Dounreay Trì in The Scotsman.
Read the Dounreay Trì planning application, including the onshore ecology and ornithology Environmental Statement chapters, here.
Read more about Hexicon AB here.
Read more about RES here.
