11 2 The Spatial Offshore Grid Plan for the German Exclusive Economic Zone Annika Koch 2.1 Legal mandate 12 2.2 Accompanying Strategic Environmental Assessment 12 2.3 Results of the Environmental Report 14 Literature 14 Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (Eds.) Ecological Research at the Offshore Windfarm alpha ventus, DOI 10.1007/9783658024628_2, Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden 2014
12 Chapter 2 The Spatial Offshore Grid Plan for the German Exclusive Economic Zone 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 2.1 Legal mandate In 2011 the German Federal Energy Act mandated the BSH to develop and annually update a Spatial Offshore Grid Plan ( Bundesfachplan Offshore ) for the German Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the North and Baltic seas. The plan is drawn up in consultation with the Federal Network Agency for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Post and Railway (BNetzA), the coastal federal states and the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN). The Spatial Offshore Grid Plan (BSH 2013) defines the power cable routes and sites for the entire required grid infrastructure in the EEZ up to the 12 nm border of the territorial waters. The Grid Plan for the German EEZ in the North Sea was issued in February 2013 after two national and international consultations (. Fig. 2.1 and. Fig. 2.2). The Grid Plan for the EEZ in the Baltic Sea is carried out separately. The Grid Plan takes a sectoral planning approach and is closely linked to the Maritime Spatial Plan for the German EEZ in the North and Baltic seas (BGBL 2009a, 2009b). The plan aims to ensure coordinated and consistent spatial planning of grid infrastructure, especially for offshore windfarms in the German EEZ in the North and Baltic seas. Consent and consultation procedures with the responsible authorities are being undertaken to ensure consistency with terrestrial grid planning. The transition to territorial waters is organised by way of defining gates for the bundled routing of cables. Pursuant to Section 17a of the Federal Energy Act, the scope of the Spatial Offshore Grid Plan covers: The definition of offshore windfarms suitable for collective grid connections Spatial routing for subsea cables required to connect offshore windfarms Sites for converter platforms or transformer substations Interconnectors A description of potential cross connections between grid infrastructures Standardised technical rules and planning principles. The planning horizon is based primarily on German Federal Government objectives for installed offshore wind capacities for 2030... Fig. 2.1 Publication of the Comprehensive Report of the Spatial Offshore Grid Plan for the North Sea EEZ 2012. In order to issue the Grid Plan and fulfil the legal mandate, it is necessary to develop technical rules and planning principles for implementation in spatial planning. The nature of these rules and planning principles are those of principles rather than strict rules, and their stipulations should in no way hinder technological progress. Standardised technical rules pave the way for future connection of the German offshore grid to an international (North Sea) grid. 2.2 Accompanying Strategic Environmental Assessment When drawing up the Spatial Offshore Grid Plan, an extensive Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) was carried out in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Act, and its findings were then integrated into planning proceedings. According to Article 1 of the SEA Directive, the SEA aims to provide a high level of protection of the environment and to contribute to the integration of environmental considerations into the preparation and adoption of plans and programmes with a view to promoting sustainable development.
2.2 Accompanying Strategic Environmental Assessment 13 2.. Fig. 2.2 Spatial Offshore Grid Plan for the German Exclusive Economic Zone of the North Sea 2012. Environmental protection objectives based on international, EU und national conventions and provisions have been considered when drawing up the plan and implementing the SEA. As the findings of the SEA and the consultation process were taken into account, the stipulations of the grid plan are subject to ongoing optimisation. These have to be checked and adjusted continuously for their environmental effects. When revising the plan for the North Sea EEZ, additional planning principles were included to allow greater consideration of nature conservation concerns. In particular, a principle on noise mitigation was included in the plan. The SEA report for the Spatial Offshore Grid Plan (BSH 2013) describes and assesses the environmental status with regard to: Seabed and water Plankton types Fish mammals Benthos Biotope Marine Seabirds and migratory birds Bats Biological diversity Landscape Air assets, cultural heritage Human population and human health Potential interactions. The data and information bases consist of largescale surveys, research projects and literature studies. A vast amount of data derives from EIA studies conducted for specific offshore windfarm or grid infrastructure projects. In the main, the SEA report focuses on the description and assessment of significant effects on the marine environment likely to arise from implementation of the plan. This relates to the planned converter platforms/transformer substations and subsea cable systems in the construction, operation and dismantling phases. The description and estimate of the state of the marine environment serve as a basis. In addition, the SEA report contains an Climate Tangible
14 Chapter 2 The Spatial Offshore Grid Plan for the German Exclusive Economic Zone 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 assessment regarding species conservation and a Habitats Directive impact assessment. 2.3 Results of the Environmental Report At the more abstract level of the SEA on the Offshore Grid Plan for the North Sea EEZ, the assessment concludes that, according to available knowledge, and in strict compliance with prevention and mitigation measures, no significant effects on the marine environment are to be expected following implementation of the plan. The potential effects are smallscale and largely short term as they are limited to the construction phase. The coordinating and concentrating effect of the plan s stipulations should minimise the impact on the marine environment. The grid plan includes spatial and textual stipulations as regards prevention and mitigation measures in order to rule out potential significant effects. In terms of the planned converter platforms, this mainly refers to noise prevention and mitigation measures during installation of the foundations as well as environmentallyfriendly lighting for the platforms. Measures to prevent and minimise any potential negative effects of subsea cables must be considered within the framework of cable route planning and technical design. This includes spacesaving planning, circumvention of protected areas and the avoidance of cable crossings. Given strict compliance with the prevention and mitigation measures, no significant effects on the protection and conservation objectives of Natura2000 sites are to be expected. Also, no significant negative effects related to prohibitions under species conservation law are associated with the converter platforms and subsea cable routes planned in the grid plan. A detailed assessment of concerns regarding species conservation and protected areas will remain subject to the individual licensing procedure. To avoid effects on protected areas, alternative solutions were examined. As part of the Habitats Directive impact assessment, alternative routes were examined for all cable routes which make use of Natura2000 network areas and for which circumvention of the protected area is possible and reasonably appropriate. With regard to the assessment of the effects on specific nature conservation interests, in particular strictly protected habitat structures, and with regard to the cumulative consideration of bird migration, there is currently still a lack of sufficient scientific knowledge and standard evaluation methods. These effects cannot be conclusively assessed in the existing SEA and are fraught with uncertainties. A more detailed investigation must be carried out in the annual updates to the grid plan or individual licensing procedure. This also applies to the assessment regarding species conservation. Monitoring measures are included in the SEA report in order to ascertain unforeseen negative effects. Monitoring also serves to examine the gaps in knowledge or the uncertain forecasts contained in the SEA. The monitoring results will be considered when updating the plan. The actual monitoring of potential effects on the marine environment can only begin on the specific project level, when the stipulations laid down in the plan are adhered to (effect monitoring). Thus, great significance is assigned to projectrelated monitoring of the effects of converter platforms and subsea cables based on BSH Standard for Environmental Impact Assessment (StUK). Literature BGBL (2009a). Raumordnungsplan für die deutsche ausschließliche Wirtschaftszone in der Nordsee (Textteil und Kartenteil) Anlage zur Verordnung über die Raumordnung in der deutschen ausschließlichen Wirtschaftszone in der Nordsee (AWZ NordseeROV) vom 21. September 2009. Anlageband zum Bundesgesetzblatt (BGBL) Teil I Nr. 61 vom 25. September 2009. BGBL (2009b). Raumordnungsplan für die deutsche ausschließliche Wirtschaftszone in der Ostsee (Textteil und Kartenteil) Anlage zur Verordnung über die Raumordnung in der deutschen ausschließlichen Wirtschaftszone in der Ostsee (AWZ OstseeROV) vom 10. Dezember 2009. Anlageband zum Bundesgesetzblatt (BGBL) Teil I Nr. 78 vom 18. Dezember 2009. BSH (2013). Bundesfachplan Offshore für die deutsche ausschließliche Wirtschaftszone der Nordsee 2012 und Umweltbericht. Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH), Hamburg und Rostock, February 2013, 290 pp.
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