Note: The Natura Impact Statement was published on 4/4/2011. The Public Consultation on the Natura Impact Statement; Draft OREDP and SEA Environmental Report is open until 6th May 2011
New! Natura Impact Statement (Volume 1 - Main Report)
New! Natura Impact Statment (Volume 2 - Figures (15MB)) and (Reduced Size version of file (8MB))
New! Natura Impact Statement (Volume 3 - Appendices)
Draft Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP) (Public Consultation)
Appendix 4 Draft OREDP (Constraint Maps)
Non Technical Summary (SEA Environmental Report)
SEA Environmental Report (Full Version)
SEA Environmental Report (ER) Vol 3 Figures (1)
SEA Environmental Report (ER) Vol 3 Figures (2) Chapter 9 Baseline Environment
SEA Environmental Report (ER) Vol 4 Appendices
As a country which depends upon imported fossil fuels for over 90% of our energy needs, we have an urgent need to develop our own local energy supplies for our future security. In making such a switch, we must also reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% over the next four decades to help avert runaway climate change. The good fortune we have is that our country is so rich in our own renewable resources that making this switch to our own local power supplies also presents a wonderful economic opportunity for our country.
Ireland’s ocean territory extends to 89 million hectares and encompasses a wealth of natural resources. The sea area is around 10 times the size of the land area and has one of the best wind and wave resources in Europe. Our marine environment can provide a vast amount of energy through offshore wind, wave and tidal energy technologies.
The Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources asked the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) for a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) on low, medium and higher marine renewable energy development scenarios, set out in the draft Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP), to inform policy decisions as we develop this new industry. The SEA Environmental Report on these scenarios has informed this draft plan. A Natura Impact Statement on the draft Plan is also available above.
The Natura Impact Statement (NIS); draft Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP) and SEA Environmental Report are all now open to public consultation until 6th May 2011 so that everyone can give their views on how we should progress this new industry and opportunity for our country.
Public Consultation and Transboundary Consultation
Responding to the Public Consultation
In this public consultation phase, the draft OREDP, the SEA Environmental Report and the Natura Impact Statement (NIS) are all being made available on the Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources (DCENR) website www.dcenr.gov.ie as well as on the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s website at www.seai.ie.
Four public consultation seminars/workshops on the draft OREDP and SEA Environmental Report took place as follows
Cork: Monday 15th November 2010 ; Galway: Tuesday 16th November 2010; Dublin: Thursday 18th November 2010; Donegal: Friday 19th November 2010
Representatives from DCENR involved in the drafting of this draft plan attended the public consultation along with representatives from the Ocean Energy Development Unit in SEAI and Aecom, the consultants involved in compiling the SEA Environmental Report.
The DCENR presentation given at the Public Consultation meetings can be accessed here
The presentation given at the Public Consultation meetings by Aecom, the consultants, on the SEA Environmental Report, can be accessed here
Consultation Period
The public consultation on the SEA Environmental Report and the draft OREDP has been open since 5 November 2011. On 4 April 2011, the Natura Impact Statement on the draft OREDP has been published. The closing date for comments on all three documents is the 6th May 2011.
The Natura Impact Statement (NIS) will inform the Appropriate Assessment decision on the draft OREDP and has been sent to the statutory consultee for feedback.
Following the public consultation, all submissions will be reviewed and a post-consultation report will be published. The draft OREDP will be reviewed in light of the environmental findings and the public consultation, prior to finalisation. The final version of the OREDP, which will include the Appropriate Assessment decision, will then be adopted and published together with a Ministerial SEA Statement which will set out how environmental considerations have been integrated into the plan and how feedback from the public consultation has been considered.
Written submissions on the Natura Impact Statement, the SEA Environmental Report and the draft OREDP, which are all open for consultation should be submitted by email to oreseaconsultation@seai.ie or by post to SEA Consultation, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, Wilton Park House, Wilton Place, Dublin 2 on or before the 6th May 2011.
The provisions of the Freedom of Information Acts 1997 to 2003 apply to any submissions received. Information provided in response to the public consultation, may be subject to publication or disclosure in accordance with the legislation. If you regard any information provided as confidential, please indicate this clearly.
Next Steps following the public consultation
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland will ensure that all comments received on this draft Plan are provided to the DCENR for review, along with the comments on the SEA Environmental Report and any feedback on the Natura Impact Statement. The consultants involved in the SEA ER and NIS will also review the feedback. A post consultation report will be compiled in the first half of 2011.
Following the public consultation on the entire process (NIS, Draft OREDP and SEA ER), DCENR will review the feedback received prior to finalising the OREDP. The final version of the OREDP is expected to be adopted and published by mid 2011 and a Ministerial SEA Statement will be published simultaneously which will reflect how environmental considerations have been integrated into the final version of the Plan and how the feedback from the public consultation has been considered.
Transboundary Consultation
The SEA Environmental Report has identified that potential transboundary and in-combination effects are most likely to occur in relation to Northern Ireland. In terms of cross border consultation, the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Investment, Northern Ireland has been formally sent both the draft OREDP and SEA Environmental Report, should they wish to engage in transboundary consultation.
The SEA Environmental Report also identified transboundary effects relating to the Irish Sea. In light of the longer term potential of the offshore marine sector in an export context, DCENR has also formally written to the UK, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man and French administrations on this draft Plan/SEA Environmental Report.
The various transboundary consultees are also being notified that the Natura Impact Statement has been published.
Questions for Consideration during the Public Consultation
Do you think that the recommended actions in Chapter 10 are appropriate and achievable?
What are your views on the ‘deploy and monitor’ approach (see Appendix 3)?
Table 7 provides a high level strategic overview of the level of development that the assessment has shown is possible for the various technologies without significant adverse effects on the environment in the different resource assessment areas. What are your views on the levels of potential development identified?