Review of Cabling Techniques and Enviromental Efects Apllicable to the Offshore wind Farm Industry

Contents
1 Introduction 11
1.1 Background 11
1.2 Study Description 12
1.3 Report Format 13
2 Legislation 15
2.1 Introduction 15
2.2 Licences and Consents 15
3 Cable types and installation techniques 18
3.1 Introduction 18
3.2 Cable Types 18
3.3 Offshore Wind Farm Cables 18
3.4 Telecoms Cables 22
3.5 Power Cables 26
3.6 Flowlines, Umbilicals and Small Diameter Pipelines 27
3.7 Background to Safe Installation and Protection of Subsea Cables 27
3.8 Cable Protection Methods 34
3.9 Cable Protection for Offshore Wind Farm Developments 70
3.10 Burial Assessment and General Survey Techniques 77
3.11 Decommissioning 78
4 Physical change 80
4.1 Introduction 80
4.2 Site Conditions 80
4.3 Level of Sediment Disturbance 82
4.4 Seabed Disturbance by Other Activities 89
4.5 Dispersal and Re-Deposition of Sediment 90
4.6 Mitigation Measures 99
5 Potential impacts and mitigation measures 101
5.1 Introduction 101
5.2 Subtidal Ecology 102
5.3 Intertidal Habitats 110
5.4 Natural Fish Resource 113
5.5 Commercial Fisheries 121
5.6 Marine Mammals 125
5.7 Ornithology 128
5.8 Shipping and Navigation 131
5.9 Seascape and Visual Character 133
5.10 Marine and Coastal Archaeology 134
6 Good practice measures 138
7 Gaps in understanding 140
8 References 142
Appendix A: Standards and codes of practice relevant to
cable installation & the Offshore wind industry 154

Acknowledgements

This report was prepared by consultants from Royal Haskoning and BOMEL
Ltd. The principal contributors from Royal Haskoning were Dr Samantha Vize,
Christine Adnitt, Robert Staniland, Julia Everard, Alec Sleigh, Rod Cappell, Sean
McNulty and Dr Martin Budd. From BOMEL Ltd, the principal contributors were
Ian Bonnon and John Carey.
This report has benefited from assistance from Adrian Judd at the Centre of
Fisheries, Environment and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS). The authors also wish
to thank the following consultees:
Natural England (Louise Burton, Victoria Copley, Keith Henson, Sarah Soffe and
Michael Young)
English Heritage (Dr Chris Pater)
Countryside Council for Wales (Dr Sarah Wood)
Joint Nature Conservation Committee (Zoe Crutchfield and Andrew Prior)
These consultees have assisted in providing comments on the principles of
the study via correspondence. Their citation here does not indicate current
agreement or support of the study outputs.
The research leading to the publication of this report was funded by:
● Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform; and
● Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The project was managed by Dr John Hartley of Hartley Anderson Ltd on behalf
of the Department Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.


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