South West Scotland Renewables Connection Project Environmental Statement Scoping Report Executive Summary

Transcription

1 South West Scotland Renewables Connection Project Environmental Statement Scoping Report Executive Summary September 2007

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3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background This Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Report has been prepared by Land Use Consultants (LUC) on behalf of ScottishPower Energy Networks, agents for the transmission licence holder SP Transmission Limited (SPT). It provides information in relation to the proposed South West Scotland Renewables Connection Project (hereafter referred to as the SWS Project ), which comprises a number of proposed overhead transmission lines and underground cables, with associated substation works, required to connect seven proposed wind farms to the electricity network. The seven wind farms requiring connection are: Kyle; Dersalloch; Brockloch Rig; Pencloe; Afton; Whiteside Hill and Ulzieside wind farms. The Project The project comprises a number of individual connections from the wind farms and also new SPT infrastructure required to collect the energy generated and then transport it back to the national electricity network. The individual connections and associated new substations are outlined below, with the combined scheme shown on Figure ES1: Part A: 400 kilovolt (kv) overhead line, supported on steel towers, from the existing Coylton substation to a proposed new substation at Meikle Hill (in Kyle Forest); Part B: 132kV overhead line, supported on steel towers, from a proposed new substation at Black Hill (west of Afton reservoir) to the new substation at Meikle Hill; Part C: 132kV overhead line, supported on steel towers, from a proposed new substation at Glenglass (east of Afton Reservoir) to the substation at Black Hill; Part D1: 132kV overhead line, supported on wood poles, from the Kyle North wind farm substation to the Meikle Hill substation; Part D2: 132kV overhead line, supported on wood poles, from the Dersalloch wind farm substation to the Meikle Hill substation; Part D3: 132kV underground cabled connection from a proposed new substation at Dun Hill to the Part B overhead line to connect Brockloch Rig wind farm; Part D4: 33kV underground cabled connection from the Pencloe wind farm substation to the proposed new Black Hill substation. Under Section 37 of the Electricity Act 1989, SPT will seek consent from Scottish Ministers to install, and keep installed, each of the overhead lines outlined above 1. Deemed planning permission will also be sought for the overhead lines and ancillary development including substation works. Planning permission for the Dun Hill substation will be sought from Dumfries and Galloway Council, under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act The Scoping Process Each overhead line is a Schedule 2 development under The Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations SPT considers that the lines and associated substations are likely to have effects on the environment, and on this basis, proposes to submit an Environmental Statement (ES) with the applications for consent. Due to the 1 Consent is not required under the Electricity Act 1989 for underground cabled connections.

4 interrelated nature of the connections, the ES will also assess the underground cables and associated substation works. The EIA Regulations provide for obtaining a Scoping Opinion from Scottish Ministers (as the determining authority) as to the environmental effects to be considered in the EIA (Regulation 7). SPT is now requesting such an Opinion. To inform the process, this Scoping Report identifies all aspects of the SWS Project of possible environmental significance and highlights the key issues that will be addressed in the EIA, for comment. Additional objectives of the Scoping Report are: to establish the availability of baseline environmental data; to define a survey and assessment framework from which a comprehensive overall assessment can be produced; to invite statutory and non-statutory consultees to identify any concerns that they might have in relation to the scheme; to comment on the proposed methodologies; and to provide and receive information relevant to the scheme; to consider the way in which the findings are presented in the Environmental Statement. To ensure that the scoping process focuses the EIA on effects of potential environmental significance, a provisional list of potentially significant effects prior to mitigation, and a second list of potentially insignificant effects, has been produced for each topic area. A summary table identifies which effects are proposed to be scoped in for inclusion in the ES, and which are proposed to be scoped out, for limited coverage in the ES. This process has been adopted for the purpose of obtaining initial feedback from consultees, to inform the EIA. Consultation The Scottish Government will consult a number of consultees on the scope of the EIA. LUC will approach a number of additional consultees for information to inform the EIA (see Appendix 2). Additional suggestions of any further groups, organisations or individuals who may have an interest in the EIA for the SWS Project would be welcomed, so that they can also be included in the process at this stage. A full copy of the Scoping Report can be obtained from SP Energy Networks and may also be viewed and downloaded from LUC s website on Should you wish to provide information to inform the EIA or require further information regarding the SWS Project please contact SP Energy Networks at the address below. Responses would be appreciated by 22 nd October The South West Scotland Project Manager ScottishPower Energy Networks New Alderston House Dove Wynd Strathclyde Business Park Bellshill ML4 3FF Swscotland.projectmanager@sppowersystems.com

5 Sout h W es t Sc ot la nd Re ne wabl es C onnec t ion Proj ec t South West Scotland Project Scheme Project Component Parts: A A Part A: 400kV overhead steel tower line, extending from Coylton substation extension to Meikle Hill substation Meikle Hill Substation Location B Part B: 132kV overhead steel tower line, extending from Black Hill substation to Meikle Hill substation C Part C: 132kV overhead steel tower line, extending from Glenglass substation to Black Hill substation D1 D1 D2 D2 D4 B Part D1: 132kV overhead wood pole line, extending from the proposed Kyle (North) wind farm to Meikle Hill substation Part D2: 132kV overhead wood pole line, extending from the proposed Dersalloch wind farm to Meikle Hill substation D3 Part D3: 132kV underground cabled connection from Dun Hill Substation to T-In Point on Part B Connection D4 Part D4: 33kV underground cabled connection, extending from the proposed Pencloe wind farm to Black Hill substation C D3 Proposed wind farm including boundary, turbine and substation location. NOT PART OF SWS SCHEME Figure ES1 0 5 Kilometers This product includes mapping data licensed from Ordnance Survey. Crown copyright and/or database right License number Map Scale 1:110,000 LUCGL r2