Project title: Hong Kong Offshore Wind Farm in Southeastern Waters

 

Reference of the Approved EIA Report in the Register: AEIAR – 140/2009

Condition of Approval under Section 8(3) of the EIA Ordinance (the Ordinance)

 

The EIA report as exhibited under Section 7(a) of the Ordinance is approved by the Director of Environmental Protection with the following conditions:

 

1.      The applicant shall submit to the Director for approval, before the commencing the construction of the Project, the final layout of the wind farm turbines with demonstrations that the final layout, among the possible alternative layouts, has minimized the footprint of the project and maximized the distance of the turbines from Ninepin Group and Ung Kong Group.

 

2.      The applicant shall submit to the Director for approval, before commencing the construction of the project, a fisheries enhancement plan incorporating measures, including deployment of artificial reefs, in consultation with the fishery sector and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

 

3.      The applicant shall enhance the Environmental Monitoring and Audit on marine water quality covering the following items (as shown in Figure 1):

(a)    For the construction phase monitoring:

(i)                  Adjust the location of the control station from C2 to C2’;

(ii)                An additional station M10 to monitor the construction impact to the ecologically important Basalt Island; and

(iii)               Additional four tidal current stations TC1 to TC4 to monitor the impact of the wind farm on the surrounding tidal current and salinity-temperature structure (hourly measurements for tide and current based on moored instruments, and vertical conductivity-temperature-depth profiles).

 

(b)   For operational phase monitoring:

(i)                  Same measurements at TC1 to TC4 at least for one year; and

(ii)                Similar measurements in two locations (TC5 and TC6) within the wind farm.

 

4.      To facilitate communications and consultation in respect of environmental impacts of the project, the applicant shall, within six months upon the issue of this Environment Permit, set up a Stakeholder Liaison Group comprising representatives of concerned parties, including those related to fishery sector, environmental and hiking groups, to advise on the design, construction and operation of the project, and shall inform the Advisory Council on the Environment (ACE) and the Director in writing the membership and terms of reference of the Stakeholder Liaison Group and should take into account ACE’s views. The applicant shall place all minutes of meetings, relevant documents and associated papers of the Stakeholder Liaison Group on the dedicated website set up by the applicant, within one month of the dates of the meetings.