1
Introduction
The Hongkong Electric Company
Ltd (hereinafter referred to as HK Electric), is proposing the development of
an offshore wind farm in the Hong Kong SAR. The project will produce around 100 MW
of electricity, which will be supplied directly to the HK Electric grid network
to help meet the HKSAR Government commitments to renewable energy generation
and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
The EIA report for the project, which is covered by
this Executive Summary, is prepared
in accordance with EIA Study Brief
(No. ESB-151/2006) and the Technical Memorandum of the Environmental Impact Assessment Process
(EIAO-TM).
This EIA Report addresses the key environmental
issues associated with the construction and operation of the proposed wind farm
and addresses the detailed requirements of the EIA Study Brief. This
information will contribute to decisions by the Director of the Environmental
Protection Department on:
·
The
overall acceptability of any adverse environmental consequences that could arise
as a result of the Project;
·
The
conditions and requirements for the detailed design, construction and operation
of the Project to mitigate against any adverse environmental consequences; and
·
The
acceptability of residual impacts after the proposed mitigation measures are implemented.
As specified by the EIA Study Brief, the EIA addresses the key environmental issues
associated with the construction and operation of the wind farm.
As a primary supplier of electricity in
In order to determine the feasibility for the
development of an offshore wind farm in
The wind farm and cable route are located in the
waters between
2
The Need for An Offshore Wind Farm in Hong Kong
and the key components of development
The need for the development of renewable energy in
2.1
The Benefits of Development
Climate Change and Air Quality
Over the past decade, the fuel used for electricity
generation in
The target for
In 2005, the First Sustainable Energy Strategy for
Hong Kong ([2])
set a target of 1-2%
electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2012 in
·
The
annual use of 62,000 Tonnes (T) of coal;
·
The
annual emission of 150,000T of carbon dioxide;
·
The
annual emission of 520T of sulphur dioxide; and
·
The
annual emission of 240T of nitrogen oxide.
Security and Diversity of Supply
The electricity generated from the proposed wind farm
would be adequate to meet the consumption for 50,000 households in
Socio-economic
Employment
The opportunity to source materials and expertise for
the construction and operation of the wind farm from
Detailed decisions on the management of the offshore
wind farm have not been finalised.
However, it is anticipated that a number of positions for the operation
will be required, including maintenance staff and management staff. In addition, ongoing maintenance needs
will need the supply of materials.
Tourism
Experience at other international wind farm indicates
that a number of visitors will come to view the wind farm once
constructed. This could have
positive implications for the local economy.
2.2
Background To The Components Of An
Offshore Wind Farm
Wind farm technology has advanced rapidly over the
last 10 – 20 years with European countries acting as the technological hub of
development. In general, a wind
farm is comprised of the following main components:
·
Wind
turbine units, including foundations.
·
Submarine
electricity cables that connect turbine units to the offshore substation and an
onshore grid network.
·
An
offshore substation.
·
A
meteorological monitoring mast to record atmospheric and sea conditions.
The following provides a summary of these
components.
Wind Turbines
Wind turbines generally consist of rotor
blades, a nacelle (the housing that sits at the top of the wind turbine tower
that contains the gearbox, generator etc), tower and foundation. Large-scale modern turbines are usually designed
with three blades, which rotate around a horizontal hub at the top of a steel
tower. Wind turbines vary in size
depending upon the level of energy output and the supplier.
Most wind turbines start generating
electricity at wind speeds of around 3-4 metres per second (m/s); generate
maximum ‘rated’ power at around 15 m/s; and shut down to prevent storm damage
at 25 m/s or above. When the wind
blows the blades rotate. This leads
to the turning of a shaft located inside the turbine nacelle. This shaft goes into a gearbox, which
increases the rotation speed for the generator also located in the
nacelle.
Foundations are required to support the
turbine mast, nacelle and blades and also to provide a platform above sea level
for ongoing maintenance access.
Subsea Cables
Wind turbines will be inter-connected by subsea
cables to provide both power and telemetry links. 22kV, 33kV or other voltage rating
according to the proprietary design of wind turbine manufacturers will be used
for the windfarm internal grid and connection to the
offshore sub-station. 132kV cables
will be used to connect the substation to the onshore grid.
Sub-station
An offshore sub-station will be required to transform
the voltage of the electricity generated at the wind turbine to a high voltage
suitable (132kV) for transmission of power within HK Electric’s onshore grid
network. As an alternative, an
onshore sub-station may also be considered at a later stage subject to detailed
engineering design.
Monitoring Mast
A monitoring mast will be required to measure wind,
wave and current information for operational purpose. These structures generally consist of a
steel lattice mast located on seabed foundations. Anemometry equipment is installed on the
mast and wave and current sensors are installed on the seabed/foundation
structure.
2.3
Identification Of
Alternative Site Locations
The assessment of siting
alternatives has been undertaken in accordance with Clause 3.3.1 of the Study Brief and the EIAO-TM. The preferred
site for the wind farm has been identified through a detailed and technical
evaluation following similar methodologies applied in previously accepted EIA
reports under the EIAO. The method has employed detailed mapping
and a review of both the natural and man-made environment and the associated
environment constraints. Eight
alternative sites have been reviewed through a comparative assessment of
wide-ranging environmental concerns, such as Landscape and Visual, Heritage,
Marine Recreation and Amenity, Seabed Sediments, Water Quality, Noise, Nature
Conservation and Fisheries.
Physical aspects have also been examined and the potential environmental
benefits / disbenefits that result as a consequence
of those aspects are also considered.
Taking into consideration the range of environmental and physical
factors described in the previous sections, the
3
Environmental Impact Assessment
The key components of the project are presented in Figure 3.1 and include the following:
·
The
construction of around 35 nos. of 2.3 to 3.6MW class wind turbine units
including seabed works required for foundation emplacement. Should 3.6MW class wind turbine be
selected, the number of wind turbines would be reduced to around 28 to 30 in
order to maintain the wind farm capacity of around 100MW.
·
The
installation of interconnecting submarine electricity cables between turbine
units, to the offshore substation and to grid.
·
Construction
of an offshore substation. There may,
however, be an option for the offshore substation to be replaced by an onshore
one subject to detailed engineering design.
·
Development
of an onshore lay down area and quayside for material storage and pre-assembly
works.
·
Development
of an offshore wind monitoring mast.
Table 3.1 presents the summary of the Project
details.
Table 3.1 Summary
of Project Description
|
Detail |
Preliminary Design Information |
|
Wind farm site
area |
600 ha |
|
Submarine cable
route trench (inter-array) |
Approximately
13 km |
|
Submarine cable
route trench (offshore sub station to landing point) |
Approximately
4.3 km |
|
Submarine cable
route length (inter-array loop) |
Approximately
26 km |
|
Submarine cable
route length (offshore sub station to landing point loop) |
Approximately 9
km |
|
Grab dredging
volume |
3,000 m3 |
|
Jetting
area/volume |
13,000 m3 |
|
Turbine
foundation footprint area |
38.5 m2 |
|
Scour
protection footprint area |
900 m2 |
|
Volume of grab
dredging arisings for disposal |
3,000 m3 |
|
Volume of
excavated C& D material |
Seawall = 2,145
m3 |
|
|
Onshore cable
trench = 250 m3 |
|
Volume of
excavated C&D material for disposal |
0 m3 |
|
Volume of grout
per turbine |
70 m3 |
|
Lay down area |
2.73 ha |
The preliminary programme for the Detailed
Design and Construction Phases is presented in Figure 3.2.
Figure 3.2 Construction
Programme
|
|
3.2
Consideration Of
Design And Engineering Alternatives
An assessment of different design options and
construction methods was conducted to investigate not only the environmental
considerations of each option, but also to include an examination of the
engineering feasibility. Options
ranged from alternative foundation design to siting
of an offshore vs. onshore substation.
Where appropriate, options were discounted on environmental
grounds. However, in general, a
worse case assessment approach has been taken forward to ensure a precautionary
level of assessment and to allow flexibility for future design changes during
the subsequent Detailed Design Phase.
The options have been considered consistently throughout EIA chapters,
which address the requirements of the Study Brief (ESB-151/2006) and EIAO-TM. The following provides a summary of
alternative design options and construction methods that have been considered.
Design Options
Wind Farm Layout:
The preliminary layout has considered the influence of site constraints and
spacing requirements in order to avoid wake loss across the wind farm. A geometric design has been taken
forward for the purpose of informing the assessment as this would help to
reduce visual impacts and navigational risk. The preliminary layout will, however,
potentially be subject to amendment during the Detailed Design Phase.
Wind Turbines:
A range of turbines are available on the market with various dimensions
for height and rotor diameter.
Preliminary dimensions are not expected to exceed a tip height of
+125mPD. In the event the wind
turbine model with a maximum rotor diameter of 111m be adopted, the maximum tip
height would be +136mPD. The
turbines with greatest rotor diameter have been used for the assessment as part
of a precautionary assessment of impacts.
It is, however, possible that a smaller rotor diameter could be used for
the size of turbines being considered as these are available on the market.
Foundation Design: Three types of foundation design were
considered. It was concluded that a
piled foundation (monopile or tripod pile) provided
the best environmental and engineering option. Monopiles
(with rock scour protection) are likely to occupy the larger seabed footprint
and hence were taken forward to the EIA stage in order to produce a more
conservative assessment of impacts.
Lighting and Marking:
A number of options were considered and the preferred option was
identified in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Aviation Department
and Marine Department. The
requirements for lighting and marking are not expected to give rise to
unacceptable adverse environmental impacts (Figure
3.3).
Figure 3.3 Marking and Aviation Lighting Requirements
for Offshore Wind Farms
|
|
Substation: A sub-station will be required to transform
the voltage of the electricity generated at the wind turbine to a high voltage
suitable for transmission of power ashore.
A base case of an offshore substation has been taken forward for
assessment; however, there may be an option for an onshore substation subject
to detailed engineering design.
Monitoring Mast:
A wind monitoring mast will be required to measure wind, wave and
current information for operational purposes. The structure will consist of a steel
lattice mast and foundation. Anemometry
equipment will be installed on the mast and wave and current sensors installed
on the foundation structure.
Construction Methods
Foundation Installation:
Alternative different construction methodologies were considered for the
installation of the wind turbines, wind monitoring mast and offshore
substation. Percussive piling
techniques have been selected as the most appropriate method of installation
for the following reasons:
·
Environmental Impact - As marine percussive piling has no waste
generation associated with these activities compared with bored piling, this
method is considered to have better environmental performance.
·
Proven Method - The typical method to install piles in
·
Proven Mitigation - A series of mitigation measures have
been adopted in marine piling works in
·
Schedule – Monopile installation
using percussive piling methods typically take at most 4 days to install each
pile. Subject to the final ground investigation works, it can thus be expected
that the installation of the proposed wind farm would take around 4 to 5
months, weather dependent. Bored
piling requires drilling of the foundation down to rock level depths to ensure
adequate stability of the pile.
Installation of each pile would thus take 1.5 to 2 months to install
based on local experience, equating to an indicative estimate of 6 years of
piling works using a single set of plant, or up to 10 years should restrictions
be imposed on construction works, such as closed period during marine mammal
peak seasons. Such an increase in
duration would result in a prolonged exposure of increased levels of marine
traffic and underwater sound generating works in these southern waters and
would be deemed to be less preferred on environmental grounds than a
construction period of shorter duration.
Subsea Cable Installation:
Grab dredging and jetting techniques have been identified as being the
preferred method for cable installation.
The area of grab dredging is, however, restricted to the nearshore area to the Lamma Power
Station Extension to allow for cable landing preparation works. This restriction will assist in reducing
the amount of sediment that needs dredging and subsequent offsite
disposal. It is also deemed
necessary to install cable protection as appropriate where the proposed cable
for the wind farm development crosses existing telecommunication cables.
The potential impacts to water quality
caused by construction and operational activities of the offshore wind farm and
its components have been assessed in the EIA
Report. The impacts have been
identified and assessed to be in compliance with the criteria and guidelines
stated in the EIAO – TM Annexes 6 and 14 respectively.
Sensitive
receivers potentially affected by construction and operational activities of
the proposed wind farm development have been identified and the potential
impacts have been evaluated. The
key sensitive receivers include finless porpoise, green turtles, the Potential
South Lamma Marine Park, commercial
fisheries spawning habitat, fish culture zones, ecologically sensitive areas
(horseshoe crab habitat and coral communities), beaches (gazetted and non –
gazetted) and sea water intakes. The
assessment has included the potential impacts caused by marine works (i.e.
foundation construction, dredging and jetting) on water quality due to the
increases of suspended sediments concentrations, potential decreases of dissolved
oxygen and increases of nutrient concentrations, as well as those caused by
operational activities such as the alteration of the hydrodynamic regime.
Computational
models have been used to simulate the variation in suspended
sediments concentration during the construction phase and the impacts due to change in currents resulting
from the presence of marine structures during the operation phase.
Potential impacts arising from the proposed
dredging works are predicted to be largely confined to the specific works area
adjacent to the Lamma Power Station Extension. Modelling results indicate that the SS
elevations as a result of grab dredging, jetting and foundation construction
are expected to be localised
to the mixing zone and largely compliant with the WQO and tolerance
criterion at the majority of sensitive receivers. The exception is for isolated colonies
of low value coral communities at the Lamma Power
Station Extension seawall where through the application of silt curtains during
dredging works no unacceptable impacts would be expected to occur. The predicted elevations of suspended
sediment concentrations during the construction phase are transient in nature
and not predicted to cause significant adverse impacts to water quality at the
sensitive receivers.
During the operation phase, unacceptable
adverse impacts to water quality are not expected to occur. Hydrodynamic modelling has shown that
the wind farm development will have negligible near-field and far-field impacts
on current flow and direction as well as flushing capacity at key channels in
Unacceptable
impacts to water quality sensitive receivers have been further avoided through
the adoption of mitigation measures including the siting
of the proposed wind farm and submarine cable away from many water quality
sensitive receivers, the selection of acceptable working rates for the marine
works, construction operational mitigations (i.e. dredging operational
measures) and appropriate on-site land based construction activities. No mitigation measures are required
during the operational phase.
The identified potential concurrent
projects that could lead to cumulative water quality impacts are the marine
dumping activities at the South Cheung Chau
uncontaminated mud disposal site.
Modelling carried out for this Project showed that impacts of the wind
farm and submarine cable construction activities are very localised and
transient. Sediment does not
disperse at appreciable concentrations beyond the works areas. A review of modelling of disposal
activities at the South Cheung Chau Disposal Ground
shows that sediment plumes would not reach the wind farm area and plumes would
not overlap with those generated from the jetting works, should they
coincide. It is therefore
anticipated that the works proposed for this Project would not lead to
potential for increasing the loading of sediments within the wider marine
environment that is associated with the uncontaminated mud disposal
ground. No significant cumulative
impacts associated with water quality are therefore expected.
Unacceptable
impacts to water quality sensitive receivers have largely been avoided through
the adoption of the following measures:
·
Siting:
A number of locations were studied for the offshore wind farm and the
associated cable route, with the principal aim of avoiding direct impacts to
sensitive receivers;
·
Reduction
in Indirect Impacts:
The offshore wind farm and cable route are located at a sufficient
distance from a large number of water quality sensitive receivers so that the
dispersion of sediments from the construction works does not affect the
receivers at levels of concern (as defined by the WQO and tolerance criterion);
and
·
Adoption
of Acceptable Working Rates: The modelling work has demonstrated that
the working rates (i.e. 2,500 m3 day-1 for grab dredging;
360 m hr-1 for jetting operations) for the operations will not cause
unacceptable impacts to the receiving water quality.
Aside from
these pro-active measures that have been adopted, a number of operational
constraints and good site practice measures for dredging, jetting, construction
run-off and other discharges are also recommended (e.g. deployment of silt
curtain and closed grab dredgers during dredging, avoidance of spillage of oil,
fuel and chemicals, bunding of storage devices on
land etc) . No unacceptable residual
impacts have been predicted to occur during the construction and operational
phases.
Water
quality monitoring and auditing is recommended for the construction phase and
the specific monitoring requirements are detailed in the Environmental Monitoring and Audit Manual (EM&A Manual) associated with the EIA Report. As no
unacceptable impacts have been predicted to occur during the operation of the
wind farm, monitoring of impacts to marine water quality during the operational
phase is not considered necessary.
The potential impacts to waste management
caused by construction and operational activities of the offshore wind farm
have been assessed in the EIA Report. The impacts have been identified
and assessed to be in compliance with the criteria and guidelines stated in the
EIAO – TM Annexes 7 and 15 respectively.
The key potential impacts during the
construction phase are related to waste generated from dredging, seawall
removal, site works at the laydown area and
excavation/filling of onshore cable trenches. The storage, handling, collection,
transport, disposal and/or re-utilisation of these materials and their
associated environmental impacts have been the primary focus of the assessment.
It is estimated that a total of
approximately 3,000 m3 of marine sediment will be dredged. These sediments are considered to be
uncontaminated and are suitable for Open Sea Disposal and this will be
confirmed during the detailed engineering design phase. Up to 2,145 m3
of existing seawall will be removed and reinstated as part of the
works. All excavated material will
be stored at the Laydown Area and reused to reinstate
the seawall. As such, it is not
anticipated that any waste will be generated.
Other wastes produced during the
construction phase are of small quantity and will be disposed of according to
their nature, avoiding potential adverse impacts. The potential environmental impacts
associated with the storage, handling, collection, transport and disposal of
waste produced during operational activities have been estimated to be
insignificant and will therefore meet the criteria specified in the EIAO-TM.
Unacceptable
impacts as a result of the waste produced during the construction phase have
been avoided through the adoption of specific mitigation measures and in particular through the establishment
and implementation of a Waste Management Plan (WMP).
In order to ensure that the construction
Contractor(s) has implemented the recommendations of the EIA Report, regular
site audits will be conducted of the waste streams, to determine if wastes are
being managed in accordance with the approved procedures and the site WMP.
The proposed wind farm was studied in detail through a
site selection study in order to select a site that avoided to the extent
practical, adverse impacts to terrestrial ecology and important habitats for
birds, particularly migratory birds or bird species of high ecological value.
A total of 14 identified species were recorded in the
Project Site including Aleutian Tern, Ancient Murrelet,
Barn Swallow, Black Kite, Black-headed Gull, Black-naped
Tern, Black-tailed Gull, Bridled Tern, Common Tern, Heuglin’s
Gull, Little Tern, Red-necked Phalarope, Whiskered Tern and White-winged Tern,
two of which were considered bird species of conservation interest (Black Kite
and Ancient Murrelet). In addition, in the wider Study Area a
further three bird
species of conservation interest were recorded, including White-bellied Sea Eagle, Common Buzzard and Pacific Reef
Egret. Most of the birds that are
of conservation interest are common and widespread in Hong Kong with the
exception of Pacific Reef Egret (uncommon but widespread resident),
Potential construction phase impacts to birds may arise
from the permanent loss of habitats due to the construction of wind turbine
foundation, substation and monitoring mast; temporary disturbance and
displacement of birds. The
relatively small scale loss of approximately 0.16 ha of open waters within the
Project Site is not expected to be significant for bird/migratory bird
populations in view of similar habitats in the vicinity and the limited bird
use in the area. The direct
ecological impact due to the construction of the wind turbine is expected to be
low, and will not contribute to any potential cumulative impact.
Barrier
effect to bird movement and bird collisions during the operation of the wind
farm were assessed. Aleutian Tern, Ancient Murrelet,
Barn Swallow, Black Kite, Black-headed Gull, Black-naped
Tern, Black-tailed Gull, Bridled Tern, Common Tern, Heuglin’s
Gull, Little Tern, Red-necked Phalarope, Whiskered Tern and White-winged Tern
have utilised the Project Site and therefore are the
species that may be affected by the operation of the wind farm. However, these species were recorded in
relatively low numbers and most of them were flying below the rotor area. Since the wind farm is not located within important
bird habitat or on the flight path of migratory birds, the potential risk of
bird collision will be low. In
addition, collision risk assessment using the
worse case scenario also predicted low number of bird collision. Overall, no adverse residual impacts are envisaged.
A bird monitoring programme will be undertaken to
confirm that the construction and operation of the wind turbines will not cause
adverse impacts to birds.
Monitoring for bird abundance and distribution will be undertaken for
one year during the pre-construction phase, one year during the construction
phase for the wind turbines and the first year of the operation of the
turbines.
The potential impacts to marine ecology
caused by construction and operational activities of the offshore wind farm and
its components have been assessed in the EIA
Report. The impacts have been
identified and assessed to be in compliance with the criteria and guidelines
stated in the EIAO – TM Annexes 8 and 16 respectively. The
potential direct and indirect impacts to marine ecology assessed include loss of habitats, disturbance to
wildlife, disturbance to ecologically sensitive areas and pollution.
Ecologically sensitive receivers have been
identified and the potential impacts arising from the construction and operation
phases of the offshore wind farm to these have been evaluated. The sensitive receivers include finless
porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides)
habitat, green turtle
(Chelonia mydas) inter-nesting habitat, the
Potential construction phase impacts to
marine ecological resources, as well as impacts to marine mammals and sea
turtles, may arise from the permanent loss of habitat in the footprint of
marine structures, disturbances to benthic habitats as a result of jetting and
dredging and impacts on intertidal and subtidal
habitats during seawall removal.
As impacts arising from the proposed
dredging works are predicted to be largely confined to the specific works areas
and the predicted elevations of suspended sediment due to the Project are not
predicted to cause exceedances of the water quality
objectives outside of the mixing zones, adverse impacts to water quality, and
hence marine ecological resources or marine mammals and sea turtles, are not
anticipated.
Although the loss of 0.16 ha of water
column habitat would be an inevitable and adverse consequence of the project,
the residual impact is assessed to be acceptable after taking into
consideration a number of factors, including the sizable ranges and mobility of
affected animals and the fact that the habitat that would be lost is not be
considered to be a critical habitat for marine mammal or sea turtles. The area is also subject to considerable
disturbance by heavy marine traffic and trawling by fishing vessels.
The loss of 3.6 ha of soft bottom seabed
habitat would also be an inevitable and adverse consequence of the
project. However, this habitat is
considered to be of low conservation value and is not significant in context to
the amount of similar habitat available elsewhere in
The removal of low ecological value
artificial rocky shore as a result of seawall removal activities for cable
landing (see Section 5) will not lead
to unacceptable impacts for subtidal or intertidal
ecology. The reinstatement of the
seawall with materials that have been removed will mean that there will be no
long term change in the amount of available artificial intertidal and subtidal hard bottom habitat.
Percussive piling has the potential to
cause impacts to marine mammals, and to a lesser extent, sea turtles through underwater
sound generation. Impacts to noise
sensitive species from percussive piling operations associated with wind
turbine installations in offshore waters has been shown to be significantly
reduced by avoidance of works during peak seasons of finless porpoise, adopting
soft-starts procedures and strictly controlled exclusion zones. Through the adoption of such mitigation
for the proposed wind farm, i.e. marine mammal / sea turtle exclusion zones,
adoption of closed periods for piling works during peak marine mammal season
and noting that the wind farm site is away from Sham Wan and not a preferred
habitat for sea turtles, no unacceptable impacts on these species are expected
to occur.
Operational phase adverse impacts to
marine ecological resources are not expected to occur. In particular, unacceptable impacts to
marine mammals and sea turtles from the generation of underwater sound levels
are not predicted to be of concern.
In addition, the wind farm structures, and in particular rock scour
material may have the potential to create an artificial reef, which could have
beneficial impacts related to food supply for marine mammals.
No unacceptable residual impacts are
predicted to marine ecological resources.
During the construction phase of wind turbines,
pre-, during and post-installation monitoring of marine mammal abundance,
behaviour and distribution, including vessel-based surveys, passive acoustic
monitoring and land-based theodolite tracking, will
be undertaken. Periodic
re-assessment of mitigation measures for marine mammals, sea turtle and their
effectiveness will also be undertaken during these periods.
The potential impacts to commercial
fisheries caused by construction and operational activities of the proposed offshore
wind farm and its components have been assessed in the EIA Report. The impacts have
been identified and assessed to be in compliance with the criteria and
guidelines stated in the EIAO – TM Annexes 9 and 17 respectively.
Fisheries sensitive receivers have been
identified and the potential impacts arising from the construction and
operation phases of the offshore wind farm and its components have been
evaluated. Potential impacts to
fisheries resources and fishing operations may arise from the short term
disturbance of marine habitat due to foundation construction, dredging and
jetting or through changes to key water quality parameters, as a result of
marine works, underwater sound generation, and restriction of fishing activity
in proximity to the marine working areas.
Water quality impacts arising from the proposed dredging, jetting and
foundation construction works are predicted to be largely confined to the
specific works areas and to be temporary in nature. The predicted elevations of suspended
sediment concentrations due to the Project are not predicted to exceed the
assessment criteria over large areas or at sensitive receivers and they are not
expected to cause significant adverse impacts to water quality or to any
fishing grounds or species of importance to the fishery. Restriction of access for fishing during
construction consists of a small area (500 m from works) and should not
significantly affect capture fisheries in the area in the context of similar or
better fishing areas elsewhere. In
addition, increase in vessel traffic is small in scale and should not pose a
significant risk to fishing vessels, particularly given the high levels of
marine traffic that currently exist in the area that fishing vessels contend
with on a daily basis.
During the operation of the wind farm a
total of 700 ha of habitat will be lost to fisheries operations within and
adjacent to the turbine array. This
represents 0.42% of
Underwater
sound generation from marine construction and operation works is not expected
to have a significant impact on fisheries resources.
No fisheries-specific mitigation measures
are required during the construction or operation activities.
The water quality monitoring programme will provide management actions
and supplemental mitigation measures to be employed should impacts arise,
thereby ensuring the environmental acceptability of the Project. As impacts to the fisheries resources
and fishing operations are small and of short duration, the development and
implementation of a monitoring and audit programme specifically designed to
assess the effects on commercial fisheries resources is not deemed
necessary. In addition, the
adoption of appropriate mitigation measures to manage navigational risks will
also mean that the risk to fishing vessels would be low.
A Fisheries Review and Consultation
Programme will also be implemented prior to the commencement of construction of
the wind turbines. The general
intention of the FRCP will be to outline, in consultation with the fishery
sector, whether there is scope for fishing operations to be conducted within
the development area. The
FCRP will also aim to explore the possibilities of additional measures/projects
to be undertaken within the development area for the enhancement of fisheries
resources. If deemed acceptable, a
Fisheries Enhancement Plan (FNP) will be developed for the wind farm area.
3.8
Landscape And Visual Impact
A Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment has been
undertaken for the South West Lamma site in
the EIA Report.
The landscape impacts were identified and some mitigation measures
proposed. The residual landscape
impacts are:
1.
There
will be negligible residual
construction impacts on LCAs 2 Inshore Waters
Landscape and LCA 4 Coastal Upland and Hillside Landscape.
2.
There
will be slight un-mitigated
construction impacts LCA 3 Industrial Urban Landscape. Approximately 2.78ha of
this LCA will be affected during construction, however this area will be fully
mitigated with the adoption of the mitigation measures proposed resulting in a negligible residual construction impact.
3.
There
will be moderate adverse residual
construction impacts on LCA1 Offshore Waters Landscape. Approximately 700ha of
this LCA will be lost and cannot be mitigated.
4.
There
will be negligible residual operational
impacts on LCAs 2 Inshore Waters Landscape, 3
Industrial Urban Landscape and 4 Coastal
5.
There
will be negligible residual
construction and operation impacts on the following LRs:
·
LR 2
Man made rocky sea-wall. Approximately 0.001ha of this LR will be lost during
construction; however this will be fully mitigated with the adoption of the
mitigation measures proposed.
·
LR 3
Industrial Area. Approximately 0.02ha of this LR will be lost during
construction; however this will be fully mitigated with the adoption of the
mitigation measures proposed.
·
LR 4
Soft Landscape areas. Approximately 0.001ha of this LR will be lost during
construction; however this will be fully mitigated with the adoption of the
mitigation measures proposed.
·
LR 5
Mixed Shrubland. There will be no impacts on this LR.
·
LR 6
Pond. There will be no impacts on this LR.
There will be slight
residual construction and operation impacts on LR1 Seascape as 0.16ha will be
lost and can not be mitigated.
A Visual Impact Assessment was undertaken with
several conservative assumptions:
1.
Whilst
the review of
2.
Based
on the analysis of the parameters of human vision, the more conservative limit
of view of 15.5km has been adopted, and;
3.
Intervening
vegetation and buildings have not been considered during the identification of VSRs.
Nineteen VSRs were
identified and assessed based on their sensitivity and magnitude of
change. Whilst visual mitigation of
the wind turbine structures is difficult, four VMM’s
were proposed, however the ability of these mitigation in reducing the
significance threshold of the impacts is limited. The residual impacts identified were as
follows:
1.
There
will be negligible residual visual
impacts from VSR3 Lamma Ferry Pier, VSR 14 Stanley
Waterfront and VSR 15 Wong Nai Chung Gap and Violet
Hill.
2.
There
will be slight residual visual impacts from VSR1 Lamma
Island (Hung Shing Ye beach), VSR2 Lo So Shing Beach, VSR4 Ferry to Cheung Chau,
VSR 5 Cheung Chau, VSR6 Discovery Bay, VSR 8 Chi Ma
Wan Peninsula, VSR 9 Cheung Sha, VSR 10 Lantau Trail, VSR 12 Queen Mary Hospital and Mount Davis,
VSR 13 Pok Fu Lam - Pauline Chan Building at HKU,
VSR16 Ocean Park, and VSR 18 Penny’s Bay.
3.
Moderate
residual visual impacts have been identified at VSR7 Silvermine
Bay (Mui Wo), VSR11 The
Peak, VSR 17 Mt Stenhouse and VSR 19 East Lamma Channel.
Visual mitigation measures are proposed that will
reduce the severity of these visual impacts. These include tree and shrub planting,
relocation of trees and site hoardings.
The choice of turbines array layout, turbines colours and blade rotation
will also be used to reduce visibility where technically feasible.
According to Annex 10 of the Technical
Memorandum on the Environmental Impact Assessment Process (EIAO-TM) the
Landscape and Visual Impacts are considered acceptable with mitigation.
The potential impacts to cultural heritage
caused by construction and operational activities of the proposed offshore wind
farm and its components have been assessed in the EIA Report. The impacts have
been identified and assessed to be in compliance with the criteria and
guidelines stated in the EIAO – TM Annexes 10 and 19 respectively. The assessment
has included a terrestrial and marine archaeological investigation as well as a
built heritage investigation.
No declared monuments, graded historic
buildings, government historic sites and archaeological sites listed by AMO have been identified within or
adjacent to the proposed works. One
potential marine archaeological site (SC007/57262) was identified from a review
of geophysical data. . This site, potentially a shipwreck, is
located outside of any area of works and will not be directly or indirectly
affected by construction or operation of the wind farm. The avoidance of direct impacts to the
shipwreck identified during the geophysical survey will be verified by the
Environmental Team and the Independent Environmental Checker through review of
the final design prior to the installation of turbines and submarine
cable. Designs and subsequent
construction works will be checked to ensure that no works will occur within 50
m of the shipwreck.
No marine archaeological
sites will be affected by works, and therefore the proposed development imposes
no marine archaeological impact and no mitigation measures are considered
necessary.
HK Electric has conducted consultations and engagement
with project stakeholders to hear their views on the project plan while at the
same time, addressing their concerns.
These stakeholders include representatives from fishermen groups, green
groups, District Councillors, Rural Committees Members, government advisory
committee Members, various Government Departments, learned institutions,
industry practitioners and members of the public. The feedback from these consultations
has been considered in the preparation of this EIA Study Report.
Table 3.2 below provides a summary of the
Stakeholder Engagement Record detailing the organizations and parties that HK
Electric has consulted with regard to the proposed offshore wind farm project.
Table 3.2 Stakeholder
Engagement Record
|
Meeting |
Date |
Organization |
|
1 |
24 Apr 2007 |
Civil Aviation
Department officials |
|
2 |
2 May 2007 |
Marine
Department officials |
|
3 |
17 Apr 2008 |
Civil Aviation
Department officials |
|
4 |
29
Apr 2008 |
Sky
Shuttle Limited |
|
5 |
21 May 2008 |
Marine Department
officials |
|
6 |
29 May 2008 |
Agriculture,
Fisheries and Conservation Department officials |
|
7 |
27 Sep 2008 |
Customer
Liaison Group |
|
8 |
17
Oct 2008 |
Presentation
for 2008 |
|
9 |
6
Jan 2009 |
1st
International Conference on Applied Energy ICEA ’09 |
|
10 |
10 Jan 2009 |
Customer
Liaison Group officials |
|
11 |
5 May 2009 |
Civil Aviation
Department |
|
12 |
11 Nov 2009 |
Chairman
and Vice-chairman of Southern District Council |
|
13 |
11 Nov 2009 |
Legislative
Council member |
|
14 |
24 Nov 2009 |
Energy Advisory
Committee member |
|
15 |
25 Nov 2009 |
Chairman and Vice-chairman of |
|
Chairman of |
||
|
Islands
District Council member |
||
|
16 |
25 Nov 2009 |
CEO
of WWF – Hong Kong |
|
17 |
26 Nov 2009 |
Representatives
of Hong Kong Fishery |
|
Representatives
of |
||
|
18 |
26 Nov 2009 |
Energy Advisory
Committee member |
|
19 |
2 Dec 2009 |
CEO
of Green Power |
|
20 |
2 Dec 2009 |
Islands
District Council members |
|
21 |
16 Dec 2009 |
Director
and Environmental Affairs Manager of Friends of the Earth ( |
|
22 |
17 Dec 2009 |
Vice
-chairman of The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society |
|
23 |
25 Jan 2010 (Planned) |
Acting Chief
Executive of
Conservancy Association |
|
24 |
26 Jan 2010 (Planned) |
CEO
of Business Environment Council |
|
|
|
|
|
25 |
27 Jan 2010 (Planned) |
Climate and Energy Campaigners, Greenpeace |
3.11
Environmental
Monitoring And Audit (Em&A)
The construction and operation of the proposed offshore
wind farm development has
been demonstrated in the EIA
Report to comply with the
EIAO-TM requirements. Actual impacts during the works will be
monitored through a detailed Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A)
programme. Full details of the EM&A
programme are presented in the EM&A
Manual for the EIA
Report. This programme will provide management
actions and supplemental mitigation measures to be employed should impacts
arise, thereby ensuring the environmental acceptability of the construction and
operation of the proposed offshore wind farm development.
No unacceptable
residual impacts have been predicted for the construction and operation of the offshore
wind farm or its associated
facilities. It must be noted that for
all of the components assessed in the EIA
Report, the assessments and the residual impacts have been shown to be
acceptable and in compliance with the relevant assessment standards/criteria of
the EIAO-TM and its associated Annexes.
3.13
Environmentally Responsible Designs
The EIA Study has facilitated the integration of environmental
considerations into the design process for the Project. One of the key environmental outcomes
has been the ability to plan, design and ultimately construct the offshore
wind farm so that direct
impacts to sensitive receivers are avoided, as far as practically
possible. A detailed assessment of
alternative sites within the Study Area has been conducted as well as an
assessment of the site layouts and construction methods.
3.14
Environmental Benefits Of The Project
Implementation of the Project will make a
contribution to managing emissions of air pollutants and climate change and
will provide diversity of fuel supply.
The purpose of the proposed project is to utilize wind as source of
renewable energy for power generation to supplement fossil fuels, and to make
contributions to the improvement of the air quality in
The operation of the proposed offshore wind farm with
an estimated annual generation of around 175GWh electricity would offset
approximately:
·
Annual
use of 62,000T of coal
·
Annual
emission of 150,000T of carbon dioxide
·
Annual
emission of 520T of sulphur dioxide
·
Annual
emission of 240T of nitrogen oxide
The
electricity generation from the proposed wind farm would be adequate to meet the
consumption for 50,000 families in