East Anglia Offshore Windfarm Zone

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Inshore Fishermen

These FAQs have been produced following the Phase 1 consultation public information days and meetings with inshore fishermen in Summer 2010 and using information now available on the project design. 

We have aimed to provide answers to all questions raised during these meetings.  If you have further questions or wish for more information on the questions below, please contact Brown and May Marine Limited (BMM) using the details supplied. 

How can I get information about the project?  Who can I speak to about any concerns or issues I may have?

Brown and May Marine Limited (BMM) have been appointed by EAOW as the project Commercial Fisheries Co-ordinator.  BMM will liaise with fishermen on behalf of EAOW through meetings and project updates. 

Contacts Address for Brown & May Marine Limited is below and all fishermen queries direct to East Anglia Offshore WInd JV will be forwarded to Brown & May Marine Limited.

Address: Progress Way, Mid-Suffolk Business Park, Langton Green, Eye, Suffolk, IP23 7HU. 

To assist the consultation process, the following appointments have been made: 

Fishing Industry Representative (FIR) 

What is the role of the FIR?

 The primary objectives of a FIR are;

• To act as a single contact point within the fishing community to accurately determine fishing industry views.
• To relay information from the developer to the fishing community in an efficient and effective manner.
• To use his or her fishing knowledge to develop acceptable working patterns and to offer advice on how to minimise or avoid unnecessary conflict or disagreements between the fishing industry and offshore wind industry activities. 

Their role and responsibilities include: 

• Liaison with local fishermen, associations and other interested parties with the objective of accurately relaying any concerns/ problems back to the Commercial Fisheries Co-ordinator.
• Distribute up-to-date project information to fishermen and communicate any changes that occur.
• Monitor fishing activities in the development area and advise vessels in the area of work activities.
• Communicate with the fishing community on behalf of the Commercial Fisheries Co-ordinator in order to determine any particularly sensitive issues. 

Who is it and how were they appointed? 

The appointed FIRs for East Anglia One (EAONE) are Chris Wightman and Ed Butters, both experienced fishermen working out of Lowestoft and Felixstowe respectively. They were appointed following a fishermen’s consultation meeting held at Felixstowe Town Hall on 20^th July 2011 and further consultation with fishermen operating within the regional inshore areas. It is felt that the appointment of the two individuals will cover the principle ports impacted effectively. 

Vessel Onboard Fisheries Liaison Officers (OFLO) 

What is the role of the vessel OFLO? 

The primary objectives of an OFLO are; 

• Provision of information to fishing vessels via regular broadcasts of the survey vessel’s location, its contact details, work being undertaken and areas which need to be avoided in the direct vicinity of the vessel.
• To undertake a contact log of all interaction with fishing vessels and fishing gear.
• Regular reporting of incidences to the Company Fisheries Co-ordinator and FIRs.
• Liaison with fishermen to aid movement of gear when necessary.
• To follow incident reporting procedures, in the event of conflict with fishing gears.

 How are they appointed? 

OFLOs are appointed following communication with the FIRs who will suggest suitable individuals, ideally from the local fishing community. An OFLO is an individual with a good knowledge of all fishing methods employed in the local area and who has wide experience of fishing.  OFLOs are employed on survey vessels and will have good communication skills.  Each OFLO is required to have a valid offshore medical and sea survival certificate as a minimum.  A number of OFLOs from the local fishing community have been employed during the offshore cable corridor geophysical survey.

 General project information is also available on the project website at www.eastangliawind.com

 Development Phase 

What route will the export cables take from East Anglia ONE?

The process of identifying an offshore cable corridor wide enough for up to four cables for East Anglia ONE started in early 2011 and the site selection process is explained in the Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEIR).  Maps showing the offshore cable corridor will be provided at public consultation events and fishermens’ meetings for discussion.  

Defining an Area of Search

EAOW were offered a grid connection at Bramford, Suffolk for the first project, East Anglia ONE, in August 2010.  Following receipt of the connection offer, EAOW defined an Indicative Cable Corridor Area which was presented in the Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC).  Offshore, the Indicative Cable Corridor Area was essentially a cone from the potential landfall locations at Felixstowe Ferry and Bawdsey to the outer edges of the wind farm. 

This cone was then refined to produce an Area of Search.  In order to do this, broad routeing constraints were mapped, including disposal sites, aggregate dredging areas, cables and pipelines, shipping routes, anchorage areas and areas of conservation importance.  Cable routeing engineers then drew potential cable routes within the area, avoiding constraints where possible, and broad corridors were drawn around a number of these routes. 

This Area of Search was presented within the Scoping Report and at the Phase 1 Consultation meetings in July 2011. 

Offshore Cable Corridor

Following the Phase 1 consultation meetings and using results from the benthic survey, the Area of Search was refined to an Offshore Cable Corridor, wide enough for up to four cables from East Anglia ONE.  This corridor was also located to avoid a potential Marine Conservation Zone in the centre of the Area of Search.  

How will the final cable routes be defined? 

Final cable routes will be decided after consent. 

Consultation with local communities is a key part of the development process and EAOW are keen to hear fishermen’s views, particularly on areas to avoid such as areas of particular importance for fishing and areas of hard or unstable ground. 

Will the cable routes avoid the main grounds?

Where possible, fishing grounds will be avoided, however as fishing occurs throughout the inshore area off Felixstowe, it is likely the cable will have to pass through some fishing grounds.  EAOW will continue to provide information to fishermen throughout project development and to discuss the best ways of ensuring fishermen are consulted and notified of works once construction begins. 

How will fishermen’s views be taken into account during the development of the project?

Formal Consultation

One of the most positive aspects of the Planning Act 2008 is that it emphasises the importance of consultation with local communities in the planning process.  Under the Act, EAOW is required to carry out detailed community consultation before we submit our consent application.  The aim of this consultation is to help communities understand what it being proposed and what the proposals mean to them.  Communities should then be provided with an opportunity to feed back on the proposals.   

As part of our application for consent for the project, EAOW must also provide a Consultation Report.  This report will explain how the views of those consulted have been collected and how they have been incorporated into the project design process.  Where these views have not resulted in a change to the project, this will have to be clearly explained. 

Our Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC) explains how we intend to consult with the local community during the development of the project.  A copy of the SoCC is available on the website.  Consultation is being divided into two phases: 

• Phase 1 Consultation – electricity transmission works.  This phase of consultation was carried out in July 2011.  Communities were consulted on the export cable Area of Search to help us identify a potential corridor/routes within this. 
• Phase 2 Consultation – the entire project.  Communities are being consulted on the entire project (wind farm and electricity transmission works) following the publication of the Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEIR).  The formal consultation period is from 10^th February to 30^th March.   

Focused fishermen’s meetings are being held during the formal consultation period and fishermen should have received formal invitations to these meetings. 

Informal Consultation

As well as the formal consultation required, BMM have met with fishermen throughout the past year and will continue to meet them on a regular basis.  If you or your organisation would like to discuss the project at any time, please contact Brown and May to arrange a meeting.  Contact details are on the EAOW website.  

What surveys will be required during the development phase and why?

In order to find a suitable offshore cable corridor for cables from East Anglia ONE, we are conducting three types of survey:

1. Benthic surveys – these surveys use a grab deployed from a survey vessel to collect a sample of the seabed.  Samples will be analysed for marine animals and seabed type, ie mud, sand, gravel.  Some samples may also be analysed for certain contaminants, eg metals and hydrocarbons.  This information will be used to map areas where there are marine communities of importance, either as prey for fish and bird species or for conservation, and to help us assess the environmental impacts of disturbing the area during cable laying. 
2. Geophysical surveys – these surveys involve towing hydrographic equipment from a survey vessel.  This equipment generally uses sonar to accurately map water depths and the seabed surface.  It can also gather information on the geology of the area.  This information helps us to understand how easily cables can be buried and whether they are likely to stay buried over the lifetime of the project.
3. Geotechnical surveys – these surveys involve either collecting a core sample or pushing a probe into the seabed to gather more detailed information on the geology of the area.  This information is used to inform where the cables should be routed, optimal burial depth and the most appropriate equipment for cable installation. 

The benthic surveys were completed in Summer 2011 and the geophysical surveys were completed in January 2012.  It is expected that geotechnical surveys will be carried out after consent.  When further surveys are required, BMM will discuss the type of survey and timing with local fishermen. 

How will the survey works affect inshore fishermen? 

During these surveys, Notices to Mariners will be sent out.  These will provide information on the vessels used, the type of survey and the length of the survey.  The NTM will request that all sea users maintain a safe working distance from survey vessels.  

In some cases, BMM will speak to individual fishermen to discuss moving static gear from the survey area for short periods.  This is to ensure that fishing gear and survey equipment does not become damaged.  

An On-board Fisheries Liaison Officer (OFLO) will ensure that specified standards and procedures are followed. 

How will EAOW ensure that their cables do not become unburied by shifting sands?

Information from the geophysical and geotechnical surveys, and the seabed samples, will allow us to build a model of sediment movement in the area.  This model will show the areas where there is a lot of seabed movement and this information will be used to decide where and how deep to bury the cables.  Fishermen and other sea users can also provide information which will help us to get a better understanding of this issue. 

Construction Phase 

What kind of cables will be used?

The export cables for East Anglia ONE, connecting the offshore converter stations to the landfall, will be HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current). All of the offshore wind farms currently operating in the UK have used AC export cables.  Many of the wind farms currently under development are planning to use HVDC cables due to the increased distance of the wind farms from the shore and the greater capacity of the wind farms.   Using HVDC technology means that fewer cables are required.  For this project up to 4 HVDC cables will be required.  Using AC for a project of this size would normally require up to 6 offshore cables.  

What research work has been done on the impacts of EMFs from cables on fish stocks?

During earlier wind farm projects, the potential for effects of electro-magnetic fields on fish species was raised as a key issue.  A number of industry-wide studies were conducted to find out if cables produced EMFs that could be detected by certain commercially important species.  The work focussed on species such as skates and rays which were known to be sensitive to electric fields.  

The results of these studies showed that a shielded AC cable does not generate an electric field directly but, as a result of the alternating current, a tiny induced electric field is produced close to the cable.  This result was not expected and further work was carried out to try and understand whether this induced electric field affected fish behaviour. 

A large scale field trial was conducted in which two areas of sea (40 m in diameter) off the west coast of Scotland, known as mesocosms, were constructed.  Cables were laid across these areas and buried to 1 m and three fish species, thornback ray, spurdog and lesser spotted dogfish, were placed in each mesocosm.  The effects of the cable on fish behaviour were then measured through detecting fish movements.  The results of the study showed some response in some species some of the time but were largely inconclusive. 

How many cables will be required and how far apart will they be?

East Anglia ONE, the first project, will require a maximum of four cables.  It is expected that cables 1 and 2 would be around 50 m apart and cables 3 and 4 would also be around 50 m apart. The distance between cable pairs (1/2 and 3/4) has not yet been defined but is expected to be around 200 m to allow for cable maintenance if required.  250 m outer protection areas at each side of the corridor are also required.

Will the export cables be buried? 

The export cables will be buried as far as practical at depths of between 0.5m and 5 m.  The exact burial depth will depend on seabed type, ie what is achievable, and will also be influenced by use of the area, ie fishing gear penetration and anchor depths.  In some cases the cables cannot be buried: cable crossings, hard seabed, etc. In these cases it will be necessary to use alternative methods other than burial to protect the cables: rock placement, concrete mattresses, frond mattresses, uraduct, etc. 

How will EAOW ensure that cables do not become exposed?

As wind farm operators, EAOW will be doing everything they can to reduce the risk of cables becoming exposed; exposed cables present a hazard to sea users, cable damage is also extremely costly to developers, affecting the output of the wind farm and increasing maintenance requirements. 

In order to understand the risks of cable exposure, particularly in areas of high sediment movement, EAOW will be collecting detailed seabed information and commissioning sediment transport studies to better understand sediment movement in the area.  

How will export cables be installed?

The burial methods currently being considered for the export cables from East Anglia ONE are: 

• jetting;
• ploughing;
• trenching or cutting; and
• vertical injector 

Jetting and ploughing are the most likely installation methods for the export cables, given the seabed type in the area (mud, sand and gravel). Trenching or cutting will only be used as a last option in areas where other methods are not technically feasible. 

There are two methods of water jetting available.  For one method, the cable is laid on the seabed.  The jetting tool is positioned above the cable and the tool then fluidises the sand around the cable allowing it to sink under its own weight.  The other method involves jetting out a trench and then laying the cable into the trench behind the jetting lance.  Jetting tools can be pulled by vessel or mounted onto self propelled caterpillar tracked vehicles which run along the seabed. 

Ploughing tools can be towed from a vessel or mounted onto self propelled caterpillar tracked vehicles which run along the seabed.  The plough share cuts through the seabed and inserts the cable as it passes through the ground.  Ploughing is considered trenchless as the seabed closes behind the plough. 

In small areas where neither jetting nor ploughing is practicable, trenching or cutting may be used.  Trenching involves excavating a trench or cut and placing the sediment next to the trench.  The cable would then be laid into the trench and the sediment or fill returned.  

In shallow waters a vertical injector could be used. This is a large jetting/cutting share which is strapped to the side of a barge and the cable is laid in the foot of the trench. 

Before cable-laying operations start, a pre-lay grapnel run will be required along the cable routes to ensure that the route is free from obstructions such as discarded trawling gear and abandoned cables.   

What is the width of ground that will be disturbed when laying cables?  What is EAOW’s policy on returning the seabed to its original condition after export cable burial operations?

Given the type of ground in the export cable area, ie sand and mud, the most likely method of installation is either using a jetting tool or cable plough.  

A typical jetting machine may have a width of around 5 m, but dimensions vary from one jetting machine to another  Studies have shown that as sediments are returned to the seabed, areas quickly recolonise.  

Cable installation by ploughing will affect the seabed animals immediately in the line of the plough share and under the skids which are either side of the share.   A typical plough may have a width of around 7 m, but dimensions vary from one plough to another.  Studies of disturbed ground show that, as the sediment is returned, animals from adjacent areas will quickly move in and colonise the area. 

If trenching is used, the sediment and fill will be returned to the trench and areas will quickly recolonise. 

How long will it take to install all four cables?

Experience from other projects shows that cable installation times can vary greatly depending on cable length, seabed type, installation techniques and weather conditions.   Installation speed will vary depending on the technology used for cable installation. Installation rates vary from 30 m/h to 400 m/h depending on the technology used (just over 50 per cent of the cable length would be within the 12 nm limit).   

How will cable installation works affect inshore fishermen? What procedures are in place for fishermen who are disrupted during construction?

Before all installation works, a hazard/risk assessment workshop would be carried out which would include representatives of the fishing industry. 

Notices to Mariners will be sent out to inform sea users of the vessels to be used and the type of activities being carried.  

In line with standard offshore practice, vessels would be required to maintain a safe working distance around cable installation vessels.  As such, there would be a small, short term loss of fishing area for inshore fishermen.  BMM will speak to individual fishermen to discuss moving static gear from the area prior to cable installation.  

Installation vessels would generally have an on-board Fisheries Liaison Officer (FLO) to ensure that specified standards and procedures are followed. 

Where installation works are not as planned, for example the time taken to install cables is greater than expected, EAOW will ensure that fishermen are kept informed via their Fishing Industry Representative.  

How will cables cross existing cables and pipelines?

Export cables will have to cross cables and pipelines already in place and this will require an agreement with the owner of the cable or pipeline.  The crossed cable/pipe will be protected from the impacts of the new cable using concrete, stones or other protection method.  Once the cable has been installed, a protective layer of stones, concrete mattresses or other protection method will be laid on top of the new cable.  The types of crossings employed and their location will be discussed with fishermen as detailed design information becomes available. 

How will you ensure that no debris remains after cable installation?

During installation, contractors will be obliged to comply with standard offshore policies which would prohibit discarding any objects or material overboard and require rapid recovery of accidentally dropped objects.  Should post construction monitoring identify the presence of seabed structures such as mounds, boulders or berms which could have the potential to affect fishing, appropriate rectification would be undertaken. Client representatives and on-board Fishing Liaison Officers would ensure that all policies are adhered to.  

Operations and Maintenance Phase 

Will I be able to fish once the export cables have been installed?

Once the cables are installed and any exclusions areas around hazards are removed, current fishing practices should be able to return to normal.  

Where will the maintenance base(s) be?

EAOW are currently reviewing possible ports suitable for construction and maintenance activities along the east coast. 

What will happen at the end of the project?  Will the export cables be removed?

Current guidance is that export cables should be de-energised and left in the seabed to reduce disruption.  

Why do fishermen not get much work out of their local wind farms?

EAOW are committed to provide work for local communities where possible.  Fishermen have recently been employed for fishing liaison work.  The types of work available for vessels will depend on the type and size of the vessel and accompanying documentation: all vessels would need to have either loadline exception or be workboat coded.  Where this is the case, as demonstrated by the Thanet Offshore Wind Farm, local fishing vessels can be employed on the project.

FAQs about East Anglia ONE

1. Where is the East Anglia ONE site?
2. How big is the development site?
3. What is the potential MW capacity of the site?
4. How many turbines?
5. When will you submit your planning application?
6. How long is the planning process?
7. Who will make the final decision on the consent application?
8. When do you hope to start construction?
9. Can you explain the connection to the onshore grid network?
10. Why have you not connected into Sizewell?
11. When will the windfarm be complete?
12. How tall are the turbines likely to be?
13. How many jobs will this project create?
14. The site has some major shipping and ferry routes, will the windfarm force them to be moved?
15. Will fishing still be possible in the East Anglia ONE site?