MSF(55/2011)
Marine Strategy Forum - Scoping study for offshore wind farm development in
Scottish waters
Background
In March 2011, the Scottish Government published a Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind
Energy in Scottish Territorial Waters. The Plan set out Scottish Ministers’ proposals for the
development of offshore wind energy in Scottish Territorial Waters (STW) in the short term
(up to 2020) and provided further areas of search for the medium term (up to 2030).
A sensitivity analysis of the Plan concluded that, as additional data and monitoring
information, and improved data handling procedures, become available, these should be
incorporated into the emerging iterative marine planning process, as applied to the medium
term options for wind farm development in Scottish Territorial Waters, and to opportunities
further offshore.
Marine Scotland have a process in place to develop a Scoping Report for the potential for
offshore wind development in Scottish waters out to 200 miles. It is intended that that this
will inform the marine planning process by leading to the development of Regional
Locational Guidelines for offshore wind development. The Scoping Report and Regional
Locational Guidelines will be expected to inform any potential future offshore wind leasing
round by The Crown Estate and serve as the basis for any subsequent SEA for offshore
wind farm development in Scottish Waters.
As was the case in the development of the Draft Plan for Offshore Wind Energy in Scottish
Territorial Waters, and the Scoping Study for the Saltire Prize programme for wave and tidal
power development, Marine Scotland worked with The Crown Estate to apply the Crown
Estates Marine Resource System (MaRS) to the identification of areas for offshore wind
development.
The new MaRS modelling took account of the availability of wind power resource, and
opportunities to exploit it, and the constraints presented by existing uses of the sea,
including environmental sensitivities and heritage factors.
The output from the modelling is a series of maps that integrate across the various
constraints on development. These maps will be used to identify additional plan options
arising from the further areas of search in the current Plan for Offshore Wind Energy in
Scottish Territorial Waters, and to guide the identification of new areas within STW and
further offshore in Scottish waters. These will be the subject of Regional Locational
Guidance to assist marine planners to identify priority areas to be brought forward for
potential leasing, and developers to understand the key opportunities, and the practical
issues influencing consenting in Scottish waters.
Action
Members to note submission and how the current Scoping work will feed in to the future
Sectoral Marine Plan Review for Offshore Wind Energy.