316. The confidence in the data used in this assessment is medium.


317. No further mitigation measures are considered for this impact beyond those embedded measures presented in section 12.3.2.


12.6.1.2 Impact 2: Underwater noise - vessels 318. Chapter 15 Shipping and Navigation provides a description of the baseline conditions and anticipated additional ship movements arising from the construction and operation of the project.


319. A number of busy shipping lanes pass in proximity to the East Anglia THREE site, with a large number of vessels recorded using two Deep Water Routes (DWRs), one passing 2nm to the east and one 1nm west of the site. During the three marine traffic surveys in 2012/2013 there was an average of 14 unique vessels per day passing through the East Anglia THREE site. Approximately 63% of vessels recorded intersecting the East Anglia THREE site during the combined 30 days of survey were cargo ships (including general cargo, chemical tankers and specialised carriers), fishing vessels made up 15% of all traffic and recreational vessels 9%. Excluding the survey vessel tracks, there was an average of 12 unique vessels per day passing through the East Anglia THREE site during the winter validation survey in 2014. During the validation survey approximately 67.5% of vessels recorded intersecting the East Anglia THREE site were cargo vessels, fishing vessels made up for 19% of traffic within the site and ‘other’ operational vessels accounted for 9.5%.


320. Appendix 15.1 - Navigational Risk Assessment East Anglia THREE Offshore Windfarm suggests there would be some re-routing of existing vessels around the East Anglia THREE site (with a minimum passing distance of 2nm from the windfarm boundary) particularly to the south. This is likely to re-route existing large and fast moving vessels (predominantly general cargo ships).


321. There will be a large amount of additional vessels at the site during the construction phase, despite the potential displacement of existing vessel traffic. During the construction of East Anglia THREE there will be an increase in vessel traffic within the site associated with installation of the foundations and the wind turbines. Table 12.2 provides details of the worst case of 45 vessels, and approximately 5,700 vessel movements.


322. Most noise from construction vessels is likely to be lower frequency, associated with large slow moving vessels and the use of dynamic positioning systems. Some of the vessels operating in and around the East Anglia THREE site, depending on vessel speed, size, type, age and condition etc., may generate significant noise levels, with


Preliminary Environmental Information May 2014


East Anglia THREE Offshore Windfarm


Chapter 12 Marine Mammal Ecology Page 82


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