4 SITE SELECTION AND ALTERNATIVES
4.1 Introduction 1.
This chapter presents the main steps in site selection process for the East Anglia THREE offshore windfarm. This includes the initial zone selection undertaken by The Crown Estate, the Zone Appraisal and Planning (ZAP) and the site specific selection both undertaken by East Anglia Offshore Wind (EAOW).
2.
Site selection for the proposed East Anglia THREE project was based upon three key factors; the selection of the East Anglia Zone (and subsequent award of the Zonal Development Agreement to EAOW), the Zone Appraisal and Planning (ZAP) process which identified areas of least constraint for windfarms within the Zone, and the grid connection agreement between EAOW and National Grid in November 2010, which confirmed Bramford, Suffolk as the grid connection point, and therefore enabled identification of offshore and onshore cable corridors and the onshore converter station location. The process of refining wider areas of search to determine the final site selection was an iterative one, requiring both environmental and engineering input at an increasingly detailed scale, and was widely consulted upon at every stage.
4.2 Identification of Round 3 Zones within the UK 3.
The East Anglia Zone was identified as a suitable area offering ‘potential for offshore wind’ by The Crown Estate as part of the Round 3 Offshore Wind Zone tendering process in 2008. In their briefing note titled ‘Round 3 Offshore Wind Site Selection at National and Project Levels’ (The Crown Estate 2008) The Crown Estate explain the zone selection process which is summarised below.
4.
The Crown Estate Round 3 zones were the subject of the Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment (OESEA) undertaken in 2008/2009 (DECC 2009). The OESEA was prepared to assess the implications of further rounds of offshore wind farm leasing in the UK Renewable Energy Zone and the territorial waters of England and Wales, as well as the implications of other industry activities. The results of this strategic level analysis showed that the zones represent suitable ‘areas of opportunity’ for offshore wind projects, and have the ability to deliver the required capacity of energy from offshore wind within acceptable environmental limits. It was, however, recognised that there may be many local or regional constraints to the development of offshore wind projects within the zone boundaries.
5.
The Crown Estate used their Marine Resource System (MaRS) Geographic Information System (GIS) tool to identify suitable areas for offshore windfarm
Preliminary Environmental Information May 2014
East Anglia THREE Offshore Windfarm
Chapter 4 Site Selection and Alternatives Page 1
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