The Crown Property has concluded its Habitats Rules Evaluation (HRA), overlaying the three Celtic Sea Venture Improvement Areas (PDAs) being made accessible by means of the Spherical 5 leasing course of for commercial-scale floating wind farms.
The HRA concluded that protected environmental websites won’t be adversely affected by the check and demonstration tasks, or the event associated to the leasing course of, and so will transfer ahead with each.
The Spherical 5 leasing course of is because of get below means later this month, with three websites having a mixed capability of as much as 4.5 GW being auctioned. The HRA will form builders’ exercise and direct them to undertake particular measures to mitigate the impression of their building on birds and different marine wildlife.
“Spherical 5 is ready to see a brand new expertise deployed at industrial scale for the primary time in a brand new location, and this sense of innovation runs by means of our method to the entire leasing spherical,” says The Crown Property’s Olivia Thomas.
“This consists of finishing up the important work on a Plan-Degree HRA at this early stage, which not solely underlines our accountability to guard and protect vital marine habitats, however offers builders readability over what will likely be anticipated of them as they put together for the tender course of. We’re grateful for the enter and problem we have now acquired from all these concerned in reaching this level, which marks an vital milestone as we write the following thrilling chapter for the UK’s world-leading offshore power trade.”
As soon as the leasing course of has been concluded, additional evaluation of the potential environmental interactions of every challenge will likely be undertaken as a part of the event consenting course of.
