Presentation #7 of 9: Huygen van Steen from Ecofys shares Netherland's experience in environmental impact monitoring, lessons learned and future perspective.

1. Environmental Impact
Monitoring in NL
Lessons Learned and Future Perspective
18/03/2015
Huygen (Theo) van Steen
 +31(0)6 1589 7842  h.vansteen@ecofys.com

2. © ECOFYS | |
Things are about to change
18/03/2015 Huygen van Steen2
© comnetwork.org
1.0 GW (4 OWF’s) in 15 years
2000 - 2016
3.5 GW (10 OWF’s) in 8 years
40% cost reduction
2016 - 2023

3. © ECOFYS | |
Dutch Offshore Wind (Present)
18/03/2015 Huygen van Steen3
Construction/Commissioning
Operational
OWEZ PAWP LUD
Year 2004 2008 2015
Distance 14 km 23 km 23 km
Depth ~19 m ~22 m ~21 m
WTG’s 36 60 43
Power 3 MW 2 MW 3 MW
Hub Height 70 m 59 m 81 m
Rotor Ø 90 m 80 m 112 m
Foundation MP MP MP
2016: Gemini (600MW)
Development/Construction
North of the Wadden Sea
Port of Amsterdam

4. © ECOFYS | |
Impact Assessment in NL (Present)
18/03/2015 Huygen van Steen4
> Permit requirements based on EIA/AA (‘existing knowledge’)
> Monitoring & Evaluation Program (MEP) based on permit requirements
> Prioritising monitoring based on:
1. Masterplan Ecological Monitoring
2. EIA/AA
3. Precautionary principle
EIA
(Developer)
(Government approves)
Permit
(Government
issues)
Monitoring Plan
(Developer)
(Government approves)
Tendering
(Developer)
Contracting
(Developer)
Field Work
(Developer)
Reporting
(Developer)
(Government approves)
Evaluation
(Government)
NL Commission for
Environmental Assessment (NCEA)

5. © ECOFYS | |
MEP (Present)
18/03/2015 Huygen van Steen5
Sound Porpoises Fauna Fish Sea Birds
> PAWP permit 2002: Impacts Offshore Wind still largely unknown
> LUD permit 2009: More knowledge, less subjects, more focus
Mammals

6. © ECOFYS | |
Lessons Learned
18/03/2015 Huygen van Steen6
> EIA determines monitoring obligations in early stage
– LL: improve relationship (authorities, specialists and developers) in time
> Outdated monitoring requirements
– LL1: permit can (should) be adjusted based on current knowledge
– LL2: focus on knowledge gaps
– LL3: requires creative alternatives and adaptive management
> Project specific results: Negative, Neutral and Positive Ecological Impacts
– LL: knowledge gap -> cumulative impact
Positive
Neutral
Negative
Construction phase Operational phase
Positive
Neutral
Negative
Neutral Neutral

7. © ECOFYS | |
Dutch Offshore Wind (Future)
> Dutch offshore wind policy
– Energy Agreement (4.5 GW 2023)
– Wind Energy at Sea Act
> Offshore Wind Zones
– ‘Borssele’ (2015-2016)
– ‘Zuid-Holland’ (2017-2018)
– ‘Noord-Holland’ (2019)
> Site decision (‘kavelbesluit’)
– Zone divided in wind farm sites
– Sets conditions for construction,
operations and monitoring*
> Permit & SDE+ subsidy
– Determines price/subsidy level and
who is allowed to build and operate
*Decision making currently in progress
18/03/2015 Huygen van Steen7
N-Holland
Z-Holland
Borssele
OWEZ
PAWP
LUD

8. © ECOFYS | |
Impact Assessment in NL (Future)
18/03/2015 Huygen van Steen8
> Government responsible for EIA/AA (‘existing knowledge’)
> Monitoring & Evaluation Program (MEP) included in site decision
> Prioritising monitoring based on:
1. Masterplan Ecological Monitoring 2.0
2. EIA/AA
3. Precautionary principle
4. Framework Ecological Cumulation
5. Effectiveness of mitigating
measures (40% cost reduction)
6. Short vs. long term
7. Chance of success
8. Possibility for international
collaboration
EIA
(Government)
Lot decision
(Government issues)
Permit + SDE+
(Government
issues)
Monitoring Plan
?
Tendering
?
Contracting
?
Field Work
?
Reporting
(Government
approves)
Evaluation
(Government)
NL Commission for
Environmental Assessment (NCEA)

9. © ECOFYS | |
Thank You
> Huygen van Steen
h.vansteen@ecofys.com
www.ecofys.com
> Information on offshore wind in the Netherlands:
http://english.rvo.nl/offshore-wind-energy
> OWEZ environmental monitoring reports available from:
http://www.noordzeewind.nl/en/knowledge/reportsdata/
> PAWP environmental monitoring reports available from:
http://projecten.eneco.nl/prinses-amaliawindpark/milieumonitoring/
> LUD environmental monitoring reports available from:
http://projecten.eneco.nl/eneco-luchterduinen/milieumonitoring
18/03/2015 Huygen van Steen9

10. © ECOFYS | |18/03/201510
sustainable energy
for everyone
Huygen van Steen

11. © ECOFYS | |
Macro Fauna (>1mm)
Question
> How did habitat change impact diversity and
numbers?
Methods
> Soft substrate
– BACI
– Boxcore and Dredge samples
> Hard substrate
– After construction
– Video and scrape samples
Results
> Soft substrate - no difference
> Hard substrate
– +0.12% substrate,+10% fauna, +49%
biomass
– Molluscs, Cnidaria, Crustacea…
18/03/2015 Huygen van Steen11
Soft substrate fauna
Hard substrate fauna
European
flat oyster

12. © ECOFYS | |
Fish
Question
> Did PAWP have a nursery effect?
Method
> Fish trawls inside wind farm in 2013,
compared with existing data outside
Results
> Demersal fish
– Slightly more larger fish in wind farm,
possibly due to absence of commercial
fisheries
> Round fish
– 17 species; mostly herring, sprat and
whiting
– More greater sand eels in wind farm!
18/03/2015 Huygen van Steen12
GreaterSandEel
Beam Trawl Otter Trawl

13. © ECOFYS | |
Fish
Question
> What is the impact of piling noise on
sea bass larvae and juveniles ?
Method
> Project 1: larvaebrator + anatomic
> Project 2: larvaebrator + behavioural
Results
> Project 1
– Tissue damage at 215 dB SEL
– Recovery within 13 days
> Project 2
– Behavioural experiments Q2 2015
18/03/2015 Huygen van Steen13
SeaBass
Larvaebrator
Swim bladder
with scar tissue