the need for a common approach and the new Annex IV of IEA-OES
How environmental issues started to be approached in the European context
The present understanding on the environmental issues related with large scale ocean energy projects started to be discussed in the scope of EU-funded projects, such as the WaveNet (5FP, 2002-2003), CA-OE (5FP, 2004-2007), WAVETRAIN (6FP, 2004-2008), WAVEPLAM (IEE, 2007-2010), and EquiMar (7FP, 2008-2011). Under the thematic network on the development of ocean energy systems called ‘WaveNet’ eighteen organisations from nine countries participated in the identification of expected impacts, sharing European understanding on this topic and using the experience from offshore wind. Recommendations for RTD programmes are included in the comprehensive final report of the project “Results from the work of the European Thematic Network on Wave Energy” (March 2003). Under the Coordinated Action on Ocean Energy, CA-OE, a dedicated workshop “Environmental, Economics, Development Policy and Promotion of Opportunities” was organised as a vehicle to exchange information on this topic. The European Research Training Network towards Competitive Wave Energy Development (WAVETRAIN) addressed this issue as key priority and explored the situation of having several pilot plants undergoing sea trials, deployed by some of the project partners in the European coasts. More recently a report has been prepared under WAVEPLAM project with the objective of identifying, classifying and evaluating non-technical barriers to wave energy implementation, among which environmental impacts was commented as being often perceived as a major non-technical barrier to Renewable Energy (RE) technologies, main reason the fact that licensing procedures require by default an environmental statement or impact assessment, which can delay the implementation of wave energy. A more detailed and systematic approach to the issue has been started in a dedicated work package of the EquiMar project with the aim to develop a common framework regarding environmental impact assessment issues in order to produce Best Practice Protocols. These projects have the added value of allowing the exchange of information among researches and developers.
Launch of a new collaborative initiative on Environmental issues on the International level (IEA-OES)
In an international context, the International Energy Agency’s Implementing Agreement on Ocean Energy Systems (IEA-OES) recognised the importance of thorough environmental impacts assessment for the general acceptance, resulting in its initiative of organising a workshop Potential Environmental Impacts of Ocean Energy Devices (18 October 2007, Messina, Italy) with expert representatives from various countries sharing information on this topic. The Workshop report produced by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (USA) & Natural Resources Canada (Canada) outlined priorities and recommendations that could be undertaken. Based on the outcomes presented in this document the IEA-OES decided to develop a 3-years project “Assessment of Environmental Effects and Monitoring Efforts for Ocean Wave, Tidal, and Current Energy Systems” to increase understanding on this area and ensuring that information on environmental monitoring and practices for environmental mitigation, are widely accessible. This project was a proposal set by the US Department of Energy and approved by the IEA-OES Executive Committee in October 2008. The plan of work include identifying compiled monitoring information that can be used to evaluate the environmental effects of ocean energy systems; reviewing pertinent projects conducting environmental monitoring studies and putting together a document highlighting potential environmental effects, describing case studies, and identifying monitoring and mitigation strategies for environmental effects from ocean wave, tidal and current energy systems.
Other initiatives to examine the environmental effects of developing ocean energy
Initiatives on a political level took place world-wide over the last years, followed by dedicated events on the issue and launched the discussion on the need to monitoring the effects.
The Scottish Government commissioned a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to examine the environmental effects of developing wave and tidal power. The results were intended to inform the preparation and delivery of the Scottish Government's strategy for the development of marine energy. The report was published in March 2007, being published the Post Adoption Statement in July 2008 which presents the summary of the public responses received from public consultation during 2007.
The US Minerals Management Service (MMS) funded a report that reviewed existing data on environmental effects of alternative energy uses and identified information needs, entitled Worldwide Synthesis and Analysis of Existing Information Regarding Environmental Effects of Alternative Energy Uses on the Outer Continental Shelf (2007). This report provided the basis for a workshop (26-28 June 2007, Virginia) to Identify Alternative Energy Environmental Information Needs with the aim to initiate a dialogue among key representatives.
The Hatfield Marine Science Center of Oregon State University (USA) organised a workshop Wave Energy Ecological Effects on October 11-12, 2007, with goals of developing an initial assessment of the potential impacting agents and ecological effects of wave energy development in Oregon’s coastal ocean; and developing a general conceptual framework of physical and biological relationships that can be applied to assess both specific wave energy projects and cumulative effects of multiple projects.
On December 2008 the US Department of Energy issue the Draft Report to Congress on the Environmental Effects of Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy Projects. The report describes the potential environmental impacts of marine and hydrokinetic energy technologies; (2) options to mitigate and prevent adverse environmental impacts; (3) the role of monitoring and adaptive management; and (4) the key elements of an adaptive management program. Comments from the public were due on December 9, 2008.
In April 2008 it was published the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) focusing on tidal energy development in the Bay of Fundy, Canada, by the Nova Scotia Department of Energy. It involved the participation of a wide range of stakeholders and the general public, and resulted in recommendations to the provincial government. The Providence responded with a set of actions among them to providing $300,000 to support environmental research and monitoring work.
Demonstration Infrastructures & Environmental Monitoring Program
Several wave energy demonstration infrastructures have been or are being created and planned: Nissum Bredning ¼ Test Site/Denmark, Galway Bay ¼ Test Site/Ireland, Wave Power Test Site Mayo/Ireland, EMEC/UK, Wavehub/UK, Bimep/Spain, SEM-REV/France, Pilot Zone/Portugal, Runde/Norway and Oregon/USA. Each of these test sites can give an important contribution towards the understanding of common sensitive aspects related to the interaction of the ocean energy technologies with marine life. An Environmental Monitoring Program should be elaborated and implemented to enable a better understanding of the environmental impacts. Although the requirements regarding consenting and some specific issues are different from country to country, an early stage collaboration between countries and stakeholders may significantly improve the understanding of the topic, which in turn can be a cornerstone for accelerated future developments: in the related field of offshore wind energy, it is nowadays recognised that the comprehensive environmental monitoring initiative of the Horns Rev and Nysted farms in Denmark contributed notably to the positive perceptance of offshore wind, possibly paving the way for other projects.
Although not typically required by law, the advantages of a thorough monitoring program including proper baseline studies can prove the benign character of large-scale wave energy at an early stage. This in turn can bring along substantial advantages for the commercial phase of deployment. An international and concerted approach is the most efficient and credible way to tackle this comprehensive issue, and a recent initiative of Plymouth University to join the above mentioned Test and Pilot areas for a collaborative project with this aim has been very well received, however no appropriate funding mechanism could be identified to date. Obviously, such initiatives strongly depend on public funding, as neither device or project developers, nor other single stakeholder would have the capacity or priority interest in this approach.
Ana Brito e Melo
Research Coordinator
Wave Energy Centre
