Mallows, T (2005) Tidal Energy in Strangford Lough – A case study. In: "Offshore Development - New Frontiers of Opportunity" - CoastNet conference, 15 Sep 2005, London, UK.
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Official URL: http://www.coastnet.org.uk
Summary
Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland is a sensitive location, reflected in the number of national and international wildlife designations currently in place for its marine life, such as reefs, seals and sea birds. One of only four front-runners in the UK tidal renewable energy arena, Marine Current Turbines Ltd, hopes to test its latest technology in this location because of its proximity to key infrastructure, low wave climate, low tidal range, high tidal power flux and a ready source of expertise at the nearby university marine laboratory.
To this end, Royal Haskoning has been employed to assess the likely environmental impacts associated with a proposal to install one trial tidal turbine in the Narrows of Strangford Lough. However, the process of preparing an Environmental Statement and agreeing the monitoring required after installation has been complex and has highlighted areas of uncertainty that are proving difficult to address. This is mainly due to inherent limitations in our fundamental understanding (and methods of improving understanding) of marine ecosystems and the species they support. It also highlights how the adoption of the precautionary principle, enshrined in the UK’s interpretation of the EC Habitats Directive, risks stifling renewable energy projects, with wider implications for UK targets to combat climate change. Questions raised in this case include the use of monitoring with agreed actions to follow defined scenarios as mitigation and whether it is possible for renewable tidal energy to successfully co-exist with ecologically sensitive systems and their components.
| Item Type: | Conference or Workshop Item (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | Abstract only |
| Subjects: | Coastal natural environment > Coastal habitats Coastal management > Coastal biodiversity management > Wildlife protection Coastal human activities > Coastal energy production > Coastal renewable energy production Coastal areas > North West Europe > Irish Sea |
| Deposited By: | Dr T Redding |
| Deposited On: | 28 Jun 2006 |
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