The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) has been awarded a site-wide section 36 consent at its grid-connected Billia Croo wave test site off the west coast of Orkney, Scotland.
The award by Marine Scotland further streamlines the consenting process for EMEC’s clients, reducing the time and cost associated with offshore demonstration.
The site has also been expanded by an area of 2.6 square kilometres to the north-west enabling access to deeper water.
Subjected to the powerful forces of the North Atlantic Ocean, Billia Croo has some of the highest wave energy potentials in Europe, with an average significant wave height of two metres to three metres.
The site consists of five cabled test berths in water depths of up to 70 metres.
A near shore berth is situated closer to shore for shallow water projects.
Maximum installed generating capacity has been increased to 20MW and a wider ‘envelope’ of device types and operations has been approved.
Technologies over 1MW can now demonstrate at the Billia Croo test site without having to apply for individual section 36 consents.
To support the section 36 application, seascape, landscape and visual impact assessments were conducted alongside an environmental appraisal.
These assessments focused on an “agreed envelope” of device types and activities that could be deployed within the test site boundaries and considered the potential impacts that may occur during the installation, operation and decommissioning phases of device and infrastructure testing.
The site-wide consent lasts until 2040, future-proofing the consenting process for clients accessing EMEC’s facilities.