Abstract
Nova Innovation proposes to install an array of five tidal energy devices in the Bluemull Sound near Cullivoe in Shetland. The devices are bottom mounted, gravity anchored, non-yawing horizontal axis tidal turbines with 100 kW output capacity.
The scale of the turbine is small (100 kW) in comparison to many of those being deployed in Scottish waters. The scale has been chosen because we believe this is likely to result in a more robust product with lower environmental, operational and financial risk.
This Navigational Risk Assessment (NRA) has been drafted in accordance with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) guidance note MGN 371. The document structure is: an introduction; method statement; and then five sections corresponding to the five annexes of MGN 371, followed by an Appendix with the Hazard Log. While completing the NRA, attention was also paid to the report Methodology for Assessing the Marine Navigational Safety Risks of Offshore Wind Farms.
This NRA forms part of the license application for a small-scale array of tidal devices. The MCA documents referred to above are written with much larger commercial installations in mind (indeed, the navigational safety risk assessment guidance document refers only to offshore windfarms). As such, many of the stipulations set out in the guidance notes may be impractical or unsuitable for a small-scale tidal array. We have taken a pragmatic approach to the NRA, guided by the MCA’s principal objectives – navigational safety and Search and Rescue. We hope this meets with the approval of stakeholders and would welcome their comments.