New guidance supports tidal energy and helps protect wildlife

SNH has produced the guidance to help developers, consultants and regulatory bodies, to promote a standardised approach to collision risk assessment for tidal energy projects.

Developers can be asked to include a collision risk assessment as part of their Environmental Impact Assessment and Habitat Regulations Appraisal. The guidance includes three models which can be used to estimate the number of animals likely to collide with tidal arrays.

Dr Chris Eastham, marine renewables adviser for SNH, said:

“High energy tidal environments are ideal for renewable energy projects, but they are also important for a wide range of marine wildlife, from mammals and fish, to diving seabirds.

“Tidal turbines pose a collision risk to wildlife and it’s important to understand the degree and extent of this risk. We’ve still much to learn about the ways animals react to turbine arrays in our seas and the whole topic of assessing the risk of collision is still in its infancy. This guidance will provide greater confidence in impact assessments and help protect our marine wildlife”.

Assessing collision risk between underwater turbines and marine wildlife is available on the SNH website