Stephenson Halliday assisted DP Marine Energy with preparing an SLVIA for the West Islay Tidal Energy Park proposal in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK.
The development consists of about 15 surface-piercing devices (up to 30 tidal turbines) located approximately 5.4 km off the south-west coast of Islay, Argyll and Bute. The development will have a generating capacity of up to 30 MWh: enough to power about 18,000 homes. The main issue to overcome was the lack of certainty over the precise details of the final development. Sufficient flexibility had to be built into the environmental impact assessment and the SLVIA was done following the ‘Rochdale Envelope’ approach. The SLVIA considered the worst-case option for the proposed development. The final development may constitute fewer than 15 surface-piercing devices. Stephenson Halliday also prepared supporting material for public exhibition and the consultation process during the environmental impact assessment. This Section 36 proposal was approved by the Scottish Ministers in June 2017.