Volume 2 Written Statement Full (PDF 4 MB) - Vattenfall

Environmental Report
Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm
Onshore Transmission Works
December 2012
infrastructure could be accommodated within the available plot, whilst fulfilling
the visual requirements imposed as part of the business park consent.
87 Horizontal Direct Drilling (HDD) was assumed to be required to cross Murcar
Links Golf Course and to avoid disturbance of the Blackdog / Balgownie Links
District Wildlife Site. The cable route would also cross the Aberdeen City
Council Green Belt. However following construction there would be no above
ground infrastructure related to the onshore cabling.
88 A cable landfall on the beach to the east-north-east of Murcar B would require
a length of offshore cable to reach the cable landfall between the maximum
and minimum of the four sites identified.
89 Following identification of the point of connection for SHET plc to reach the
NETS, this site would require the shortest length of onshore cabling for SHET
plc to reach the HV stub at Dyce.
90 The site lies within land designated as suitable for business and industrial use
in the Aberdeen City Local Plan (Aberdeen City Council, 2011).
91 In terms of environmental constraints, the current baseline for the site
consists of semi-improved grassland, post and wire fencing and some dry
stone walls. This baseline would be altered by the construction of the
business park which would introduce new built elements into the area, with
which the infrastructure proposed would be in keeping. Following construction
of the business park, the introduction of the substation infrastructure to the
altered baseline was considered to be likely to have minimal environmental
impacts.
92 The Murcar B site was progressed to Step 9 as a preferred option due to lack
of technical constraints particularly through its location within a proposed
business park with similar buildings and uses. The environmental impact of
the infrastructure proposed was considered likely to be minimal, both through
the location of the site within a business park and the assumed use of HDD
for the onshore cabling.
2.4.7.4 Blackdog
93 Land to the south-east of Blackdog village was identified as a potential
substation location.
94 In terms of technical constraints, the site lies adjacent to Hareburn Terrace
which provides suitable access, albeit with sensitive management of traffic
during construction. Land to the south, west and north of the site has areas of
coniferous plantation woodland which provide existing screening to the site.
95 The site lies within land designated as suitable for mixed use in the
Aberdeenshire Local Plan (Aberdeenshire, 2012).
96 The site lies adjacent to the only existing beach access within the Study Area.
The track running between Hareburn Terrace and the beach is considered to
be suitable for surface cut trenches to be used between the cable landfall and
the substation site, utilising an existing break in the dunes to minimise
environmental impacts.
Chapter 2 SITE SELECTION Page 18 of 211