Function
An EIA assesses the potential impact of the proposed development on the physical, biological and human environment during the construction, operation and decommissioning of the wind farm.
What it costs*
About £11 million for a 1 GW wind farm.
Who supplies them
EIA suppliers include AECOM, Arcus, Arup, Cura Terrae Land & Nature, ERM, GoBe, Intertek, Land Use Consultants, Natural Power (Fred. Olsen), Royal Haskoning, RPS ,SLR and Sealand Projects.
Key facts
The most recent EIA regulations specify that the assessment must consider impacts on human health, climate change and biodiversity. To determine the impacts, a full suite of environmental surveys is undertaken.
After assessing the potential impacts, mitigation measures are defined and applied in order to determine the residual effects associated with the development. A core part of the EIA is the Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) where the development’s impacts combined with those impacts from other foreseeable projects are assessed. The EIA is used to inform the Environmental Statement (ES), or EIA Report, which forms the core documentary evidence that is submitted to support a consent application.
Consultation with statutory consultees, special interest groups and the local community is performed throughout the EIA process and allows the consenting authority as well as other stakeholders and the public to voice their opinion and concerns.
The EIA process can take up to three years to complete, with the main driver being the length of time it takes to complete the required environmental survey work.
Under the Habitats Directive and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 (as amended), developers should consider the potential effects on protected habitats. If the development is likely to affect a designated European site, the developer must provide a report with the application showing the designated European site that may be affected together with sufficient information to enable the decision maker to make an appropriate assessment, if required. A Habitat Regulations Appraisal (HRA) is performed as an integral part of an EIA to ensure that a project conforms to The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations (2010). More recently, HRAs are done at a plan level, including all wind farms in a leasing round.
What’s in it
- Scoping
- Assessment
- Site-specific impacts
- Mitigation
- Residual impacts
- Environmental Statement
- Habitat regulations assessment