Acts of the Scottish Parliament

2003 asp 19

The Bill for this Act of the Scottish Parliament was passed by the Parliament on 26th June 2003 and received Royal Assent on 1st August 2003

An Act of the Scottish Parliament to regulate matters relating to navigation and fishing in connection with the provision of an offshore wind farm in navigable waters within the Solway Firth; and for connected purposes.

(a) up to 60 wind turbine generators each consisting of a tower extending between 62 and 76 metres upwards from the level of high water, fitted with rotating blades with a rotor diameter of between 80 and 104 metres and fixed to the seabed by one or more piles extending to a maximum depth of 35 metres below the seabed;

(b) an electrical substation and helicopter landing deck consisting of a steel superstructure placed 10 to 12 metres above the level of high water with a maximum height of 10 metres and a span of 30 metres by 50 metres (accommodating transformers, switchgear, back-up generators and other technical installations);

(c) an anemometry mast with a lattice structure extending between 66 and 76 metres upwards from the level of high water, fitted with anemometers and wind vanes, fixed to the electrical substation or fixed to the seabed by one or more piles extending to a maximum depth of 45 metres below the seabed and attached to turbine No. K1 by power and communications cables;

(d) a series of cables connecting the wind turbine generators with each other and to the electrical substation laid initially one metre beneath the seabed and maintained at a level between the surface of the seabed and a level 8 metres below the seabed;

(e) so much of the cable connection between the electricity substation and the seashore as lies under Scottish waters, namely two armoured cables laid 3 metres beneath the seabed and maintained at a level between 2 and 5 metres below the seabed,

(a) provision for each turbine to be marked with clearly visible identification systems;

(b) provision for communication procedures between the relevant emergency service and the central control room for the operation of the turbines when a vessel is in distress;

(c) provision for the immediate shutting down of one or more of the turbines at the request of the relevant emergency service in a position which secures the maximum clearance between the lowest point of the blades and the water level; and

(d) provision for testing the emergency procedures at times and in a manner reasonably required by the relevant emergency service.

"the anemometry mast" means the mast erected for the purpose of measuring wind speeds and directions described in section 1(1)(c) of this Act;

"the electrical substation" means the structure described in section 1(1)(b) of this Act;

"the level of high water" means the level of mean high-water springs;

"the limits of deviation" means the area within which the undertaker may deviate in constructing and maintaining the regulated works pursuant to section 2 of this Act;

"maintain" includes retain, inspect, repair, alter, remove, reconstruct, relay, replace and, in so far as it may cause an obstruction to navigation or fishing, operate; and "maintenance" shall be construed accordingly;

"reference point" means Ordnance Survey National Grid reference point;

"the regulated works" means the works described in section 1 of this Act and references to a regulated work shall be construed accordingly;

"Scottish waters" means waters which are to be treated as internal waters or territorial sea of the United Kingdom adjacent to Scotland for the purpose of the Scotland Act 1998 (c.46);

"turbine" means a wind turbine generator described in section 1(1)(a) of this Act and references to numbered turbines are to the numbers assigned to each turbine in paragraph 1 of the schedule to this Act;

"the undertaker" means Offshore Energy Resources Limited and Solway Offshore Limited acting jointly or, as the case may be, any person to whom the powers conferred by this Act are transferred in an agreement under section 8 of this Act;

"vessel" means a ship, boat, raft or water craft of any description and includes non-displacement craft, seaplanes and any other thing constructed or adapted for floating on or being submersed in water (whether permanently or temporarily) and a hovercraft or other amphibious vehicle.

(a) turbines Nos. G8 and F8; or

(b) turbine No. K1.