LiftWEC is a collaborative research project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No 851885. The LiftWEC project aims at identifying promising configurations of a Wave Energy Converter operating through the use of one or more rotating hydrofoils that generate lift as the primary interaction with the incident waves.

Under the project Work Package 9 (WP9) – Environmental Impact Assessment, four Tasks will be carried out to ensure the LiftWEC device development is made under the most suitable environmentally friendly criteria from an early design phase. The first WP9 Task (Task 9.1) resulted in a report (Deliverable 9.1) which identified the potential technology stressors from the LiftWEC installation and its effects on environmental and socioeconomic receptors.

The present document is developed under WP9 Task 9.3 and constitutes the second report of WP9: Deliverable 9.2 – Scoping report of the Environmental Impact Assessment. This report builds on D9.1 and further specifies the characteristics of the LiftWEC resulting in a preliminary Scoping report for the project Environmental Impact Assessment.

While a full EIA Scoping report cannot be developed at this stage of the LiftWEC device development, this document intends to include as much of the information required as possible and, when information is not fully available, indicative information will be presented based on experience in the sector and consultation within the consortium.  

This report is divided into the following main Sections:

• Section 1: Introduction to the EIA Scoping

• Section 2: Description of the LiftWEC project

• Section 3: Baseline information for the foreseen installation site

• Section 4: Analysis of potential impacts and their mitigation

• Section 5: Monitoring of potential negative impacts

• Section 6: Concluding remarks