From Abstraction to Action: Supporting Environmental Destination
As part of a pioneering collaboration, APEM Group worked alongside WSP and HR Wallingford to develop a robust and future-focused...
APEM Group - Case Study
APEM Group was commissioned to support FuturEnergy Ireland, a leading Irish renewable energy developer, to design, report and advise on ornithology surveys for an onshore wind farm in Co. Waterford, Ireland.
Project Summary:
APEM Group was commissioned by FuturEnergy Ireland to undertake bird surveys between March 2023 and March 2024 for the proposed Scart Mountain Wind Farm in Co. Waterford. This required management of a team of ornithology field surveyors, to undertake a program of surveys for a sensitive Site which included a mosaic of habitats with the potential to support a number of sensitive bird species. Following the completion of field surveys, raw data was analysed to determine key species present and potential constraints to the development, with a Baseline Technical Report produced for the client.
Following the successful completion of the initial breeding season ornithology surveys, APEM Group was then requested to carry out an additional year of surveys to further update the baseline data for the site and to inform the planning process.
Project Context
The main potential impacts upon birds arising from wind farms are direct habitat loss, disturbance and displacement, collision risk and barrier effects. The survey scope was designed by APEM Group in accordance with current NatureScot guidance and Irish legislation. The target species included Annex 1 listed birds, which are of conservation concern, and those that are more likely to be impacted by the proposed development.
Key stats:
- 22 months of client support to date.
- Surveys across the site and a surrounding 2km buffer up to and including September 2024.
- 864 hours of Flight Activity Surveys completed from eight vantage points.
- Over 80 days of breeding season distribution surveys, including nocturnal surveys.
- 528 flights recorded.
Project Challenges
Surveys had to be completed over a large, relatively remote area which required careful planning and timing to coincide with suitable weather conditions during specified survey windows in accordance with guidance.
The size and sensitivity of the site required assembly of a large, experienced survey team who were familiar with the local area and had excellent knowledge of potential species encountered, particularly protected raptor species.
The area was licensed for deer shooting – APEM Group ensured that work was carried out adhering to health and safety guidance and ensure our team wasn’t open to elevated risks whilst working through implementation of site-specific risk assessments with input from our H&S team and close liaison with the client and landowners including Coillte.
APEM Group solution
The survey scope included Flight Activity Surveys (FAS) from eight vantage points, Breeding Distribution Surveys (BDS), Woodcock Surveys and Breeding Raptor Surveys. In order to select the best vantage points to provide coverage of the Site, APEM leveraged their in-house Geographic Information System (GIS) expertise and vantage points were ‘ground-truthed’ in the field by surveyors to ensure that views were accurate.
- Flight Activity Surveys (FAS) – March to September 2023 (the breeding season), December 2023 to March 2024 (the non-breeding season), and March to September 2024 (2nd breeding season).
- Breeding Distribution Surveys – April to July 2023 and 2024.
- Breeding Woodcock Surveys – May to July 2024.
- Breeding Raptor Surveys – March to August 2023 and 2024.
APEM Group also provided technical advice and support to the client, using their professional judgement in addition to best practice and guidance to limit impacts on key species in the area.
Additional support to the client was completed in refining the scope of surveys, reducing the total cost of the survey work, as well as generating a higher quality of data pertinent to the project. APEM were also commissioned to provide technical review of documents for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) submission and guidance to ensure a high-quality, concise and robust planning application was submitted.
‘‘
APEM Group were a key contributor to the Scart Mountain Wind Farm project. The team provided excellent and significant technical support during preparation of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report, in addition to undertaking high quality survey work. They continuously sought to ‘value-add’ where practicable and were responsive and adaptive to client needs. The APEM Group team were a pleasure to work with, highly effective and professional, and I look forward to working with them again in the future.
– Emer Campbell, Portfolio Manager, FuturEnergy Ireland
’’
Commercial and Environmental Impact
Detailed surveys established a baseline and informed an assessment of potential impacts on designated sites and protected species from the proposed onshore wind development. APEM Group provided advice to the client throughout their EIA, bringing together our technical knowledge and experience to ensure a science-driven, pragmatic approach was taken to deliver a robust and proportionate assessment. APEM are providing ongoing survey support during the 2024-25 non-breeding season for this project and look forward to working with FEI in future.
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