IAIA ’14Vina del Mar– Chile

8-11 April 2014

Environmental impacts

assessment in renewable energy

sector

C. Rosnati, R. Corbia

chiara.rosnati@tiscali.it

Outline

SEA of a Municipal environmental energy plan

Cumulative Effects Assessment: the missing link between theory and practise

Some proposals for improving renewables sustainability

The Local Administration ‘Role’ in energy planning

National legislation constrains municipalities with more than 50,000 citizens to carry out an energy plan supported by SEA

Large energy plants must be submitted to EIA procedure

Municipal Administrations can only express a non binding opinion on the project proposals

Regional Administration is the competent authority for the compatibility jugment and authorization

Plenary sessions

4 Thematic groups

ParticipantsAbout 70 participants

Results 30 proposals/actions for Municipal Energy sustainability

Partecipation process in defining the goals of the plan

Sustainable mobility

Energy efficiency in PA

Energy saving in the community

Energy from renewables

Thematic groups

Findings: critical aspects of renewable energy production

Large wind farms and ground mounted photovoltaic systems

Large biomass plants with potential use of waste as complementary fuel

Uncertainty of rules for the realization of PV systems in urban context

Difficulties in obtaining financial gains for citizens

Strategic objectives of the Plan

Energy saving as the main renewable and sustainable energy source

Energy production from renewables at local scale and from short supply chain

Sensibilization and training

Improved communication between offices and agencies for data collection and sharing to monitor the effects of energy planning at different scales

Renewable energy production in Municipal territory and wide-area

What could happen without a strategic planning supported by CEA

EC Directives Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (85/337/EEC)

Amendment Directive on EIA (97/11/EC) (2003/35/EC)

Habitat Directive (92/43/EEC) amended by 97/62/EC

Strategic Environmental Assessment (2001/42/EC)

Implementing Italian Regulations

EIA (L.349/86) application fields: DPCM 377/88 and 12/27/88 DPR 4/12/96

Dlgs. 152/2006 Modified by Dlgs.4/2008

DPR 357/97 amended by DPR 120/2003

Dlgs. 152/2006 modified by Dlgs.4/2008

Relevant section of regulation or directive

Annex 3 (4): a description of likely significant effects of the proposed project should include the ‘cumulative’ effects of the project

Schedule 4 part I: a description of the likely significant effects to include cumulative effects & selection criteria for screening schedule 2 developments include ‘cumulation with other projects’

Part IV (48) An ‘appropriate assessment’ should be carried out by a competent authority before authorising a plan or project which is likely to have significant effect on a European site either alone or in combination with other plans and projects

EC Directive: Annex I: Information to be provided in the environmental report on the likely significant effects to include ‘cumulative and synergistic’ effects & annex II on the criteria for determining likely significance of effects should include the ‘cumulative nature of the effects’

Applications Projects Projects Projects and plans affecting special Areas of Conservation

Plans and programmes

Requirement Environmental statement

Environmental statement

Appropriate assessment Environmental Report

European and Italian National Regulations requiring consideration of cumulative effects

Approved projects

Projects under approval

Consequent to approval of projects

Identified in a development plan

Not directly associated but induced by the project

Hypothesized on a conceptual basis

LEVE

L O

F U

NC

ERTA

INTY

REG

AR

DIN

G P

RO

JEC

T R

EALI

ZATI

ON

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY IN INCLUSION OF ACTIVITIES AS ‘R.F.F.A.’S

Probable. They must be evaluated in CEA

Inclusion depending on information available

Reasonably foreseeable actions. They should be included in CEA

Activities that should be included in CEA (RFFA)

Realized photovoltaic power stations

Proposed photovoltaic power stations

PV PLANTS THAT SHOULD BE

INCLUDED IN THE CUMULATIVE

EFFECT ASSESSMENT (CEA)

Richiedente Nome Impianto Stato Iter Autorizzativi Comune Potenza Impianto

(MWp) Stato dei Lavori Area (ha)

EON Fiumesanto 1 Sassari 7,95 In Iter Valutativo 20,16

Fabiani Costruzioni

Impianto FV loc. Sorigheddu Progetto Preliminare 06/2009

Sassari 22,56 In Iter Valutativo 28,42

Enel Green Power Impianto Alta Nurra realizzato Sassari 0,1 Realizzato 0,22

EON Fiumesanto 3 realizzato Sassari 4,7 Realizzato 10,54

Valcerasa srl Impianto FV loc. Giubbeddi/Fiumesanto

SIA Sassari 4,7 In Iter Valutativo 11,21

Valcerasa srl Impianto FV Bacchileddu SIA Sassari 1,8 In Iter Valutativo 6,35

Valcerasa srl Impianto FV loc. Corona Romana SIA Sassari 1,45 In Iter Valutativo 3,72

Enel Green Power Ampliamento impianto Alta Nurra Studio preliminare ambientale 04/2011

Sassari 5,7 In Iter Valutativo 8,55

Solviridis Campo FV sito nella Nurra Studio preliminare ambientale 06/2011

Sassari 19,55 In Iter Valutativo 36,06

EON Fiumesanto 4 Studio preliminare ambientale 09/2010

Sassari 14,88 In Iter Valutativo 24,52

Terra3 srl Terra Studio preliminare ambientale 09/2010

Sassari 2,74 In Iter Valutativo 4,44

IB Energia srl Impianto FV Maccia d'Assona Autorizzazione unica 02/2013

Porto Torres 5,99 Autorizzato 11,89

Sungrid Impianto FV presso la stazione elettrica di Terna

Progetto Preliminare 09/2009

Porto Torres 4,1 In Iter Valutativo 13,63

EON Fiumesanto 2 realizzato Porto Torres 24,22 Realizzato 36,53

MPR srl MPR realizzato Porto Torres 3,5 Realizzato 6,77

EON Fiumesanto 5 realizzato Porto Torres 11,59 Realizzato 22,28

CIP Impianto FV CIP realizzato Porto Torres 5 Realizzato 18,63

Valcerasa srl Impianto FV loc. Magone/S.Elena SIA Porto Torres 7,48 In Iter Valutativo 23,04

Valcerasa srl Impianto FV loc. Biunisi/Monti li Causi

SIA Porto Torres 2,85 In Iter Valutativo 10,71

Centrale Solare di Fiumesanto Srl

Fiumesanto 6 SIA 06/2012 Porto Torres 4,43 In Iter Valutativo 11,02

MPH srl Impianto solare località Biunisi Studio preliminare ambientale 01/2012

Porto Torres 3,45 In Iter Valutativo 3,87

Impianti realizzati (a Luglio 2013) 48,08 90,42

Impianti potenziali 158,74 312,56

Realized

Authorized

Under assessment

Total ha

ha (realized plants)

Total MW

MW realized

Realized wind farms

Proposed wind farms

WIND PLANTS THAT SHOULD

BE INCLUDED IN THE

CUMULATIVE EFFECT

ASSESSMENT (CEA)

Realized

Authorized

Under assessment

Total wind turbines

Realized wind turbines

Total MW

MW realized

Richiedente Nome Impianto Stato Iter Autorizzativo Comune Potenza Impianto

(Mw)

Numero turbine

Altezza torri (m)

Eolo San Nicola Srl

Parco eolico Pozzo San Nicola

Improcedibile RAS DEL. N. 32/49 DEL 24.7.2012

Stintino 20 10 80

Società energetica sarda

Parco eolico Fiumesanto Improcedibile RAS DEL. N. 14/3 DEL 28.3.2013

Sassari/Porto Torres

67 27 108

Sardinia rinnovabile srl

Parco eolico Cantone Baione

revisione SIA 02/2011 Sassari 48 21 100

Renergy Parco eolico Truncu Reale SIA 05/2013 Sassari 5 2 140

Kloss Impianto Eolico Kloss Parere contrario conferenza dei servizi

Sassari 54 18 90

Inergia Sardegna Srl

Puttu D’Esse SIA 09/2010 Sassari 49 15 100

FERA Badde Trippida revisione SIA 01/2013 Sassari 12 4 119

Enel Green Power

Parco eolico Alta Nurra Realizzato Sassari 12 7 78

Clean Power Venti di Nurra Realizzato Sassari 9,6 3 93

Clean Power Parco eolico Rosario SIA 07/2011 Sassari 6 3 100

Siper Italia Siper Italia SIA 02/2010 Porto Torres 28 14 78

Foster Wheeler Foster Wheeler Autorizzato Porto Torres 50 18 90

Impianti realizzati (a Luglio 2013) 56,6 10

Impianti potenziali 360,6 142

Small Biomass plants(semplified authorization procedure - no environmental study

required)

“Impact on the environment which results from the incremental impact of the action when added to other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions regardless of what agency undertakes such other actions. Cumulative impacts can result from individually minor but collectively significant actions taking place over a period of time.”

Council on Environmental Quality, 1978

A definition of Cumulative Impacts

Biomass plants under 1 MW in Sassari territory (maybe underestimated)

Biomass plant N.

Operative 1

Authorized 1

Under approval 3

(semplified authorization procedure - no environmental study required)

Large Biomass plant proposal

Green Chemistry plant:

bio-based products

Biomass Power Plant

Capacity: 43.5 Mwe

Total Thistle biomass: 250,000 Ton/year

Identified thistle supply basin

UNDERLYING TERRITORY AT A RADIUS OF ABOUT 70 KM FROM THE PROPOSED PLANT SITE

Identified supply basin three reasons

Theoretical limit of the economic sustainability of the supply (transport costs)

Measurement of ‘short supply chain’ in literature and legislation

To benefit the area most affected socially and economically by the crisis involving the agricultural food sector in the last decade

1

2

3

Procedures used by the proponent for suitable lands assessment

Land use classification

Land capability classification

Land Suitability classification

Suitable areas using Land use classification

Suitable areas

Unsuitable areas

Thistle Land Suitability Map

Suitable areas

Unsuitable areas

S1 = maximum yield 18 ton/ha/year

S2 = maximum yield 13 ton/ha/year

S3 = maximum yield 9 ton/ha/year

Thistle Land Suitability (estimated in an 8 year period)

N1 = Temporarily unsuitable areasN2 = Permanently unsuitable areas

Thistle Land suitable areasSassari Municipality

24%

6%70%

Aree idonee coltivazione cardo

Aree non idonee coltivazione

Restante area comunaleSuitable areas

Unsuitable areas

Residual municipal areas

Comparison between Land Capability and Land Suitability for thistle

(carried out in SEA of Municipal Energy Plan)

Land Capability Classification

2 aspects considered for land characterization:

1. Biomass production capability

2. Possibilities of wide spectrum cultivation, without soil degradation risk

Land Capability classification

Land Capability Map

Land Suitability Map– S1/S2

Overall scenario of renewable energy sector

Final comments

Strong pressure exerted by the energy sector on the municipal territory and surrounding area

Inconsistency between local strategies and the projects authorized by Region without CEA

Lack of an efficient strategic planning and policy at the Regional scale

Permanent technical commission involving all agencies competent for project authorization aimed at defining assessment criteria and indicators

Regional Energy Plan supported by CEA, consistent with other sectoral plans (waste, forestry, agricultural, mobility etc.) and with an effective participation process

WebGIS for sharing data and monitoring

Legal requirement for CEA in EIA (demanded and verified in practice)

Proposals for improving the sustainability of renewables development

Thank you for your attention

Questions?