The Environmental Impact Assessment will be an essential element for large-scale ocean wave energy permitting. If not approached well in advance before potential parkscale development takes place, a number of acceptance issues and even substantial delays in permitting or rejection by the authorities can be the consequence.
The European Research Training Network towards Competitive Wave Energy Development (Wavetrain) considers addressing these issues as key priority to enable sustainable and efficient wave energy implementation. The objective of the Wavetrain RTN project is to jointly reflect the situation for large-scale wave energy, based on existing pilot plants and ongoing experiences. This paper outlines the status of the work undergoing within Wavetrain RTN to identify the environmental impacts of wave energy devices and adapt environmental impact methodologies to this specific area.
