RIASSUNTO
ABSTRACT
This work concerns a review of the state of the art of current and practical experience on environmental assessment (including monitoring) in order to set the path to be followed for future ocean energy schemes. It includes a revision of the work done so far in some test sites and deployment sites and discusses the use of several tools considering project phases (installation, deployment and decommissioning) and environmental impact assessment steps (screening, scoping, baseline studies for reference condition characterization, impact identification and evaluation, mitigation measures and monitoring). Within the list of such tools the applicability of checklists, matrices, mathematical modeling, Geographic Information Systems are considered as well as other shared and integrative methods: Environmental Risk Assessment and Life Cycle Analysis.
INTRODUCTION
The Environmental Impact Assessment of wave energy projects cannot only be a legislative requirement but also a sustainability proof of the project, a promoter of public acceptance and a benefit for industry, making the project more attractive to investors and governments who traditionally have seen environmental concerns as a barrier. The EIA carried out for ocean energy projects should has the following objectives: 1. Characterize the reference environmental condition through baseline environmental studies. If a project starts without measuring the reference condition it will be difficult to prove if there are relevant environmental impacts or not; 2. Describe the potential environmental impacts during the installation and operation phases of the project. This analysis should be conducted taking into account the technical specifications of the project; 3. Propose mitigation measures for the identified negative environmental impacts. To reduce significantly the negative effects until an acceptable level is the main goal at this stage of the process; 4. Establish monitoring plans for the project installation and deployment considering the relevant environmental parameters or indicators.