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During the Marine Licence process, a robust Environmental Assessment must be conducted to assess potential significant impacts associated with the proposed works. The Environmental Assessment will identify and assess the surrounding protected areas and associated qualifying features, as well as ensuring that works will comply with the regional and local marine plans. As part of the Environmental Assessment, OceanIQ will engage with the authorities to gain an understanding of any key potential impacts and maintain positive communication channels to assist the overall permitting process. Furthermore, OceanIQ will conduct site visits to shore end locations to identify potential sensitivities, engage with key stakeholders and agree appropriate mitigation if required.
Overall, the environmental assessment process will be actively managed and efficiently conducted to a high standard. Based on previous experiences, OceanIQ are well placed due to specific understanding of the cable industry and how this interacts with ecological factors.
OceanIQ work with knowledgeable and experienced archaeologists with cable industry expertise to provide a thorough archaeological review and assessment to support Marine Licence applications.
The assessment will include requirements such as consultations, a desk-based assessment (DBA), review of survey data and walkover surveys. If required, OceanIQ will produce a Written Scheme of Investigations (WSI) and a Protocol for Archaeological Discoveries (PAD) to support licencing conditions.
Additionally, OceanIQ can manage personnel requirements for a pre-works toolbox talk and an Archaeological Watching Brief (AWB) during works, if required.
OceanIQ can provide Ecological Survey Support tailored to project requirements and location. Such services include otter, intertidal, habitat and benthic surveys which produce high quality technical reports to support Marine Licence applications.
OceanIQ have developed and maintained good connections with various industry specific ecological consultancies and are able to manage the process throughout the project lifecycle.
This includes arrangement of any additional onsite personnel as a possible requirement of any licence conditions.
In most cases, a Navigational Risk Assessment (NRA) is a standard condition of a Marine Licence. In anticipation of this, OceanIQ would aim to provide this document with the Marine Licence application in advance.
The NRA will identify all the marine hazards both commercial and leisure that would interact with the proposed project area. Where appropriate, risk reducing control measures or mitigation will be suggested and potentially applied to the project to eliminate or reduce the highlighted risk. In order to fully examine the hazards and risks, external stakeholders with specific skills and knowledge will be consulted with during the production of the document.
Charting is a fundamental component of any licence application and one which OceanIQ are able to offer due to our highly skilled and experienced in-house charting department.
OceanIQ recognise the importance of continuous support throughout the entire project lifecycle, especially given the complexity often experienced with permitting.
Our Post Application Support Services (PASS) ensure that the permitting scope of a project is not neglected once applications have been submitted. Once licences have been received, OceanIQ will conduct a thorough review of all licence conditions prior to operations commencing. Where appropriate to do so, OceanIQ will consult with the authorities and consultees to discuss or appeal conditions to reduce project delays.
As an overall outcome, a clear and efficient conditions tracker will be produced to highlight compliance and conditions will be discharged as and when necessary.
