The main purpose of this SEA is to assess how implementation of the DETI Strategic Action Plan for offshore wind and marine renewable energy would affect the marine and coastal environment of Northern Ireland.     In addition to meeting the requirements of the SEA Directive, the main objectives of this SEA project have been identified as:

• To review earlier studies and confirm the potential capacities in GigaWatts for offshore wind and marine renewables;
• To assess and quality, at a strategic level, the potential effects on the NI coastal and marine environment of developing the offshore wind and marine renewable energy capacity identified in the earlier studies; 
• To assess and quantify the potential of offshore wind and marine renewable energy to contribute to the proposed UK EU renewable energy targets for 2020 – 15% of all energy from renewable sources and 20% Greenhouse Gas savings; 
• To advise DETI in the development and implementation of a Strategic Action Plan for offshore wind and renewable energy projects;
• To inform future license determinations under Part II of the Food and Environmental Protection Act and provide guidance for future developers; 
• To inform the project level decision-making process for all stakeholders (including regulators and developers); and
• To facilitate focused investment in offshore wind and marine renewable energy developments in Northern Ireland.

Based on the above objectives, the main deliverables of the SEA process will be:

• Establishment of the baseline situation based on available information.  While additional specific issues may need to be considered as work progresses, it is proposed that the following topics to be addressed in relation to the geographical coverage set out above include:
  1. Marine Physical Environment: bathymetry, geology and sediment transport, marine processes and hydrology, sediment contamination and water quality
  2. Marine Biological Environment: protected sites and species, benthic and intertidal ecology, fish and shellfish, birds, marine mammals
  3. Human Environment: commercial fisheries, shell fisheries and aquaculture, marine and coastal archaeology and wrecks, oil and gas infrastructure, cables and pipelines, military exercise areas, dumping areas, aggregate extraction, shipping and navigation and recreation and tourism
  4. Other topics: noise, air quality, electric and magnetic fields, landscape, seascape and visual receptors and carbon impacts of offshore wind marine renewables (carbon cost)                         
• Identification of gaps and inconsistencies in the baseline data and the need for further work or study;
• Consultation (to be undertaken continuously, at varying levels, throughout the project as required by the SEA process);
• Assessment of the nature and extent of opportunities and constraints with regard to offshore wind and marine renewables including environmental and socio-economic features in the construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning phases of development;
• Assessment of the different effects of the range of marine renewable devices on the marine environment and potential site selection issues;
• Recommendations of mitigation measures to avoid, reduce or offset and significant adverse effects on the environment;
• Documentation of the findings from the SEA (screening, scoping and environmental reports which meet the SEA Directive requirements; public consultation; and internal discussions); and
• Advice and support in the preparation of a strategy for marine renewables and guidance for marine development and advice on the scope of potential monitoring requirements and provision of a web based information resource.