Abstract
The Biscay Marine Energy Platform (BiMEP) is an offshore infrastructure for the demonstration and testing of wave energy harnessing devices promoted by the Basque Entity of Energy (Ente Vasco de la Energía - EVE). Bimep is located close to Arminza town (Basque Country, Northern Spain) and it consists on an 5.3 km2 sea area between 50 and 90 m depths where four static submarine cables will be placed, operating at 13kV and 5MW. According to the Royal Decree 1/2008 of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the bimep project falls into the 4.c category of projects of Annex II of this Decree. Such classification involves that the competent authority for environmental issues, that is, the General Directory for Quality and Environmental Evaluation of the Spanish Ministry of Environment, Rural and Marine Environ ment, has to decide whether or not the project needs to undergo the complete procedure of an EIA. On the first of June 2009, the General Council on Environmental Quality Assessment of the Ministry of Rural, Marine and Natural Environment of the Spanish Government, on the light of the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) of the bimep project undertaken by AZTI in 2008, decided not to submit the project to the whole Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process. The EIS considered that the main actions associated with the project that could cause impacts were related to the installation process and the physical presence of structures (i.e. submarine cables, moorings and WECs), which could generate conflicts between different users of the area, as well as underwater noise, electromagnetic fields, reduction of marine energy, etc. The present contribution explains the main findings of the EIS: (i) description of the project; (ii) environmental characteristics of bimep area; (iii) expected impacts; (iv) mitigation meas ures and (iii) environmental monitoring plan