The North Blyth Biomass Power Station Order 2013

Activity specific conditions

3.—(1) No part of the licensed activities shall commence until (following consultation with the Environment Agency) full details of a scheme for minimising the impact of the water intake system within the River Blyth Estuary on the aquatic environment have been submitted to and approved in writing by the MMO. The submitted scheme shall include—

(a) details of how the water intake system will be protected by a wedge-wire screen with a maximum of 3 millimetres spacing or equivalent system;

(b) details of how the water intake system will minimise the approach velocity of water to the wedge-wired screen or other equivalent system;

(c) details of the concentration of biocides in the water intake system or other equivalent system and how they will be monitored and controlled;

(d) proposals for implementing the scheme in advance of the commencement of commercial operations; and

(e) proposals for monitoring and reporting on the effectiveness of the scheme and, in the event that the scheme does not perform as predicted, a process for any necessary remedial action being approved by the MMO and thereafter implemented within a stated timescale following such approval.

The undertaker shall implement the scheme as approved.

(2) Netting to prevent construction materials/demolition arisings falling into the intertidal mudflats shall be erected prior to and maintained during breaking through of the quay wall into the Blyth Estuary.

(3) The cooling water outfall pipe described as Work No. 1(v) in Schedule 1 to the Order shall only be operated in conjunction with the diffuser described as Work No. 1(w) in Schedule 1 to the Order.

(4) During construction of the cooling water outfall diffuser and foundation spud legs shall be lowered only within the hour before or after the turn of low tide.

(5) The undertaker shall use only marine specification concrete and underwater concreting techniques in the construction of the cooling water outfall diffuser and foundation.

(6) The undertaker shall—

(a) mark and light the licensed activities (including any temporary construction works comprised in the licensed activities) as required by Trinity House, as the MMO directs;

(b) mark the diffuser with an aid to navigation comprising of a yellow pile with a yellow ‘X’ shaped topmark and a Fl (2) Y 10s light or as otherwise required by Trinity House, as the MMO directs;

(c) at all times maintain any aids to navigation to the reasonable satisfaction of Trinity House.

(7) No works for or associated with the construction of the cooling water intake system or with the strengthening of the river wall shall be carried out save in accordance with a silt mitigation scheme which has previously been approved in writing by the MMO. The said scheme shall provide for silt curtains or other effective mechanisms designed to protect the River Blyth Estuary from silt during construction of the said works and for a period of not less than seven days after each of the said works is completed.