Title:
Special Ecological Study of the Natura 2000 site CY4000024 (Oceanid), for the Offshore Section of EastMed Pipeline Project
Duration:
2 months (February 2022 – March 2022)
Funded by:
IGI Poseidon
Subcontracted by:
ERM Italia
AEOLIKI Ltd
Project Description:
IGI Poseidon intends to develop a gas pipeline project to transport natural gas from the south-eastern Mediterranean basin to the European Natural Gas Network, namely the EastMed-Poseidon Pipeline Project. The Eastern Mediterranean Pipeline Project (EastMed) is an offshore/onshore natural gas pipeline that will connect eastern Mediterranean energy resources (offshore gas reserves in the Levantine Basin) to mainland Greece via Cyprus and Crete.
According to Cyprus national legislation Law N.127 (I)/2018 an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required for technical projects that fall under Annex I. In case they interfere with Natura 2000 sites a specialized Special Ecological Study (SES) or Appropriate Assessment has to be conducted concerning the entire Natura 2000 site, which becomes an indispensable part of the projects’ Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA).
The present SES concerned the Site of Community Importance “Oceanid”, CY4000024, focusing mainly on the portion directly crossed by the Offshore EastMed. The report aimed to present the project activities and assess the impact on the integrity of the Natura 2000 site of the EastMed pipeline project or plan, with respect to the site’s species of concern and ecosystem function and its conservation objectives. Additionally, the report moved beyond the assessment of impacts and suggested mitigation, compensation and monitoring measures that can be implemented to reduce, offset and assess the impacts of the EastMed pipeline project.
