Title:
Critical Habitat Assessment in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Cyprus, 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.
The pipeline sections in Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) potentially cross or placed adjacent to areas of high biodiversity and habitat importance. Due to the large spatial extent of this project it was deemed crucial to enlist all critical habitats and priority species within Cyprus Area of Assessment (AoA). The Critical Habitat Assessment developed presents the findings of an assessment on critical and natural habitat and priority biodiversity features (PBF).
The report relied on the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) undertaken for the Project and provided additional information, with particular reference to the requirements and standards included in the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Performance Requirement 6 on Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources (PR6).
