SECTION 6 SAFETY ZONES
在離岸風場的施工、維護和除役階段，需要一定的安全區以保障其他海洋使用者和離岸風場設施與人員的安全。然而，由於法規的不完善，安全區的劃設僅由離岸風電開發及營運業者單方面決定後，函請航港局發佈航船布告。為增進兩個部門之間的良好互動、實現共存，本指南建議離岸風電開發及營運業者應本著「比例原則」（或稱「最小侵害原則」）之精神劃設安全區，並與漁業利害關係人協商互相認可的安全區劃設技術規範。
During the construction, maintenance, and decommissioning phases of an offshore wind farm, certain safety zones are required to ensure the safety of other marine users and the offshore wind farm facilities and personnel. However, due to imperfect regulations, the delineation of safety zones is solely determined by offshore wind developers and operators. Then, the Maritime Port Bureau is requested to issue a Notice to Mariners. To enhance the positive interaction between the two sectors and achieve coexistence, this Guidance suggests that offshore wind developers and operators should delineate safety zones in the spirit of the “proportionality principle” (or “principle of least harm”) and negotiate mutually recognized safety zone delineation technical specifications with fisheries stakeholders.
6.1 釐清「安全區」與「禁航區」 Clarification of “Safety Zone” and “Exclusion Zone”
當離岸風場開發業者被授予開發權時，並未被授予整個風場海域的專屬權、可以排除其他海域使用者。依據《航路標識條例》，離岸風電開發及營運業者需向主管機關申請安全區，但有關安全區之性質、申請程序等技術規範，卻遲未建立 。實務上，航港局接獲離岸風電開發及營運業者申請後，即依照業者要求之範圍、期間發佈航船布告，並未審核其合理性、必要性。另一方面，航船布告使用之制式文字為「非計畫相關之工作船隻，請避開該區域，注意航行以策安全」，似乎僅為建議性質。離岸風電開發及營運業者的戒護船能否在漁船（筏）靠近安全區時予以驅離，更有待商榷。在現有法律架構下，將離岸風場「安全區」稱之為「專屬區」或「禁航區」皆為誤用。
When an offshore wind developer is granted development rights, they are not granted exclusive rights to the entire wind farm sea area and cannot exclude other maritime users. According to the Aids to Navigation Act, offshore wind developers and operators must apply to the competent authority for safety zones. However, the technical specifications regarding the nature, application procedures, etc., of safety zones have yet to be established. In practice, after receiving an application from an offshore wind developer/operator, the Maritime Port Bureau will issue a Notice to Mariners according to the scope and period requested by the developer/operator without reviewing its reasonableness or necessity. On the other hand, the standard wording used in the Notice to Mariners is “Non-project-related work vessels should avoid this area and be careful when navigating for safety,” which seems to be recommendatory only. Whether the guard vessels of offshore wind developer/operator can drive away fishing boats (rafts) when they approach the safety zones is still debatable. Under the current legal framework, it is a misuse to refer to offshore wind farms’ “safety zones” as “exclusive zones” or “prohibited area.”
6.2 安全區的目的 Purpose
安全區在本質上是臨時性的，離岸風電開發及營運業者應提供證據，向漁業利害關係人說明限制漁船（筏）在離岸風場一定距離內的活動有其合理性、必要性。風力機組、海上變電站、氣象觀測塔的周圍可能需要劃設安全區；陣列海纜和輸出海纜埋設後通常不需劃設安全區，但從事海纜埋設或修復活動的船舶周圍可能需要安全區。
Safety zones are inherently temporary, and offshore wind developers and operators should provide evidence to fisheries stakeholders to explain the rationality and necessity of restricting the activities of fishing boats (rafts) within a certain distance of the offshore wind farm. Safety zones may need to be established around wind turbines, offshore substations, and meteorological observation towers. Safety zones are usually not required around array cables and export cables after burial but may be necessary around vessels engaged in cable burial or repair activities.
一旦一座離岸風場全部完工並正式商轉，本指南建議以風力機組或海上變電站周圍50公尺作為安全區。在進行重大維護時，可以自升式平台船或佈纜船等其他大型船舶周圍500公尺作為安全區；在商轉階段，營運業者不應再以整個風場範圍申請安全區。
Once an offshore wind farm is fully completed and officially put into operation, this Guidance recommends a 50-meter safety zone around wind turbines or offshore substations. During major maintenance, a 500-meter safety zone can be established around other large vessels, such as jack up vessels or cable-laying vessels. During the operation phase, operators should no longer apply for safety zones for the entire wind farm area.
6.3 安全區的規劃與溝通 Planning and Communication
開發業者應儘早與漁業利害關係人針對安全區的規劃進行討論。離岸風場的開發從調查、施工到營運，不同階段有不同的安全區需求。基於減輕對漁業活動的影響，調查及施工期間的安全區劃設應以分區、分期之原則進行。
Developers should discuss the planning of safety zones with fisheries stakeholders as early as possible. Offshore wind farm development has different safety zone requirements at various phases, from surveys and construction to business operations. The delineation of safety zones during the survey and construction phases should be carried out on a zoned and phased basis to minimize the impact on fishing activities.
- 分區：每次申請安全區面積不大於10平方公里；
Zoning: Each safety zone application should not exceed an area of 10 square kilometers; - 分期：每次申請安全區期間不大長於6個月，並按實際作業需求（例如打樁及灌漿完成後，再申請轉接段與風機安裝，陣列海纜及輸出海纜的鋪設也可分開申請）。
Phasing: Each application for safety zones should not exceed 6 months in duration and should be applied according to actual operational needs (e.g., apply for the transition section and wind turbine installation after the completion of pile driving and grouting, and the laying of array cables and export cables can also be applied for separately).
開發業者向航港局申請發佈安全區之前，應依循第三節「管理聯絡管道」，向漁業利害關係人說明安全區之規劃並諮詢他們的意見。由於安全區申請僅需數天即可核准，上述的事前溝通尤為重要。即便安全區的航船布告已經發布，離岸風電開發及營運業者仍應尋求其他有效管道向漁業利害關係人傳遞資訊、並提醒他們注意。
Before applying to the Maritime Port Bureau to issue safety zones, the developer must comply with SECTION 3 MANAGING CONTACT to explain the safety zone planning to fisheries stakeholders and consult their opinions. The aforesaid prior communication is particularly essential since the approval of safety zone applications only takes a few days. Even if the Notice to Mariners for safety zones has been issued, offshore wind developers and operators should still seek other effective channels to communicate information to fisheries stakeholders and remind them to pay attention.
由於缺乏先例，本指南建議兩個部門應儘快針對互相認可的安全區劃設技術規範進行討論。
Due to the lack of precedents, this Guidance recommends that the two sectors should discuss and agree on mutually recognized technical specifications as soon as possible in order to delineate safety zones.