Plans to construct 100 wind turbines between the Isle of Man and the Cumbria coastline which could produce 1.4 gigawatts of power are being debated.
Ørsted, the company which already runs the Walney wind farm, is proposing to develop the Isle of Man’s first offshore site known as Mooir Vannin, the sea of the Isle of Man in Manx.
The proposed site would be between six and 12 nautical miles from Maughold Head on the island and visible from the Cumbrian coast.
The site is also close to existing shipping lanes between the island, North West England and Northern Ireland.
It’s claimed the project will help support the Isle of Man’s renewable energy, net zero and economic growth targets.
Environmental and technical studies of the area have been underway to determine the scope and scale of the project since the site was awarded to Ørsted in 2015.
“We’ve completed two years of bird and marine mammal movement studies and in the past year have conducted the most comprehensive survey campaign of seabed conditions ever undertaken in the Island,” the company said.
“This summer we will be carrying out extensive community consultation before we intend to submit our application for planning consent to the Isle of Man Government in early 2025.”
