Offshore wind projects could be viable at several locations off Guernsey’s coast according to a preliminary feasibility study by Xodus Group.
The study, which was funded jointly by the States of Guernsey and Guernsey Electricity, concluded there are a range of technically feasible options to develop an offshore wind project.
It identified a preferred site far offshore towards the island’s 12 nautical mile boundary in relatively deep water.
The site would be most suited to floating wind turbine structures, the report said.
A lower cost site could be in shallow waters off the north coast, but the near shore location “may have visual and other human impacts”.
It also concluded a project of about 30MW would “achieve the fundamental objective of an independent supply of electricity together with the benefits associated with energy diversification”.
The cost would be higher than current French imports and on-island generation, but could be mitigated if the majority of the project is funded by the States of Guernsey to secure the lowest cost of finance.
The States of Guernsey Renewable Energy Team are considering the recommendations and have set up remote sensing equipment at the Chouet headland alongside an existing wind monitor.
The team will continue to progress its work in this area, before discussing the viability of a project with the Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure.
Guernsey Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure member Shane Langlois said: “The committee welcomes the findings of this study and, while not without risk, believes there are significant opportunities in progressing this work.”
Image: reNEWS
