Dong Energy has signed an agreement for lease with the Isle of Man government to carry out preliminary investigations for an up to 700MW offshore wind farm in the Irish Sea.
The agreement gives Dong the right to investigate an area approximately six to 12 miles off the east coast of the island to determine its offshore wind suitability.
Dong said the investigation will take several years to complete, after which, if conditions are suitable, there will be an option to execute a lease with the Isle of Man government for the seabed over the lifetime of the wind farm.
Subject to the findings of the investigations, construction activities would likely take place post-2020.
Dong head of asset management for wind power Benj Sykes said: “We are still very much in the early stages, but this agreement means we can move forward with assessing vital factors such as wind speeds and ground conditions, critical to determining the viability of the project.”
Isle of Man economic development minister Laurence Skelly said: “As well as raising income through leasing parts of our seabed, there is the possibility of new jobs for Isle of Man workers, as offshore installations require onshore support to manage their operation and maintenance.
“If a wind farm in Manx waters is viable, all the infrastructure costs would be borne by the developer rather than the Isle of Man government.”
Image: Dong’s Westermost Rough wind farm (Dong Energy)
