Ørsted closes consultation for Isle of Man wind farm

Up to 100 wind turbines could be installed off the east coast of the island, but concerns have been raised about the visual impact (pictured below) and claims that power generated would chiefly benefit the UK and not the Isle of Man.

The site was awarded to Ørsted in 2015, and the company says it has completed environmental and technical studies of the area to determine the scope and scale of the ultimate site, which it says will generate around 1.4GW. According to local radio, the farm could cover an area of around 250km².

Now that the public consultation is finished, Ørsted says it will put in an official application next May.

“It is important to note the plans we presented for consultation were a maximum design scenario that shows the potential impact of the greatest size, number and widest spread of turbines at the closest edge to the shore,” said John Galloway, Ørsted Development Director for the Isle of Man. “Our proposals will now be reviewed, refined, and adapted ahead of submitting a planning application next year.”