The Scottish Government has granted consent for a 127 turbine 370MW wind farm to be constructed in Shetland with an interconnector to mainland Scotland. The Viking Wind Farm will have the capacity to provide electricity for more than sixteen times the number of households in Shetland and will bring an income to the local community of around £30 million as well as creating other economic benefits such as jobs as well as the new interconnector enabling further development of renewable technologies including marine.
Phil Gawne MHK Minister for Environment, Agriculture and Food commented “While I know there is some scepticism among the Manx public about wind farms the Shetland Viking project demonstrates the considerable economic value that can be generated for small island economies from such projects. This wind farm in Shetland, if mirrored here, would half our current deficit and realise other economic benefits including service industry jobs”.
Martin Hall Director of Environment has confirmed that it is critical for the Isle of Man, should it wish to pursue a similar route and export Manx renewable energy to the UK and beyond, that we progress in a timely manner the current work being undertaken to develop our Marine Spatial Plan as unlike Shetland our Wind Farm potential is largely marine based. The Isle of Man Marine Plan aims to develop a stringent consenting regime which will maximize potential economic development opportunities through a sustainable approach to our marine environment.
As part of the Isle of Man Marine Plan, a stakeholder led Manx Marine Environmental Assessment is being undertaken to bring together the information currently available for Manx territorial waters which covers an area of 4000Km2 with the final report expected to be available for public viewing during this summer. One of the objectives of the Isle of Man Marine Plan is to identify current activities within Manx waters and safeguard their ongoing use. Mapping the location of navigation corridors, important natural areas and pipelines/cables will enable us to identify potential wind farm sites that will not adversely affect current uses of the Manx marine environment including ferry routes and fishing activities.
There has been significant interest in potential offshore opportunities available in the Manx territorial seas. The Department of Economic Development recently hosted an event in London that was attended by over 140 attendees including investors, professional advisors and businesses with an interest in offshore renewable energy. Following on from this event, a round table discussion has been arranged on the Isle of Man for later in April with an audience of more than 50 expected.
