Public events to be held in Laxey, Ramsey, Douglas, Peel & Port Erin
Everyone on the Island will have a chance to find out more about proposals for the Isle of Man’s first offshore wind farm over the next three months.
This week [w/c 8th July] a booklet is being distributed to all residents and businesses about Ørsted’s Mooir Vannin Offshore Wind Farm which has the potential to provide the Island with secure, renewable energy for decades to come - plus economic, employment and community benefits. It includes full details about the community consultation and engagement process which runs from 15th July to 11th September this year.
The proposals for the offshore wind farm can be viewed in more detail at the community consultation events which will be held as follows:
For anyone unable to attend these events the proposals will also be available to view at a virtual town hall which can be accessed here: orsted.im/mooirvannin/virtual-town-hall
Feedback can be given through a Consultation Portal by going to mooirvannin.commonplace.is as well as via email to mooirvannin@orsted.com, or by writing to Ørsted, The Old Courthouse, Athol Street, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 1LD. Large print, audio and braille versions of the booklet are available on request by writing or emailing using the same addresses.
John Galloway, Ørsted Development Director for the Isle of Man, said: “The consultation period this summer builds on the community engagement process that is now well under way. We can now share much more information about what the wind farm could look like, the benefits it would bring, plus the significant seabed survey work we have done so far. Most importantly, the next few months allow everyone with an interest in the project to engage with the Mooir Vannin Offshore Wind Farm team so we can answer any questions or concerns they may have. Our plan from there is to use this feedback to inform the planning application we intend to submit to the Isle of Man Government in Spring 2025.”
At all the public events there will display boards, visualisation images and a virtual reality experience to help everyone understand the proposals. Members of the Mooir Vannin Offshore Wind Farm team will be there too, with experts on hand to discuss the technical, environmental and sustainability aspects of the proposals.
Ørsted was awarded an exclusive licence by Isle of Man Government in 2015 for an area of seabed six to 12 nautical miles off the coast of Maughold, within the Island’s territorial waters. Since then the world’s leading wind power company has been carrying out detailed investigations and surveys that will inform their environmental impact assessment and planning application. In addition to revenue going to Isle of Man Government from licencing and tax during the operational lifetime of the wind farm, the project would also create more than 30 full-time jobs here on the Island and open the door to new career opportunities for future generations. Ørsted also plan to set up a Community Investment Fund which would give £1.5million per year for the first 15 years the wind farm is in operation. This funding would go directly to projects, community causes and infrastructure schemes which benefit everyone.
To find out more about the Mooir Vannin Offshore Wind Farm go to orsted.im/mooirvannin