'Now is the time' for giant UK offshore wind farm

The PortWind project could see up to 132 turbines delivering power by 2036

A renewable energy firm has said the political climate is right for a large-scale wind farm off the Devon and Dorset coast.

Source Galileo is planning a 2GW project involving at least 100 turbines, which it said could power more than three million homes.

On Monday, it announced a deal with Portland Port to service the development.

Director Garrett Morrison, from the Norwegian firm, said it hoped to capitalise on the Labour government's support for offshore wind power.

Director Garrett Morrison said the project could benefit from favourable political winds

In a BBC interview, he said the feeling in the renewable energy sector was that "now is the time" for offshore wind development.

He said: "We have a government that is very much pro-energy security.

"And we see the new government industrial strategy as one that is very much promoting offshore wind development.

"We looked at the south coast and we felt it was probably under-developed from an offshore wind point of view."

The PortWind project would be larger than any currently installed in UK waters.

It could see 100-132 turbines situated about 22 km (14 miles) off the coast, supplying power from 2036 to the National Grid via a substation at Chickerell, near Weymouth.

The nearest turbines could be 22km (14 miles) off the coast of Devon and Dorset

In 2015, the previous Conservative government refused permission for the proposed Navitus Bay wind farm, citing "significant adverse impact on the qualities underpinning Dorset and Isle of Wight's Areas of Natural Beauty".

However, Mr Garrett said PortWind's search area was further out to sea than Navitus Bay, which would have been 14.6km (9.1 miles) off Swanage.

He said: "They will be bigger turbines, but probably less visible.

"We're looking at estimates of turbine tip heights of up to 250m high. But... those turbine heights could be taller.

"We will always be able to see some element of a development such as this. We're not sitting here and say you will not.

"We have taken and spent quite a lot of time in terms of visual impact assessments."

Mr Garrison said the project was financed by a consortium based mainly in Australia and New Zealand, as well as by Ingka Investments, Ikea's investment arm.

In 2024, the Labour government said a deal with the Crown Estate, which owns most of the British seabed, could accelerate offshore wind projects.