Surveys will shape onshore wind farm design, Manx Utilities says

More than £500,000 has been spent on the development of the project so far

Feedback from surveys will help to shape the design of a proposed onshore wind farm, Manx Utilities has said.

The company is investigating a site at Earystane and Scard in the south of the island for the government-funded plans.

Ecological surveys of the site and nearby bay would affect the stature and number of turbines used, the firm said.

Energy transition lead Lizzy Riley said public feedback would also help to "evolve the design" and mitigate the affects "as far as we reasonably can".

The scheme forms part of a Council of Ministers commitment to decarbonise the island's electricity supply by 2030, which also includes solar and interconnector projects.

If approved by planners following an Environmental Impact Assessment, the project could deliver up to 130 gigawatts of energy annually by 2026.

Transportation

Ms Riley said one of the most "critical" surveys was that of transport routes, as how turbines could be taken to the site would determine the stature of the devices installed.

She said the results, bolstered by drone footage, would determine if that route would be from Douglas or Castletown.

Underwater surveys due to begin next week at Castletown Bay, where a beach landing would be required, are set look at where would be the best location to avoid deep sediment and potential damage to the seabed.

Bird and bat surveys are continuing and wind-speed data has been gathered.

Ms Riley said the project's design would "very much be a result of the outcomes of the surveys" and public feedback at this point would help the publicly-owned utilities provider mitigate for the affects wherever possible.

A public meeting, to be attended by the chief minister and Manx Utilities representatives, will be hosted by Arbory and Rushen Commissioners on 29 November following concerns raised locally over the plans.

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