NI Wind Farm To Be Scaled Back

Northern Ireland's first ever wind farm is to be scaled back to avoid key fishing grounds, according to First Flight Wind, the company behind the project.

The group has been carrying out stakeholder engagement as well as survey and zone assessment work to establish the location and design of the potential offshore wind farm off the County Down coast.

First Flight Wind has determined that a project of 300 – 400 MW is "best able to minimise potential impacts on some existing activities including shipping and commercial fisheries."

Michael Harper from First Flight Wind commented: "It has always been our intention to develop an offshore project that works alongside other marine users such as shipping and fishing. Throughout the process we are seeking to take into account the concerns of local stakeholders as we consider where to locate the project and how to design it.”

"As a result we have identified a central section of the larger zone where we shall now focus our attention and we have determined that the preferred target capacity for delivery by 2020 to be 300-400 MW. Generating potentially more than 10% of Northern Ireland’s electricity requirements, this capacity would help the Executive to reach its 2020 renewable electricity target and create significant economic opportunities for local companies."

Mr Harper continued: "Our engagement with key shipping stakeholders has highlighted concerns about placing a project close to the Warrenpoint-Heysham route, which we will now seek to avoid. In addition, we recognise that coast of Co. Down hosts some very important Nephrops fisheries. We are therefore proposing to limit where possible, encroachment on such key Nephrops fishing grounds. These issues along with all the other issues we have identified through the recent offshore scoping consultation will be addressed fully within our environmental impact assessment."

(IT/CD)