Manx Utilities has confirmed that no cost has yet been set for any potential radar upgrades linked to the proposed onshore wind farm, despite early modelling including a “contingency allowance” for possible aviation‑related mitigation.
Jason Moorhouse MHK repeatedly pressed MUA Chair John Wannenburgh in Tynwald this morning on whether turbine cost projections were missing a significant additional sum, potentially up to £10 million, for a new primary radar system at Ronaldsway.
Wannenburgh said Manx Utilities and its consultants had been working with the Department of Infrastructure and airport officials to assess how the wind farm might interact with aviation systems.
He confirmed the airport’s radar is ageing and already due for replacement, but stressed that no procurement has taken place and no financial commitment has been made.
“A contingency has been included as part of the early modelling… It is not a confirmed requirement, nor is it a committed cost,” he told members.
When Moorhouse suggested the current turbine costings might be missing a major figure for radar replacement, Wannenburgh replied that no cost has been determined, and that the radar issue “exists independently” of the wind farm project.
Moorhouse also sought clarity on what the Environmental Impact Assessment will say about radar implications, but Wannenburgh said the EIA process is “still ongoing”.
