Ørsted’s plans for the Isle of Man’s first offshore wind farm to connect to the grid in England have been granted nationally significant infrastructure status in the UK.
The decision was made tis week by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband.
Ørsted said the UK’s recognition of the critical status of the Mooir Vannin wind farm transmission system to export power from Manx territorial waters to the UK marks a “significant milestone in the development of the Mooir Vannin project, building upon the initial agreement for lease awarded by the Isle of Man government in 2015”
The status allows the project to apply for planning consent by making a Development Consent Order (DCO) application in England, utilising all the powers under the Planning Act 2008.
A spokesperson told Manx.News: “It was crucial for a wind farm project outside the UK to have this clarity, and it is now clear for Ørsted what the planning regime in the Isle of Man for the wind farm will be, and what the planning regime in England for the transmission system will be.”
Isle of Man
John Galloway, development director for the Isle of Man at Ørsted, said: “This direction by the Secretary of State in the UK is a testament to our commitment to delivering the island’s first offshore wind farm.
“This is a significant milestone for the project – the ability to apply for a planning consent for enabling transmission infrastructure in the UK is a crucial step towards the successful delivery of the wind farm and realising the Isle of Man’s goals for sustainable economic development and renewable energy.
“The direction underscores the importance of the project in meeting both the Isle of Man’s future energy security needs as well as the UK’s ambitious carbon reduction goals by delivering reliable, affordable energy.”
For further details, please refer to the direction on the Government website here.
6 Comments