Inishowen off-shore wind farm unlikely to proceed before 2030

Plans to build a wind farm off the coast of Inishowen are unlikely to be considered for delivery before 2030 following the publication of a government policy statement on offshore wind projects.

Haven Offshore Array is preparing to investigate the feasibility of developing an offshore wind farm off the north coast of Inishowen.

The company has submitted an application for a five-year foreshore investigatory licence for a project containing a mixture of static and floating wind turbines in initial sites of more than 1,500 km2, with the nearest point to the coast being 20km from Malin Head.

A geophysical survey for the project was carried out last year.

Haven Offshore Array said the license will allow the company to refine the site choice and to carry out surveys to properly assess the viability of the project.

The company held a public consultation on the project with the fishing community in Inishowen last month which heard concerns about the impact of the proposed project on the fishing industry, including on spawning grounds for crab and herring.

Members of the fishing industry demanded at the meeting that a fisheries management plan from the government be put in place before the plans progress any further.

In an update on the proposals, which has been sent to members of the local fishing industry, consultants on behalf of the company said the policy statement, which was published last month, indicates that “only sites on the south coast will initially be considered for pre-2030 delivery”.

The consultants said technical and environmental data is crucial in the design and planning of the project.

The update acknowledged that “it is widely recognised that there are significant gaps in fisheries data, especially in relation to the inshore sector”.

“Inaccurate or incomplete data may set the project back due to delays and further requests from the planning authorities and so the quality and accuracy of data is a key goal,” it said.

Maritime consulting company Aqualicense, in the update to the fishing industry, said it is endeavouring to provide an “outline of what the final design considerations could facilitate”, adding that the “consultation process has allowed us to take back to the client, very clearly, the issues where clarity is needed”.

“This feedback process, and further discussions, will form part of the considerations in the final project design”.

The update said fisheries interests and marine users will be kept informed on updates.