Communities along the coast of East Antrim and North Down in Northern Ireland will have the opportunity to learn about proposals for the installation of floating wind turbines in that part of the Irish Sea, commonly known as the North Channel.
There will be local exhibitions on 31st May in Carnlough, 1st June in the Gobbins Centre, Islandmagee and 2nd June in Bangor.
As Afloat reported previously, meetings with fishing communities in Portavogie, Bangor and Larne have already occurred.
North Channel Wind says it is engaging with local communities to share information and gather feedback.
Fiona Stevens, Stakeholder Manager at North Channel Wind says the wind farms off the coasts of Antrim and North Down could be a game changer for Northern Ireland, bringing much improved energy security and the potential for Northern Ireland to become a net exporter of clean electricity. “Offshore wind capacity is critical to NI’s target of reaching 80% renewable electricity by 2030 and zero net emissions targets,” says Mrs Stevens. “Department for Economy figures released last month show that Northern Ireland generated 51% of all electricity through renewables in 2022, so we are heading in the right direction, but still have a long way to go.”
The North Channel Wind project has the potential to generate electricity equivalent to around 82% of NI’s total electricity consumption, based on 2022 figures. The project could potentially save over 2.6 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year compared to the equivalent generation by non-renewables, the equivalent of taking over 1.7 million cars off the road.
“There is a collective understanding at policy level that the climate and biodiversity emergency is upon us and that we must move to embrace new forms of clean electricity generation. One solution is to install and operate floating turbines in the North Channel,” she says, “which we aim to progress with the support of stakeholders through consultation and minimising the impact of the array on animals and natural habitats. We are proposing wind farms on two sites: North Channel Wind 1 is off the coast of east Antrim, and North Channel Wind 2 is off Antrim's south-east coast and County Down's northeast coast”.
North Channel Wind is engaging with Northern Ireland’s Department for the Economy, (DfE) Department for Infrastructure (DfI) and the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in relation to the consents required.
The project is backed marine engineering and offshore energy specialist SBM Offshore. The project would create significant local supply chain opportunities, including assembling the required steel floating devices, logistics, assembly, marine services, and construction. A community benefit fund will likely be linked to the project in the longer term.
Mrs Stevens says: “We are in discussions with the Northern Ireland government, the grid operator SONI, the energy regulator UREGNI and The Crown Estate. Significantly, we have completed our site characterisation and submitted a scoping document to the Department of Environment and Agriculture (DAERA) in early May. This is the first step in applying for a marine licence to build offshore infrastructure. The scoping report will be available as part of the public consultation, and we welcome feedback.”
North Channel Wind information tells that the potential installed capacity of the combined wind farms is 1420 MW , and the total potential electricity generation is equivalent to approximately 82% of NI’s electricity consumption based on 2022 consumption figures. The potential carbon reduction is around 2.6 million tonnes per annum.
This series of community consultations is planned as follows:
- 2pm – 8pm, 31 May: Glenlough Community Centre, Carnlough on the Antrim Coast north of Glenarm.
- 2pm – 8pm, 1 June: The Gobbins Visitor Centre, Islandmagee on the Antrim Coast between Larne and Whitehead.
- 2pm – 8pm, 2 June: Hamilton Road Community Hub, Bangor on the north Down coast.
More information on North Channel Wind