A team of Ørsted offshore wind turbine technicians from the UK are working from the Isle of Man on a campaign to upgrade turbines on one of its Irish Sea projects.

It is hoped that the campaign will also lay the groundwork for future operations and maintenance carried out from the island.

The team, who usually operate from Barrow-in-Furness, are working to improve the efficiency of 40 turbines at the Walney Extension wind farm which is 12 miles off the coast of Cumbria.

The Danish energy company say operating from Douglas harbour cuts the travel time in half to get to the wind farm, so it reduces fuel usage and carbon emissions while also allowing the team more working time on site.

The number of technicians varies from day to day, but on average there are 12 working offshore plus three office staff. They began operating from the island in April and will continue until they have completed work on the current phase of the project for several months to come.

Emma Ford, Ørsted’s head of generation UK west, said: ‘The campaign we’re working on is to make upgrades to 40 of the 87 Walney Extension turbines.

‘It’s all about improving performance, safety and longevity of the windfarm.

‘The work we’re doing ranges from simple tasks that take a few minutes, up to heavy lifting jobs such as replacing hydraulic rams.

‘We’ve received a very warm welcome in the island and everyone we’ve met has been extremely helpful.

‘The Douglas harbour team helped us to set up a small office on the quayside very quickly. We’ve used on-island suppliers for office equipment and stationery, and to buy additional tools we needed.

‘Outside work, the team has enjoyed the accommodation and hospitality that the island offers, so we can see why it’s such a great place to live and work.

‘We will be exploring options for using the Island for future operations and maintenance campaigns and some of the team are already planning to come back for a holiday.’

The Walney Extension wind farm generates green electricity for around 600,000 UK homes.

Ørsted is the company behind proposals for the Mooir Vannin Offshore Wind Farm off the coast of Maughold which would be the first offshore wind farm in Isle of Man’s territorial seas.

It would be privately funded and Isle of Man Government will receive an annual rent for leasing the site, a percentage of revenue throughout the operation of the wind farm, plus taxation and royalties once it is established.

Last autumn Ørsted announced its early-stage proposals and began its public engagement programme with a series of community information events across the island.

An extensive assessment and consultation process is being planned for this summer as the company works towards its aim of submitting a planning application to the Isle of Man Government in 2025.

Everyone in the island will have a chance to find out more about proposals for the Isle of Man’s first offshore wind farm over the next three months.

A community consultation and engagement process began this week earlier this month and runs until September 11.

The proposals for the offshore wind farm can be viewed in more detail at further community consultation events which will be held as follows:

Tuesday, August 6: Santander Work Café, Old Market Hall, North Quay, Douglas – midday to 6pm

Wednesday, August 7: Corrin Hall, Peel – 2pm to 7pm

Thursday, August 8: Bradda Glen Café, Bradda East, Port Erin – 2pm to 7pm

For anyone unable to attend these events the proposals will also be available to view at: orsted.im/mooirvannin/virtual-town-hall

Feedback can be given through a consultation portal at mooirvannin.commonplace.is as well as via email to [email protected], or by writing to Ørsted, The Old Courthouse, Athol Street, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 1LD.

Large print, audio and braille versions of the booklet are available on request by writing or emailing using the same addresses.