A retired civil engineer has said that a recent consultation on a proposed Irish Sea wind farm needs to be compared with other proposals and existing sites to see their whole impact.
Whilst plans for the Mona and Morgan wind farms, by EnBW and BP, do not encroach on the territorial seas of the Isle of Man, John Pennington says that they could cause a major issue for the Steam Packet’s ferry routes to Liverpool and Heysham.
Mr Pennington has echoed concerns previously voiced by the company itself but says the proposals need to be shown alongside other projects, as he has done in the diagram pictured, for the public to get the full picture of the issue when providing feedback.
He said: ‘This is a wake up call, these aren’t going to be problems we’ll be facing in three or four years time but we need to be preparing and taking action now.’
A spokesperson for the Morgan and Mona offshore wind projects said: ‘We understand the vital importance of the ferry routes serving the Isle of Man, and we’re committed to developing designs for our Morgan and Mona wind farms that minimise impacts on those links.
‘That’s why we’ve been working with a range of marine stakeholders – including the Steam Packet Company – for over a year. We will continue to collaborate with them to ensure any impacts that are identified can be addressed appropriately.’
Mr Pennington says the issue partly comes from, what he says, is a lack of awareness by the Crown Estate, who issued the licenses for the projects, of shipping routes in the area.
He said: ‘The Crown Estate appears to be leaving it up to the wind farm developers and shipping interest to thrash it out amongst themselves.’
‘I believe these plans are a wake up call to the Manx commercial sector and particularly to the Manx government that there is a significant potential threat to the vital ferry services serving the island.’
He added.
The Steam Packet has also previously addressed the issue during the initial consultation with Kane Taha, operations director for the company, confirming discussions with developers and contractors.
He said: ‘The Steam Packet has repeatedly voiced strong concerns about the impact on its routes.
‘The concerns are not restricted to the Mona development but also the Morgan site of the project.
‘It is expected the two proposed windfarms will severely affect sailings to and from Liverpool and Heysham respectively. We have clearly pointed out that Steam Packet Company routes must considered to be essential lifeline sea routes, providing long established links that serve the community of the Isle of Man.’
The project spokesperson said there will be more opportunities for public feedback on the Mona site as well as a consultation on Morgan later this year, they said: ‘Community consultation and engagement is important in helping us develop our projects.
‘Our initial consultation, held earlier this year, allowed people in the Isle of Man to get an understanding of our early plans and to have their say.
‘The feedback we receive as part of these consultations will be addressed both in the further development of our plans and also when we publish our consultation report, which is a mandatory part of the consenting process.’