Wind farm cutbacks fail to dampen anger

Wind farm cutbacks fail to dampen anger

18 June 2014

A LEADING fishermen’s leader has warned plans to scale back Northern Ireland’s first major wind farm off the Ardglass coast do not go far enough.

Dick James said the decision by First Flight Wind to reduce the scale of the proposed offshore project in a bid to avoid key fishing grounds does not change the fishing community’s opposition to the proposal at one of the district’s most picturesque locations.

The chief executive of the Northern Ireland Fish Producers’ Organisation believes there are more suitable areas for an industrial wind farm off the Province’s coastline, arguing it should not be located in the suggested area between Ardglass and Annalong.

First Flight Wind — the consortium behind the £1bn wind farm — said its decision to reduce the size of the proposed wind farm follows detailed consultations with local communities and others.

It was initially suggested the wind farm could produce up to 600 megawatts of electricity but the consortium now believes it should be reduced to between 300 and 400 megawatts to “minimise potential impacts on shipping and commercial fisheries.”

The wind farm has yet to secure planning consent and other approvals and while it is still not clear how many turbines will be needed, they will be located no closer than five miles off the local coastline.

Mr. James described the area earmarked for the location of huge wind turbines as the “richest prawn fishing grounds in the entire Irish Sea.”

He continued: “While the consortium is stepping back from its original proposal, the concern of the local fishing community and the impact this project will have on rich fishing grounds very much remains. The project will also impact on scallop and crab fishing grounds and will make it particularly difficult for boats to manoeuvre.”

Mr. James believes there are more suitable areas off the Northern Ireland coastline for a new wind farm where there would be no impact on fishing grounds, suggesting off Portrush as one example.

“We have major concerns about this particular proposal and the impact it will have on lost revenues for the fishing industry. Our consultants are currently looking at the impact this proposed wind farm will have on fishing, looking at what is possible to do inside a wind farm area, and what would not be possible, and it’s pretty negative,” he continued.

Mr. James added: “Exactly where this wind farm is located will impact on the amount of money which will be lost to the fishing industry. The bottom line for us is that the suggested location is simply the wrong one. There are other areas where it could be located which would not impact on fertile fishing grounds and affect the livelihoods of fishermen. We are totally opposed to the wind farm in this location.”

First Flight Wind’s Michael Harper said it has always been the consortium’s intention to develop an offshore project that works alongside other marine users such as shipping and fishing.

“Throughout the process, we are seeking to take into account the concerns of local stakeholders as we consider where to locate the project and how to design it,” he explained.

“We have determined that the preferred target capacity for delivery by 2020 to be between 300 and 400 megawatts. Generating potentially more than 10% of Northern Ireland’s electricity requirements, this capacity would help the Stormont Executive reach its 2020 renewable electricity target and create significant economic opportunities for local companies.”

Mr. Harper said First Flight Wind recognises that the Co. Down coast hosts some very important prawn fishing grounds, explaining that as a result, the consortium is proposing to limit where possible, encroachment on such key areas.

He added: “These issues, along with all the others we have identified through the recent offshore scoping consultation, will be addressed fully within our environmental impact assessment. We will continue to work towards further refining where we could locate a 300 to 400MW project and will continue to share this information with our stakeholders.”