Plans for windfarm to progress on Earystane and Scard site

The Manx Utilities Board has decided that the Earystane and Scard site would be best suited to house a possible wind farm.

The area was deemed to offer the best value to the Island's electricity consumers, with the lowest environmental impact when compared to the other possible site across Sulby and Druidale.

The Earystane and Scard location is one of the windiest locations on the Island, with anticipated wind speeds in excess of 10 metres per second, meaning that five turbines could potentially deliver up to 130GWh per year, enough to meet a third of the Island's demand.

The next phase will require a full Environmental Impact Assessment, focussing on areas such as social, noise, landscape and visual, ecology and climate.

This is expected to be completed by 2025, with the plans to deliver the windfarm by 2026.