A PAN-ISLAND wind farm project is still “up for discussion”, Jersey’s Environment Minister has said – despite Sarnian politicians taking several swipes at the Island during a debate on potential collaboration earlier this year.
Deputy Jonathan Renouf signalled the possibility of a joint project as a 14-week consultation was yesterday launched on proposals to build an offshore wind farm in the south-west of Jersey’s waters.
In October, Deputy Renouf announced a project of up to around one-gigawatt in power – twice as much power as the 62-turbine wind farm currently being built north of Saint Brieuc.
A proposition was also lodged by the Council of Ministers asking for States Members’ in-principle support for the scheme.
A consultation survey is now open and public drop-in sessions will be held in each parish over the next few months, prior to a report being published, to help inform States Members ahead of the debate on the proposition in spring 2024.
Deputy Renouf said there had been several expressions of interest from potential partners for the project, although he would not reveal which companies had made approaches.
Deputy Renouf explained: “Windfarms are being built all over the world and there are consortia that get put together to do that.
“We would be looking at people who have experience in building windfarms, who are interested in doing something. We have to attract them and so we have to make the investing environment an attractive one.”
In September, Guernsey politicians were asked to approve a review that would explore the benefits of greater collaboration between Guernsey Electricity and Jersey Electricity, with a potential focus on offshore wind.
Instead, several members took the opportunity to air historic issues with pan-island working, with one representative going so far as to say that, given half a chance, Jersey will eat your “breakfast and your lunch”.
However, Deputy Renouf said potential collaboration with Guernsey on the wind farm project was still a possibility.
He commented: “From our point of view it is very much in Guernsey’s court, in a way.
“We have talked extensively to them about what we are planning to do and it is really up to them to come to a view about whether they want to be involved or not. Should they want to be involved, we are very much up for the discussion. There is clearly history that plays into the current situation to an extent, but what we are looking at is a long-term project where we have to move beyond things that happened years and years ago.”
Addressing the potential cost of the scheme, he added: “If you look at the equivalent cost of similar-sized schemes, you are looking anywhere between £1.5bn to £3bn.”
