Doubts Raised on Arklow Wind Farm Plan

Marine experts have expressed doubts about the stability of the Arklow Bank on which 200 Wind turbines are scheduled to be built. The revelations were discovered by the Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act. They concern the

The biggest windfarm in the world

granting of a 99-year foreshore licence from the Department of the marine and Natural Resources.

The concerns over the stability of the sand bank suggest that it is possible that the construction could result in the erosion of the Arklow Banks and of the coastline of counties Wicklow and Wexford. They were raised as part of exprt advice recieved by the department in advance of the granting of the foreshore licence. However despite the concerns and despite the fact that a final Environmental Impact Statement for the scheme had not been completed the departed went ahead and granted the licence.

However the developer's own consultants, together with geologists advising the department, have contradicted the concerns over stability saying that the project would not affect the coastline.

The €630 million project would have three times the capacity of all offshore wind farms currently in production, making it the largest such development in the world. Testing is underway and construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2003 and be completed in 2007. An even larger offshore wind farm of 220 turbines is planned for development on the Codling Banks off Wicklow town.