Proposed wind farm able to generate six times current electricity demand

Tuesday 17 October 2023

The prospect of a wind farm being built in Jersey’s waters which would generate six times the island's current electricity demand moved a significant step forward today, when the Government formally launched its intent.

Although Environment Minister Jonathan Renouf has frequently shared his enthusiasm for the ambitious project – which would require at least £1 billion of private investment with no subsidy from taxpayers – his personal view became official policy when he gave a statement in the Assembly, launched a public consultation, and lodged a proposal seeking endorsement from States Members.

They will be asked to agree that Jersey should “pursue the opportunities arising from the development of an offshore wind farm in the southwest of its territorial waters”.

This farm will be up to around one-gigawatt in power – twice as much power as the 62-turbine wind farm currently being built north of Saint Brieuc, which comes very close to Jersey’s territorial waters. 

Pictured: Jersey's proposed wind farm could generate twice as much power as the 62-turbine wind farm currently being built north of Saint Brieuc, which comes very close to Jersey’s territorial waters. 

However, Members will not debate the proposal until next March; before that, there will be 14 weeks of public consultation, which starts next month, and assessment.

Speaking in the States on Tuesday, Deputy Renouf said: “[The wind farm] is not a new idea; it has been talked about for many years, and is heavily trailed in the Carbon Neutral Roadmap and Bridging Island Plan.

“What is new – we believe – is the opportunity to work with credible private investors to secure a development without public subsidy.”

He added: “We know that our waters are well suited to the most viable forms of offshore wind. As our feasibility study confirms, we enjoy ‘relatively shallow sites and energetic wind conditions’.

Pictured: The construction of the French wind farm is clearly visible from Jersey.

“We know that both the capital and operational costs of offshore wind have fallen markedly in recent years, driven by the use of larger turbines, supply chain improvements and greater investor confidence.

“And we know that Jersey has a strong history of attracting global investment, based on the stability of our governance and the quality of our legal and regulatory frameworks.

"With the support of this Assembly, we seek to harness this opportunity and the benefits it can bring to our island."

Deputy Renouf said that the benefits included access to locally generated renewable energy, creating a new income stream in that surplus electricity could be sold into the energy market, and the fact that it would require no subsidy from taxpayers.

If in principal support from politicians is given, Deputy Renouf said he expected that a competitive process to award an option for lease could take place in 2025, in order to identify the right developer for the project.

He added: “The chosen developer will then prepare a development consent application, over several years, setting out in full and rigorous detail – and through consultation with islanders and neighbouring jurisdictions – their technical and commercial plans, and their Environmental Impact Assessment and the steps they will take to mitigate any residual harm to our natural environment.

“Over this period, Ministers will also continue their joint fact finding and close on- going dialogue with counterparts in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, to understand and explore any shared opportunities that might arise.”

He has previously said that a wind farm could be fully up and running within eight years.  

Giving a statement in the States Assembly, he concluded: “There are around 19 countries already operating in the offshore wind market, and around 30 more actively seeking to enter it.

“While we are confident in the Jersey opportunity, we have no guaranteed right to secure this investment, nor any intention to fund the development ourselves.

Pictured: A suitable area for a wind farm is identified in the Bridging Island Plan.

“We are, therefore, in a beauty parade. A global beauty parade to seek the most experienced, responsible, far sighted and community-minded development partners.

“We know what those partners will ask of us: to set clear timescales and clear rules, and to stick to them; and to provide consistent and sustained political leadership.

“This consistency of political leadership is crucial if we are to present an acceptable investment risk for the billion plus pounds of funding that will need to be raised.

“This is not a call for everyone to get in line, or a demand that Members should agree with me and with the Council of Ministers.

“Instead, it is to recognise that only by surfacing our differences, considering them carefully and – as so often in this Assembly – by finding workable compromises, can we create the firm and stable foundations that a project of this magnitude requires.

“So, we now have a period of time to explore this idea, to challenge each other and debate the merits. And then, if it is the will of this Assembly to proceed, Jersey can live up to its reputation as a stable and credible investment partner, as recognised today by investors the world over.

“This is the responsibility we are elected to discharge and – in the interests of our future economy and future generations of islanders – we must do this calmly, with clear thinking and to the very best of our abilities. I believe that today we have set out a process that can achieve this.”