Spiorad na Mara – a proposed offshore windfarm, located approximately 5-13km off the west coast of the Isle of Lewis – has issued a report containing details of the feedback received during its first phase of public consultation, held between 23rd September and 23rd October 2024.
The purpose of the consultation was to share detailed information on the initial project design proposals, gather valuable feedback and respond to questions and concerns from the community. The consultation consisted of a range of events and outreach activities, both in- person and online.
The 38-page report provides a detailed overview of the consultation, including a summary of the activities that formed part of the consultation, the level of engagement with each activity, the extent and type of feedback received during the consultation and details of the next steps in the project design and development, and consultation process.
A total of 335 people attended the in-person public exhibitions and information clinics and 1,265 visits were made to the on-line exhibition platform. In total, 275 pieces of feedback were recorded.
“We were very pleased with the turn-out and levels of engagement during this important first phase of public consultation and would like to thank everyone who got involved,” said Martin Whyte, Project Director, Spiorad na Mara. “The feedback received has been crucial in informing the project’s design and development in the last few months and will continue to help guide the design process. We are eager to ensure that, where possible, the project design takes into account the feedback provided and delivers extensive and long-lasting benefits directly into local communities.”
The feedback received was wide-ranging, with multiple topics covered and varying sentiments expressed. This included concerns about the potential impacts of the project – environmentally, socially and culturally – as well as specific suggestions on changes that should be considered to minimise potential impacts and initiatives that could be undertaken to maximise the potential benefits of the project.
All feedback received was recorded, collated and analysed and is being used by the project team to inform the ongoing design and development of the project plans. During the project’s second phase of public consultation, expected to be during the summer 2025, updated project plans will be shared, plus information on how feedback received has been used to shape these plans.
The full report is available here.
Spiorad na Mara is owned by Northland Power (75.5%) and ESB (24.5%), with Northland leading on the development, construction, and operation.
Contact:
Steve Thomas
Communications Lead, Northland Power
+44 (0)7359 614023
steve.thomas@northlandpower.com
About Spiorad na Mara
Spiorad na Mara is a proposed offshore wind farm, located approximately 5-13 km off the west coast of Lewis. With an expected installed capacity of around 900 MW, it could meet the equivalent average annual electricity needs of around 1.2 million1 Scottish homes with renewable electricity and save more than 1.7 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
Further information is available at www.spioradnamara.co.uk
1 More than 1.2 million homes powered per annum based on the average Scottish annual household electricity consumption of 3,078 kWh in 2022 (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/regional-and-local-authority-electricity-consumption-statistics) together with a minimum projected 50% wind load factor and a projected installed capacity of up to 900MW.
About Northland Power
Northland Power is a global power producer dedicated to helping the clean energy transition by producing electricity from clean renewable resources. Founded in 1987, Northland has a long history of developing, building, owning and operating clean and green power infrastructure assets and is a global leader in offshore wind. In addition, Northland owns and manages a diversified generation mix including onshore renewables, efficient natural gas energy, as well as supplying energy through a regulated utility.
Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with global offices in eight countries, Northland owns or has an economic interest in approximately 3.2GW (net 2.8GW) of operating capacity. The Company also has a significant inventory of projects in construction and in various stages of development encompassing approximately 12GW of potential capacity.
Publicly traded since 1997, Northland’s common shares, Series 1 and Series 2 preferred shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols NPI, NPI.PR.A and NPI.PR.B, respectively.
For further information visit www.northlandpower.com.
About ESB
ESB is involved in six offshore wind projects and 2GW of onshore wind projects in Scotland, as part of its drive for a 5GW renewable electricity portfolio across Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain by 2030. Since its foundation almost 100 years ago, ESB has always been fully invested in the lives of the customers and communities we serve. We have set a target to achieve net zero by 2040 and have committed to do this in a way that enables communities and natural habitats to thrive. Our focus is on developing and connecting renewables, building resilient infrastructure and empowering our customers to live healthier, more sustainable lives using clean electricity.