Offshore wind farm could provide £250m boost for Jersey economy, report claims

A new government report suggests that an offshore wind farm - proposed off Jersey's southwest coast - could boost the island's economy by £250m once it is fully operational.

The document was commissioned by the Economy Department to explore the 'economic potential' of generating renewable energy locally and help inform Jersey ministers ahead of future debates.

However, it says any plans are in an "initial analysis" stage and "further in-depth feasibility and appraisal work would be needed".

Proposals to build the wind farm were unveiled earlier this year by the Environment Minister, Deputy Jonathan Renouf.

A 14-week public consultation into the plans is currently underway.

The report states that in 2021, Jersey used around 636 GWh of electricity and that amount is expected to increase significantly by the year 2040 - to around 859 GWh.

It's hoped a 1,000 MW wind farm, consisting for 125 turbines, could generate around 3,796 GWh of electricity each year - six times what the island is currently using.

The project would require around 9% of Jersey's marine area and a continuous supply of wind, best found on the southwest of the island.

It goes on to say Jersey could also benefit during the wind farm's construction, with more than 900 jobs being created locally and an estimated economic boost of £60 million.

Once complete it's estimated around 113 jobs will be created.

The analysis used in the report was carried out by ITPEnergised in June 2023.

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