The chairman of the independent body examining the Mooir Vannin offshore windfarm project says they are due to submit their report recommendation to the Council of Ministers on December 1.

Menaka Sahai said the recommendation will remain confidential until the report is published.

In an update posted on the government’s website, she said: ‘We tested claims both for and against the proposal during the examination. Where people disagreed, we will explain how the evidence led us to our view.

‘These matters provide the foundation for a sound recommendation - whether the process was followed fairly, whether the information is adequate, and whether the findings are supported by evidence.

‘With that basis established, we can explain explain what the proposal could mean for the island. Do the benefits the proposal could bring outweigh the harm it could cause?’

The examination closed on September 9 following a series of public meetings and specific issue hearings.

Following receipt of the panel’s report, the Council of Ministers then has 30 working days to reach a decision.

Ørsted is proposing to install around 87 turbines between six and 12 nautical miles off the island's east coast.

The company says the project could deliver around £2bn in financial benefits to the Isle of Man.

Ms Sahai said the close of the examination was the last day they could accept evidence.

‘The recommendation will be based only on what was before us during the examination,’ she said.

In the UK, Energy Minister Michael Shanks this month announced a pause on next year’s renewable energy subsidy auction - amid growing concerns that windfarm and solar generation is outpacing the capacity of the transmission network.

It marks a major shift in Westminster’s approach to supporting new wind and solar developments.

Grid bottlenecks in the UK have resulted in energy firms receiving hundreds of millions of pounds in ‘curtailment’ payments to switch off turbines.

Much, if not all, of the energy generated from the proposed Mooir Vannin windfarm will be supplied to the UK grid.