Proposals have been unveiled for a second major marine infrastructure project in Manx waters.
National Grid and Scottish Power Energy Networks is proposing to install a major subsea electricity transmission cable between Scotland and North Wales, passing through part of the Isle of Man's territorial sea.
They have submitted a request to the Department of Infrastructure for a scoping opinion under the Marine Infrastructure Management Act (MIMA).
At present the proposal is at the pre-application stage. If a formal application is made, it will have to be accepted by the Council of Ministers before being considered by an independent examining body - just as Orsted’s offshore windfarm project has been.
The examination of Mooir Vannin closed on September 9 and the independent examining body must submit its report to the Council of Ministers by December 1 this year with its recommendation of whether or not a MIMA licence should be granted.
As part of an initiative billed as the ‘Great Grid Upgrade’, the Western Link 2 will transport electricity via a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) subsea cable from Ayrshire, on the west coast of Scotland, to a landfall location on the Gwynedd coastline.
It will comprise around 444 km of subsea cabling which will traverse Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish and the edge of Manx waters to the west of the island.
The aim is to have the project commissioned by 2034.
As the UK moves away from fossil fuels, demand for electricity is set to double by 2050 - and National Grid says it supply network needs to be upgraded to meet this increasing demand and meet net zero commitments.
The route corridor extends for approximately 134 km in Scottish waters, 100 km in Northern Irish waters,173 km in Welsh waters and 37 km in Manx waters.
Laying a subsea in the island’s territorial sea will require an environmental infrastructure assessment. The process of obtaining a MIMA consent is likely to take between 12 and 18 months.