A strategy to boost the amount of offshore energy the island uses was too optimistic in its original targets, Environment Minister Geoffrey Boot has admitted.

Vision 2020, launched in 2014, hoped to see big moves in wind and tidal energy sources for the island and to create an offshore energy hub, but, with two years to go to reach the target, that is looking unlikely.

’The target of 2020 was probably optimistic, in retrospect,’ Mr Boot conceded. ’I cannot alter the realities that surround these projects.’

David Ashford (Douglas North) tabled a question on the subject in Tynwald this week. To chuckles from his colleagues, Mr Boot said the energy projects were very ’slow burn’.

He said the strategy for offshore energy production was approved in 2014, ’to support the development of offshore wind, marine renewables and hydrocarbon energy sources in the Isle of Man’s territorial sea’.

Dong Energy was given a lease to investigate offshore wind options in 2015 and completed two years’ worth of studies.

The firm still believed the Isle of Man project was an ’attractive option’ for offshore wind, said Mr Boot, but needed to ’secure a route to market for the project, which is most likely to be through the UK Contracts for Difference auction regime, which does not currently exist for Isle of Man projects’.

The possibility of ’greater interconnection’ between the Isle of Man, UK and Ireland, via a hub arrangement, was being looked at.

On marine renewables, Manx Tidal Energy Ltd was granted a survey licence in 2015.

’Although we are disappointed that they have yet to commence any survey work, we continue to explore possible future opportunities,’ he said.

Mr Boot added: ’Moving to hydrocarbons, a recent licensing round has just closed as part of an initiative to select suitably qualified applicants interested in potential hydrocarbon exploration in the island’s waters.’

Mr Ashford remarked: ’When the strategy was launched in 2014, at the time it clearly was felt that six years was enough to deliver some things.

’But now, after what the minister has said, can I ask him is Vision 2020 rapidly becoming Vision 2030?’