The battle between renewable energy and fossil fuels could be about to take place in Manx waters.

As reported in last week’s Isle of Man Examiner, an island-based company has been granted an oil and gas exploration licence for part of the seabed.

The company, Crogga, plans to explore an area covering 266sq km on the edge of Manx waters off the coast of Maughold. Depending on the findings of seismic data, the company move on to exploratory drilling.

However, Crogga is not the only company interested in that stretch of water.

Orsted, a renewable energy company based in Denmark, has designs for a wind farm in the same area.

The Danish company was granted exploratory rights by the Department of Infrastructure in 2015.

An Orsted spokesman confirmed to the Manx Independent that the company had not changed its planned location and plans to begin construction post 2020.

It remains to be seen how two diametrically opposed energy extraction methods can co-exist within a small area of Manx coastal waters.

Any progression of Crogga’s proposals would require further consent and approvals from several government departments, which may result in Tynwald being required to give its support.

But the project has been criticised heavily by the Isle of Man Green Party.

A party statement said the decisions has ’provided an indication to industry to invest in energy processes that are immediately damaging to our environment and is focusing investment away from renewable energies’.

The party also stated it may harm the Unesco biosphere status of the island.

A third potential solution, which is currently not being progressed, is that of tidal power.

However, Marc Collinson of the New Manx Economy Facebook group, which discusses potential new revenue schemes for the island, believes it should be salvaged.

Mr Collinson said he believes it is possible to build a lagoon-style power system between Langness and Scarlett.

He said the wall would need to be 2.5km and could create an enclosed sea area of 5.7sq km which could provide clean energy power for the island and the lagoon could also be used for cruise liners or passenger ships.

He added: ’Deep draft vessels would moor alongside the inside of the wall at the lagoons deepest location where the lagoon would have its greatest water depth so even at low tide larger deep draft vessels would be safely accommodated even the very largest of cruise vessels.’