Ørsted Outlines Plans for Major Offshore Wind Farm at Hightown Consultation

WE attended the public consultation event that was held on:- Wednesday, 10 September 2025, at the Hightown Club, on Thirlmere Road, Hightown, regarding Ørsted's East Irish Sea Wind Farm and Transmission Project to find out more.

This project, also known as the Mooir Vannin Offshore Wind Farm, is an ambitious plan to bring approximately 1.4 GW of renewable energy from the Isle of Man to the UK National Grid. 

The project is still in the pre-construction phase and has been designated as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP), which allows it to proceed with a Development Consent Order (DCO) application.

Key Project Dates and Locations

Location of the Wind Farm:- The Mooir Vannin Offshore Wind Farm will be located within the Irish Sea, within the Isle of Man's territorial waters, approximately:- 6 to12 nautical miles off the east coast of the island. It is expected to include up t:- 87 wind turbines and three offshore platforms.

Onshore Connection:- The project's onshore infrastructure, referred to as the East Irish Sea Transmission Project, is planned to connect to the National Grid at a substation in Penwortham, Lancashire. The consultation process is currently evaluating potential routes for the cables, with options being considered between:- Formby and Crosby, and another from Fleetwood.

Project Timeline:- While construction dates are not yet finalized, there are projected timelines for key milestones.

• Autumn 2026: Ørsted hopes to share the evolution of the project's design and preliminary results of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
   
• Autumn 2027 - The Development Consent Order (DCO) application is expected to be submitted.
   
• 2029 - Construction for the transmission project is currently scheduled to begin.
   
• 2030 - Construction for the offshore wind farm itself is anticipated to start.
   
• 2032-2033 - The wind farm is expected to be fully operational.

The UK's electrical grid is a complex network that delivers electricity from where it's generated to where it's used. It's often referred to as the National Grid, but it's actually a system of interconnected networks for both transmission and distribution.

The East Irish Sea Transmission Project is the crucial link that will transport this high voltage power from the offshore wind farm to the UK. It's the "motorway" of this project, a transmission network that will use subsea and onshore cables. These cables will make landfall in northwest England and then travel underground to a major substation in Penwortham, Lancashire. This substation is the point where the power is transferred from Ørsted's transmission infrastructure to the UK's high voltage National Grid Electricity Transmission network.

It's important to note that the actual number of homes powered by a wind farm can vary depending on a number of factors, including:- wind speed, weather conditions, and how much electricity is being used at any given time. 

If operating at optimal efficiency The Mooir Vannin Offshore Wind Farm is expected to generate approximately 1.4 GW of energy. According to Ørsted, this is enough to power over 1.4 million UK homes. This estimate is based on the average annual electricity consumption of a UK household.

The project is also exploring the possibility of providing up to 100 MW of power directly to the Isle of Man to support the island's own renewable energy and net-zero goals. The remainder would be exported to the UK.

Ørsted is holding more community engagement events throughout September 2025 to gather public feedback. For further details on the project, including the consultation and how to submit feedback, you can visit the official project website. Ørsted emphasizes that community feedback is a vital part of the process, and it aims to use this input to refine its plans and support local interests.

New Oktoberfest themed Beer On The Pier Festival announced for Southport Pier

PEOPLE are invited to enjoy the 1st ever:- 'Beer On The Pier' festival in Southport! This exciting new Oktoberfest themed event is organised by Southport Hesketh Round Table and takes place on:- Saturday, 20 September 2025.

It will be held at Silcock's Pier Family Restaurant on the Promenade and on the start of Southport Pier, which remains open.

Visitors will be able to savour a range of German beers through The Wigan Beer Company, plus tasty German bratwurst and crepes, while enjoying beautiful views overlooking the Marine Lake and Kings Gardens.

The day, starts at 1pm and runs until 9pm with a real family atmosphere.

Proceeds from the event will go to Southport Hesketh Round Table.

Pre-booked tickets are available for £15 each which includes:- 3 pints of beer. Otherwise, pints of beer will be available for £6 per pint.

Tickets are available online at:- TicketTailor.Com.

The festival is also open to anyone who doesn't pre-book with free admission.

There will be live music with local singers entertaining guests, while staff will be wearing traditional German dress.

Silcock's Pier Family Restaurant and The Balcony Bar will be open as normal, serving their famous fish and chips and other food and drink.

Event Organiser Dave Ward, from Southport Hesketh Round Table, said:- "We are excited to be hosting the 1st ever Beer On The Pier festival! It's going to be a fabulous event, and we would love to see people come and join us on what will be a really fun day. All money raised will be going to a fantastic cause, and we'll have a family friendly atmosphere. You don't have to pay admission to get in, everyone is welcome, but if you pre-pay for tickets you will end up saving money, plus we'll get a good idea on numbers. It has been great working with Serena Silcock Prince on this event, she has been really helpful. We're looking forward to seeing all the Silcock team in lederhosen and dirndls! Anyone else who wants to come to the event in German fancy dress is more than welcome. If this is a success this year, we aim to make it an annual event."

Silcock Leisure Group Operations Manager Serena Silcock Prince said:- "We can't wait to host Beer On The Pier, an exciting new event for Southport. It will have a lovely family atmosphere and is a great way to celebrate the recent news that funding has been granted to fund the full restoration of Southport Pier, something everyone in our Town was so desperate to see happen. Visitors will be able to experience lots of authentic German beers, German food, Jaeger shots, Jaeger cocktails, plus ice cream and waffles for the kids, and a real Oktoberfest atmosphere. All our team are dressing up in Oktoberfest costumes, they're all looking forward to it. We will have tables and chairs out on the pier for people to sit on, we'll be making the most of this fabulous space."

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