DONG Energy is to donate £300,000 towards supporting and developing commercial fishing activities in the East Irish Sea as a result of the proposed new Walney Extension offshore windfarm.
The fund will be available for applications from the fishing community in that area, and it will be managed and administered by the independent, not-for-profit company West of Morecambe Fisheries.
Benj Sykes, UK Country Manager at DONG Energy, said: “As a company that operates at sea, we are absolutely committed to working alongside the fishing community to ensure we have a positive contribution in the areas where our operations are based.”
The West of Morecambe Fisheries fund was set up in 2013 and since then numerous fishermen have benefitted.
In 2016 the East Irish Fishermen's Group, a collective of independent fishermen from various East Irish Sea ports including Fleetwood, was awarded funds for safety and fishing equipment. Other examples of successful projects include assistance with environmental assessments or expert services.
When completed, the Walney Extension offshore windfarm, located approximately 19 kilometres off the coast of Cumbria, will have the capacity to power over 460,000 UK homes.
The project will be the largest windfarm in the world when built and is expected to be generating clean electricity by 2019.
Onshore construction began in December 2015 and offshore construction will begin soon, with initial preliminary installation works of the sea bed commencing imminently.
Notices have been sent out to fishermen in the area and anyone with questions or concerns is advised to contact WOW03-SCC-SMA@dongenergy.co.uk
