THE firm behind the proposed wind farm off the Dorset and Hampshire coast has today announced the location for the project.

Eneco says that the park will provide enough energy for between 615,000 and 820,000 homes and at its closest will be 8.2 miles from Peveril Point at Swanage.

The northern boundary will be 10.2 miles off Bournemouth.

The purple zone is the intial area Eneco was awarded, while the green zone is the 76 miles they intend to use. Click the image to see it full size

Bournemouth Echo: Revealed: site of Swanage offshore wind farm

Eneco was awarded a 279-square mile area of seabed by owner the Crown Estate in January 2010 and it has, after working on the site over the past year, decided to propose to use a 76-square mile section in the northern part of that area.

The company said it used feedback from public information days in November – including Bournemouth, Poole and Swanage – to help inform its decision.

Chris Sherrington, director of the project, said: “After comprehensively evaluating key aspects of the project in relation to wider stakeholder interests, we have chosen the most suitable location for the wind park.

“This is an important milestone in the lifetime of the development of this project and enables us to look to the future and consider wider impacts, such as the positive economic benefits our project could bring to the area.”

The park would be made up of between 150 and 240 turbines, depending on the energy generation needed and the type of turbines used. They would be sited at a depth of 38m.

Although the project has been largely welcomed, there has been some scepticism and calls to make sure it is placed as far out to sea as possible.

Now that the location has been put forward, a second round of consultation will take place. Eneco said it would be able to provide people with more detailed information this time round. The public will also get the chance to name the park.

If all goes to plan, building work could start in 2016, with the wind park fully up and running in 2019.

Alastair Dutton, head of Round 3, The Crown Estate, said: “We welcome today’s announcement from Eneco. It’s a positive step and an essential part of their commitment to engaging with local stakeholders.”