A $3 billion plan has been unveiled to build 145 wind turbines in Dublin Bay – visible from Wicklow town to Rush.

Residents along the coast have already vowed to object to the plan which has been lodged with the Minister for the Environment.

The Irish Times reports that homeowners in Dublin and Wicklow have until the end of the month to make their views known.

The offshore wind farm has been proposed by renewable energy developer Saorgas Energy Ltd.

They have applied for a foreshore lease to allow for the development of the turbines sic miles off shore.

The paper says the tall structures will be spaced in rows of five and visible from Wicklow and Dublin.

The Dublin Array project could create more than 600 jobs at its construction phase over two to three years with at least 250 full-time jobs on the wind farm once it is completed.

The proposed wind farm could generate enough power for 450,000 homes via an underwater cable linked to a substation at sea to an Eirgrid substation at Carrickmines, south Dublin.

The Environment Impact Study says: “The visual impact of the development would be significant from many viewpoints along the coast from Rush in north Dublin to Wicklow Town in the south.

“While the wind farm would be visible from many points along the coast, it would be set in the context of a landscape that has a tolerance for man-made developments.

“Because the turbines are so far away they will appear to be much smaller and have less impact when viewed from land. They will also be painted in a neutral colour, further reducing their visibility.”

The EIS claims the turbines will not interfere with navigation channels and noise from construction will be ‘insignificant’.