The consortium planning to construct a €200 million wind farm off the coast of Donegal and Derry has announced that it is extending the scope and duration of its feasibility study.
There has been mixed reaction to the proposals to erect turbines in a 25 sq km area less than 10 km off the coast of the Inishowen Peninsula.
Concern has been expressed about the impact on salmon migration and bird breeding patterns.
There has also been some dispute about the territorial waters concerned as the proposals concern an area known as the Tunes Plateau which is equidistant from the Donegal and Derry coasts.
Donegal County Council has acknowledged that "the area proposed may form part of an area of disputed territorial waters of strategic significance".
If the project goes ahead - work could start in 2005 - over 50 turbines, each up to 90 metres in height, could be erected above sea-level.
The depth of water is around 12 metres.
The installed generating capacity of the wind farm is projected to be between 150Mw-200Mw and the total cost of the project could exceed €200 million.
According to the consortium, preliminary studies have indicated that this location has the highest potential for the development of offshore wind "in Northern Ireland waters". When fully operational, it could supply electricity to about 170,000 homes in Northern Ireland.
The consortium - B9 Energy Offshore Developments Ltd, Powergen Renewables Developments Ltd and Renewable Energy Systems Ltd - claims that the construction of the wind farm could prevent the emission of up to 500,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases every year.
A spokesperson for the consortium said: "We obviously want to get a full picture of all the potential impacts of the proposed wind farm before we decide whether or not to proceed."