UK green lights giant offshore wind farm

The East Anglia One offshore wind farm that is expected to support almost 2,900 jobs and bring over £520m of investment into the UK’s economy has been given the official go-ahead.

Once built as one of the largest wind farms in the world, it would be worth £10 million a year to the East Anglian economy and generate enough electricity to power approximately 820,000 homes.

Based off the coast of Suffolk, East Anglia One offshore wind farm could support around 1,800 local jobs and pump over £500 million into the region’s economy.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey commented: “East Anglia and the rest of the UK have a lot to gain from this development. The project has the potential to inject millions of pounds into the local and national economies, and support thousands of green jobs. Making the most of Britain’s home grown energy is crucial in creating job and business opportunities, getting the best deal for customers and reducing our reliance on foreign imports.”

East Anglia One, a joint venture owned 50:50 by ScottishPower Renewable and Vattenfall,  currently plans to install up to 240 wind turbines, meaning the wind farm would be significantly larger than the current biggest wind farm in the world, the London Array, which is also in the UK.  Construction is expected to start in 2017.