Prime Minister Andy Burnham has hailed a record investment in offshore wind as his government tries to repair its green credentials after approving the controversial Jackdaw gasfield in the North Sea.
On Wednesday the government announced a £12bn investment from the German energy company RWE and the US private equity firm KKR, as Burnham prepares to travel to the COP31 climate summit in Turkey. The money will go toward the Vanguard West and Vanguard East offshore wind farms off the Norfolk coast. Burnham called it a "vote of confidence for building in Britain."
"It is great news for bill payers because every turbine we put up is power under British control, not at the mercy of events on the other side of the world," he said. He added that the places hosting the energy would benefit from the jobs and opportunities it brings.
The projects will also receive £1bn in funding from the state-owned national wealth fund. The wind farms are due to supply power by 2030, with construction set to begin early next year. The government said the investment is believed to be the biggest of its kind in UK history.
RWE said Vanguard is one of the largest offshore wind developments in the UK, generating about 2.8 gigawatts, enough to supply 3 million homes. It estimated that construction will create and support 2,300 jobs a year through its supply chain, with a further 100 long-term permanent jobs once the wind farms are operating.
Burnham is expected to give a speech at COP31 on Thursday as he seeks to strengthen his government's under-fire green credentials. He has faced a backlash from Labour MPs and environmental campaigners over the decision to approve Jackdaw.
On Tuesday, ministers also rejected plans to build what would have been Britain's biggest solar plant near the Blenheim Palace estate. Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh turned down the £800m Botley West project, which would have covered almost 3,500 acres. Developers said it would have powered 330,000 homes. In a letter on behalf of the energy secretary, Margaret Curran wrote that the project would cause "substantial harm" to the green belt and the Blenheim Estate, a world heritage site and the birthplace of Winston Churchill.
