Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Limited has been granted permission to construct a 1,200MW wind farm with 288 turbines which is expected to generate over £3.6 billion of investment in Lincolnshire and Norfolk and create around 1,130 jobs across the country. It will provide enough electricity to power 820,000 homes.
Construction will also go ahead for the largest onshore wind farm in England and Wales at Pen y Cymoedd where Vattenfall will invest £400m in 76 turbines which will begin supplying power to the National Grid in 2016. Vattenfall will also invest £1.8 million every year into community funds for the 25 year life of the wind farm.
Energy secretary, Ed Davey, said: “The investments by Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Limited and Vattenfall are testament to the power of inward investment in the UK.
“These two projects will attract billions in investment into the UK, support hundreds of skilled green jobs in Lincolnshire, Norfolk and in the county boroughs of Neath Port Talbot and Rhondda Cynon Taf whilst providing homes with clean energy.
“Only last week the prime minister opened the London Array, the largest operating wind farm in the world, and today we gave planning permission to build a bigger offshore wind farm and also welcome the go-ahead of the biggest onshore wind farm in England and Wales. Offshore and onshore wind is an important contributor to our energy mix.
“We have provided certainty early to onshore and offshore wind investors and now see significant investment decisions being made that will benefit the UK’s economy for years to come.”
Trade body RenewableUK’s director of offshore renewables, Nick Medic, added: “Today’s news is a historic step for the UK offshore wind industry. It is the biggest project consented so far anywhere in the world, and shows the UK’s offshore sector maturing to take on new challenges of scale. At 1.2GW Triton Knoll will generate enough electricity every year to supply the equivalent of 900,000 homes.
“Following world leading projects such as the London Array, opened last week, Triton Knoll will demonstrate what offshore wind can do for the UK on a grand scale. The planning consent today keeps the country firmly at the forefront of offshore wind development and will help secure up to 20 per cent of electricity from offshore wind per year by 2020. We now need to have the policy framework in place to Britain secures the rewards of this new energy revolution by maximising employment and creating opportunities for UK businesses.”