Engineering news
An offshore wind farm off Suffolk, which could become one of the largest in the world, has been given the green light by the government.
Development of the East Anglia One wind farm will involve the installation of up to 240 turbines and, once built, will generate enough electricity to power about 820,000 homes.
The scheme is expected to support almost 2,900 jobs during construction and operation and bring more than £520 million of investment into the UK economy, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) said.
Some 1,800 jobs could be supported locally and generate half a billion pounds for the East Anglian economy, Decc said, including £10 million a year once it is completed.
Ed Davey, energy and climate change secretary, said: "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."
Maria McCaffery, RenewableUK's chief executive, said the wind farm's go-ahead provided a "huge confidence boost" for the whole of the UK's offshore wind sector.
“It's heartening to see government backing this part of our industry extremely pro-actively. When it comes to recognising the benefits for Britain in terms of investment and jobs in offshore wind, ministers really do get it, and it's great to have them on board.”
The scheme's plan to install up to 240 wind turbines would make it significantly larger than the London Array, off the Kent coast, which is currently the largest offshore wind farm in the world.