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UK home to world’s second-largest offshore wind farm

Posted at August 8, 2013 | By : | Categories : News | Comments Off on UK home to world’s second-largest offshore wind farm

The world’s second-largest offshore wind farm has been officially opened with plans for the installation to double in size by 2017.

Located off the Suffolk coast, Greater Gabbard has 140 turbines and cost £1.3 billion to complete.

It can generate enough clean electricity to power over half a million homes and plans are already in place for the wind farm to double in size by 2017.

Energy and Business Minister, Michael Fallon, comments: “The UK leads the world in offshore wind power generation with more capacity than the rest of the world combined, and we want to see this sector grow even further.”

He added: “Greater Gabbard has already brought jobs and wider benefit to the local community, with hundreds of people employed on site, and a £150,000 fund created to support local initiatives.”

The Offshore Wind Industrial Strategy, published last week, sets out joint Government and industry plans to help build a UK supply chain for offshore wind.

Investment by the Government includes £20 million from the Regional Growth Fund and £46 million to help join up innovation between industry, Government and academia.

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