Government backs Liverpool Bay wind farm

THE Government has announced a major extension to a wind farm in Liverpool Bay.

The project, part of Dong Energy’s Burbo 2 wind farm, is expected to generate 258 megawatts from 2017, enough to power around 125,000 homes.

It is one of eight renewable projects that the Government said will provide up to £12bn of private sector investment and support 8,500 jobs by 2020.

Together the schemes, which includes five wind farms and three biomass projects, are expected to add 4.5 gigawatts of electricity capacity to the national grid, around 4% of the UK’s generating capacity, or enough to power more than three million homes.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Edward Davey said: “These contracts for major renewable electricity projects mark a new stage in Britain’s green energy investment boom.

“By themselves they will bring green jobs and growth across the UK, but they are a significant part of our efforts to give Britain cleaner and more secure energy.

“These are the first investments from our reforms to build the world’s first low carbon electricity market – reforms which will see competition and markets attract tens of billions of pounds of vital energy investment whilst reducing the costs of clean energy to consumers.”