IN July this year, the Government announced plans for a massive expansion in the amount of power generated by offshore wind turbines.

Thousands of turbines will be built around the coast of Britain, helping to reach the UK's targets for renewable energy and creating more than 20,000 jobs in manufacturing, installation and maintenance.

It is hoped the new sites, to be developed at the cost of £6bn, will produce ten times more power than existing wind farms and five per cent of the UK's total energy needs.

The move followed a report by Energy Minster Brian Wilson, in March last year, which set out the potential for renewable energy in each of the UK's regions.

The report, published by Oxera Environmental and Arup Economics and Planning, was commissioned to help the Government plan a strategy to reach its energy target of ten per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 2010. The Governement expects to create a £1bn market for the energy by then.

The main driver for this has been the introduction of the renewables obligation, which places an onus on electricity suppliers to generate ten per cent of their electricity from renewable sources and is supported by a £260m support programme over the next three years.

Published: 07/10/2003