Eight renewable energy projects have been approved as part of the government’s electricity reforms.
The projects aim to give a massive boost to green growth and green jobs by 2020.
The projects will provide up to £12 billion of private sector investment, supporting 8,500 jobs, and they could add a further 4.5GW of low-carbon electricity to Britain’s energy mix.
This will help to generate enough clean electricity to power over three million homes.
As part of the government’s electricity reforms, the projects have been offered under the Contracts for Difference (CfD).
These include offshore wind farms, coal to biomass conversions and a dedicated biomass plant with combined heat and power.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Edward Davey said: “These contracts for major renewable electricity projects make 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 market attract tens of millions of pounds of vital energy investment whilst reducing the costs of clean energy to consumers.”
Once built the successful projects will contribute around 15TWh or 14% of the renewable electricity we expect to come forward by 2020, helping to put the UK well on the way to meeting the UK’s renewable energy target.
