Minister makes green energy pledge as largest offshore wind farm opens

The 100-turbine Thanet wind farm off the coast of Kent will produce enough electricity to supply the equivalent of more than 200,000 homes a year, and brings the UK's total power from onshore and offshore wind to more than 5GW – enough to power all the homes in Scotland.

At a ceremony at sea to mark the launch of the new site, Mr Huhne said offshore wind was a key part of meeting the country's commitments to boost renewables, and the Government was focused on moving from the "frankly atrocious record" on green energy it had inherited.

Currently the UK sources only three per cent of all its energy from renewables, against a target of 15 per cent by 2020, and is 25th in the league table of 27 European Union countries on action on green power.

Offshore wind power was part of ensuring secure, cheap energy supplies in the future, as well as providing jobs, Mr Huhne said.

Yorkshire hopes to become a manufacturing hub for thousands of wind turbines needed for the offshore industry, backed by the Yorkshire Post Powering Yorkshire's Future campaign.

But concerns have been raised about the proportion of jobs created by the offshore wind industry going to British workers, and whether incentives such as 60m promised for ports development to support the supply chain would survive the forthcoming Government spending review.

About 30 per cent of the 3,500 jobs generated by the manufacture, construction and installation of the Thanet wind farm, owned by Swedish company Vattenfall, went to UK employees.

Mr Huhne said the ports funding was subject to the spending review but it would be foolish not to encourage in every way possible investment in the supply chain, to ensure as much as possible of the manufacture and skills for offshore wind were based in the UK.