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Offshore wind included in government infrastructure guarantee scheme

Trade Association Renewable UK has welcomed the government’s decision to earmark two offshore renewable energy projects to receive a share of the £40 billion government infrastructure guarantee scheme.

Able Marine Energy Park and Mainstream Renewable Power’s Neart na Gaoithe Offshore Wind Farm in the Firth of Forth were today named by the government as ‘pre-qualified projects’.

When completed, the marine energy park will support the manufacture, assembly and installation of offshore renewable technologies on Humberside Mainstream Renewable Power’s offshore wind farm will generate enough electricity to power 325,000 homes.

The government hopes to increase investor confidence by acting as a guarantor for the projects.

Jennifer Webber, trade association RenewableUK’s director of external affairs, said the announcement was a “further sign” of the progress of the offshore wind sector.

“It is the first hurdle in the infrastructure guarantee scheme and we still need to see the full details, but it is fundamentally a statement of intent on behalf of the Government that offshore wind projects are a safe bet for the future.

“These are the type of projects we are expecting to see more of in the coming years as we see offshore wind playing an increasingly important role in our energy mix, while at the same time creating jobs and manufacturing opportunities that will help us compete in the global economy,” she said.