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Wind and wave power projects and London's "supersewer" are on a £50 billion list of infrastructure projects open to private investment set to be published on Wednesday.
As chancellor George Osborne delivers the Budget this afternoon, the Treasury will “roll out a red carpet to sovereign wealth funds”, according to the Financial Times.
The come-on to investors is an attempt to reverse a loss of momentum on infrastructure under this government.
The government has a National Infrastructure Plan of more than 500 schemes worth £375 billion. The Treasury says 146 of these projects are being built and 45 per cent of the pipeline is “under way”.
However, data from Office for National Statistics shows a 9.7 per cent fall in infrastructure spending over the past two years.
In energy, the government estimates some £110 billion of investment is needed by the end of the decade. Industry figures have emphasised the need for stable, predictable policy to maintain investor confidence.
The main energy announcement expected from Osborne is a freeze to the carbon floor price. This has been criticised by heavy industry as not going far enough to relieve cost pressures and low carbon generators as jeopardising investment.
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