UK offshore wind power contracts announced

8th Jan 2010 13:30

Successful bidders for nine offshore wind power projects have been announced by the government.The Crown Estate, the government property management agency responsible for allocating the projects, said the expansion aims to meet a quarter of the UK's total electricity needs by 2020.Among the beneficiaries are SeaEnergy. Moray Offshore Renewables, a joint venture that is 25% owned by Sea Energy's 80%-owned subsidiary Sea Energy Renewables, has been awarded the right to develop wind power technology in northeast Scotland.SSE Renewables, a subsidiary of Scottish and Southern Energy, is part of a consortium that will be involved in developing wind power in the Dogger Bank Zone.'The offshore wind industry is at the heart of the UK economy's shift to low carbon and could be worth £75 billion and support up to 70,000 jobs by 2020,' said Prime Minister Gordon Brown.'This announcement will make a significant and practical contribution to reducing our CO2 emissions and the Government will work with developers and The Crown Estate to support the growing offshore wind industry and help remove barriers to rapid development.'