The offshore wind project with a nameplate capacity of 500MW has 140 turbines and is estimated to produce enough power to cater to electricity requirement of 11 million homes in the UK by the end of 2020. It will also contribute £7bn to the nation’s economy.
With investments from SSE renewables and RWE npower renewable, the Greater Gabbard project is estimated to grow by two-fold following the completion of the Galloper wind farm extension in 2017.
Commenting on the event, Fallon said that the UK is currently the leader in offshore wind power generation, accounting for more capacity than the rest of the world combined, and the government is intending to further its capacity.
"Greater Gabbard has already brought jobs and wider benefit to the local community, with hundreds of people employed on site, and a £150,000 fund created to support local initiatives, which will be managed by Suffolk Community Foundation," Fallon added.
Meanwhile, the UK government invested about £20m from the Regional Growth Fund to improve the wind industry’s supply chain, and an additional £46m to establish an association with industry and academia aimed at supporting companies to bring new products to market.
"By the end of this decade, tens of thousands of additional jobs could be created in the supply-chain for offshore wind throughout the UK," Fallon concluded.
