The projects are expected to provide up to £12bn of private sector investment and add a further 4.5GW of low-carbon electricity to the UK’s energy mix by 2020.
After completion, the projects will generate enough electricity to power more than three million homes and contribute about 15TWh or 14% of the renewable electricity which the UK anticipates to come forward by 2020.
The government said the projects will also reduce emissions by 10 MtCO2 per year compared to fossil fuel power generation.
The projects include offshore wind farms, coal to biomass conversions and a biomass plant with combined heat and power.
UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary Edward Davey said the contracts for major renewable electricity projects mark a new stage in the country’s green energy investment boom.
"By themselves they will bring green jobs and growth across the UK, but they are a significant part of our efforts to give Britain cleaner and more secure energy," Davey said.
"These are the first investments from our reforms to build the world’s first low carbon electricity market – reforms which will see competition and markets attract tens of billions of pounds of vital energy investment whilst reducing the costs of clean energy to consumers."
