Giant floating wind farms to be moored off south-west coast
Giant floating wind farms are set to be moored off Britain's south-west coast as Ed Miliband ramps up his green energy blitz.
Under proposals being drawn up by the Crown Estate and the Energy Department, large parts of the UK's seabed are to be rented out to offshore wind companies building 300m turbines as tall as London's Shard skyscraper.
A tender for three sites in the Celtic Sea has now been launched to host the wind farms, which are to be mounted on individual floating platforms as big as a football pitch.
Once built, the wind farms are expected to generate enough renewable energy to power more than 4m homes, with lease agreements for the sites poised to be signed this summer after the bidding process is concluded.
A total of seven ports have been put forward to build the turbines, including Plymouth, Bristol and Swansea.
The plans form part of Mr Miliband's net zero drive, as he attempts to unleash wind and solar farms across swathes of Britain's land and sea.
Just last week, the Energy Secretary also approved a separate proposal for new turbines in the English Channel despite hundreds of complaints from local households.
Mr Miliband said: 'The UK is a world leader when it comes to floating offshore wind, and by unlocking the untapped potential of the Celtic Sea, we will reap the benefits of economic growth and thousands of jobs in Wales and the South West.
'More floating turbines in our waters means more clean, home-grown power that we control, delivering energy security for families and businesses.'
The Crown Estate is the King's property group, managing the seabed and much of the coastline around England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
It also counts Ascot racecourse and swathes of central London, such as Regent Street and St James's, in its £16bn portfolio.
The estate in recent years has landed huge profits from renting out Britain's seabed to offshore wind farms.
It has since unveiled plans to lease seabed space for up to 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, which will require thousands of new turbines.
The estate also owns some 200,000 acres of prime farmland, some of which it also intends to make available for renewable energy projects.
Gus Jaspert, of the Crown Estate, said: 'The advent of floating offshore wind offers a generational opportunity for the UK to be at the forefront of an exciting new global industry.
'With government backing to secure the long-term success of the UK as a global leader in floating wind, we can lay the foundations for future generations to reap the rewards of a decarbonised, energy-secure and prosperous future.'
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