Government approves Norfolk Vanguard offshore wind farm

A major offshore wind farm capable of generating electricity for nearly two million homes has been approved.

The government has granted consent to Vattenfall's 1.8-gigawatt Norfolk Vanguard project.

Vattenfall called the decision a "great step forward in the battle against climate change".

Industry body RenewableUK's chief executive, Hugh McNeal, said the project would help the UK "maintain our global lead in offshore wind".

The windfarm will be nearly 30 miles offshore and consist of between 90 and 180 turbines.

It will generate enough electricity to power 1.95 million homes a year and provide 400 jobs during the construction phase.

A government report setting out consent for the scheme said there had been "strong concerns expressed about the impacts on, among other things, the landscape around the substation, traffic and transport impacts".

However, Secretary of State for energy Alok Sharma said "on balance, the benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts".

Mr Sharma said he was also "minded" to approve Orsted's Hornsea Three 2.4-gigawatt scheme off the north Norfolk coast.

Danielle Lane, head of offshore wind for Vattenfall, said: "This is a great step forward in the battle against climate change."

Mr McNeal said the decision would boost the chances of meeting the Government's target to deliver 40 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030.

He said the decision "means the UK is taking a significant step closer towards our net zero emissions target, and confirmation of a positive decision on Hornsea Three will get us there even faster".

"These projects will help us to maintain our global lead in offshore wind, as well as building up our UK supply chain."