23 April 2014
The North West Green Party has welcomed today's government announcement that two of the region's off-shore wind farms will be extended. Wind farms at Burbo Bank in Liverpool Bay and Walney, off the Cumbrian coast, are two of the eight renewable electricity projects unveiled by the Department for Energy and Climate Change today.
The government claims that by 2020 the eight projects will support 8,500 jobs. The facilities could add a further 4.5GW of low-carbon electricity to Britain’s energy mix (around 4% of capacity), generating enough clean electricity to power over three million homes.
North West Green Party's European election candidate, Peter Cranie, said: "We desperately need more support for green energy in our region and so the extension of Burbo Bank and Walney off-shore windfarms is very welcome. Off-shore windfarms provide much-needed jobs in coastal areas. As the renewables industry develops we will see falling energy costs for customers, a much more secure energy supply chain and the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs."
He continued: "We know that we urgently need to tackle climate change and this expansion of off-shore windfarms in Liverpool Bay and off the Cumbrian coast will help us to do that. The government is currently going all out with tax breaks and community payments for shale gas. Instead they should be investing in far more onshore and offshore wind projects to secure our energy supply, reduce costs and reduce climate emissions."
Notes to Editors:
More info at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-unveils-eight-major-new-renewables-projects-supporting-8500-green-jobs:
Wind farm information:
Walney Extension Dong Energy Wind Power A/S Offshore wind 660MW Irish Sea 19 km WSW off the Walney Island coast in Cumbria
Burbo Bank extension Dong Energy Wind Power A/S Offshore wind 258MW Liverpool Bay, at the entrance to the River Mersey
North West Green Party RSS Feed