Member Article

Yorkshire projects part of green energy programme providing £12 billion investment

Two major renewable electricity projects have been unveiled in Yorkshire as part of the government’s electricity reforms, giving a massive boost to green growth and green jobs.

According to the projects, along with six others across the UK, will provide up to £12 billion of private sector investment, supporting 8,500 jobs by 2020.

These two projects could add around a further 1.8 GW of low-carbon electricity to Britain’s energy mix.

One project in Selby, North Yorkshire, involves converting one unit at Drax Power Station from using coal to biomass. The other involves constructing a new offshore windfarm in the Hornsea Zone of the Yorkshire Coast.

The eight projects, once built, will contribute around 15TWh or 14% of the renewable electricity we expect to come forward by 2020, helping to put the UK well on the way to meeting the UK’s renewable energy target. They will also reduce emissions by 10 MtCO2 per year compared to fossil fuel power generation.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Edward Davey said: “These contracts for major renewable electricity projects mark a new stage in Britain’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.

“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.

“Record levels of energy investment are at the forefront of the Government’s infrastructure programme and are filling the massive gap we inherited. It’s practical reforms like these that will keep the lights on and tackle climate change, by giving investors more certainty.”

There has been significant growth in renewable electricity sector with the renewables’ share of total electricity generation more than doubling since 2010.

The government is supporting this growth to continue Electricity Market Reform and expect to deliver over 30% renewable electricity in 2020.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .