Norfolk to be site of new offshore windfarm

East Anglia is to benefit from a £10 billion investment as part of the development of an offshore windfarm, it has been reported.

According to the Eastern Daily Press, the north Norfolk coast is the favoured site for the renewable energy centre by the government and the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA).

Some 25 gigawatts of new wind power is expected to be generated by 2020 by new sites around the country, which represents three times as much energy than is currently produced in this way in the UK.

James Beal, managing director for Renewables East, commented that Norfolk could produce one-fifth of the national total.

He said: "This is tremendously exciting.

"Norfolk and Suffolk have the opportunity to be the global centre for offshore renewables. We are being given the opportunity to take advantage of this. What they have seen is an industry that is willing to move forward and is already making good progress."

The Crown Estate has identified 11 initial zones for offshore windfarm sites that are to be tendered out to developers next summer.