UK Approves Offshore Wind Farm

The British government on Wednesday approved the construction of utility E.ON's 700 megawatt Rampion offshore wind farm off the coast of Sussex in the southern England.

The 2 billion pound ($3.4 billion) project is expected to start producing electricity in 2018/19 and generate enough power for 450,000 households.

Construction will start next year on the onshore part that services the wind farm, with more than 750 jobs supporting the project's development, the government said.

"This project is great news for Sussex, providing green jobs as well as driving business opportunities," British Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said in a statement.

The government is subsidising the construction of offshore wind farms in Britain as it aims to reduce carbon emissions from its electricity sector by encouraging investments in cleaner forms of energy production.

Offshore wind farms are some of the most expensive types of renewable energy plants to build due to their huge scale and construction in deep water. ($1 = 0.5839 British Pounds)

Reporting by Karolin Schaps