Energy firms Centrica and Warwick Energy have been given permission to build two offshore schemes

Wind turbine

The government has today given the green light to two energy firms to build £3bn worth of offshore wind farms.

Energy firms Centrica and Warwick Energy have been given permission to build a 580MW farm at Race Bank and a 560MW farm at Dudgeon, both in the Greater Wash.

Energy minister Charles Hendry said: “The UK is racing ahead of the global field and these two new offshore wind farms underline this momentum.

“These two projects will not only bring us considerable amounts of clean energy, but significant investment and jobs too.”

However, a Centrica scheme at Docking Shoal, off the Norfolk Coast, was refused permission because of the negative effect it would have on sea birds.