The UK government’s record AR7 auction has attracted £3bn of private investment into domestic ports, factories and supply chains, backed by £204m of public funding through the new Clean Industry Bonus.
The government said the AR7 results mean successful offshore wind projects will procure infrastructure from across Britain’s industrial regions, supporting up to 7000 jobs.
It added that the scheme will bring up to £1.1bn of supply chain investment and as many as 2400 clean energy jobs to Scotland.
The auction secured 8.4GW of offshore wind capacity, enough to power over 12 million homes, according to the statement.
“We promised to take back control of our energy with clean, homegrown power – and today we’re delivering in a way that brings good industrial jobs for Scotland and the rest of the country,” said prime minister Keir Starmer.
“Billions in investment will flow into hardworking industrial communities to build clean energy supply chains in Britain,” he added.
“Our clean energy mission is creating thousands of good jobs for working people in their hometown, bringing transformational opportunities for Britain and reversing decades of industrial decline,” said energy secretary Ed Miliband.
This auction is the first to include the Clean Industry Bonus, which provides financial incentives for developers investing in UK supply chains and cleaner manufacturing facilities.
The government said the bonus is a first-of-a-kind initiative and represents a significant vote of confidence in Britain’s industrial strategy.
New analysis from the government found offshore wind, solar and onshore wind remain cheaper to build and operate than new gas infrastructure.