Energy companies in the United Kingdom are on track to invest multibillions of pounds in a bid to deliver a cleaner energy.
Scottish Power for instance, said that it was planning to invest in clean power in Scotland as part of a £150-million project that aimed at electrifying the country.
The project was expected to supply 100,000 households with clean energy upon completion and would help generate 600 jobs at its peak, of which 280 jobs will be long-term.
Scottish Power said it aimed to help UK revive from the economic downturn through employment while taking into account its climate goals.
“As we begin to emerge from the coronavirus crisis, investment in green infrastructure can quickly be delivered, creating jobs and offering immediate economic and environmental benefits,” said Ignacio Galan, chairman and chief executive officer for Iberdrola, parent company of Scottish Power.
“This will help to support the UK’s overall recovery at this critical time,” he added.
Meanwhile, energy firms SSE and Equinor are under way with the construction of the world’s biggest offshore wind project on the Dogger Bank in England, with an investment worth up to £8 billion.
The two firms revealed plans of using the Port of Tyne as the operations hub of the development.
Once fully complete, the Dogger Bank wind project was expected to electrify nearly two million homes, 2.5% of UK’s electricity requirements, and support as much as 900 jobs in Yorkshire and Humberside.
The Dogger Bank was long sought as a potential location for offshore windfarms due to its shallow seabed of only about 30 metres deep that would make it easier to lay foundations and construct large turbines.
“Renewable energy is one of the UK’s great success stories, providing over a third of our electricity and thousands of jobs,” Secretary State of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy Alok Sharma said.
“[The Dogger Bank project will be] a key part of ensuring a green and resilient economic recovery as well as reaching our target of net-zero emissions by 2050,” he added.
Commenting on the emergence of wind energy in the UK, Secretary for the Liberal Democrat Energy and Climate Change Ed Davey said: “Making the most of Britain’s home-grown energy is creating jobs and businesses in the UK, getting the best deal for consumers and reducing our reliance on foreign imports.”
“Wind power is vital to this plan, with £14.5 billion invested since 2010 into an industry which supports 35,400 jobs,” he added.
