PRIME Minister Tony Blair has paid a surprise visit to Whitstable and its wind farm.

Mr Blair, accompanied by Trade Secretary Alistair Darling and Environment Secretary David Miliband, visited the giant wind turbines on the Kentish Flats on Tuesday ahead of the Government’s energy review announcement.

But the trio, who want to see renewable energy grow by five times over the next five years, didn’t chose the most environmentally friendly mode of transport.

Instead of chartering a sailing barge and using wind power to reach the flats, they chose the quicker option and sped out on board a rigid inflatable boat, Bayblast, before boarding the Celtic Storm, the wind farm’s logistics support vessel.

Bayblast skipper John Harrison runs boat trips to the turbines, which have become a tourist attraction in their own right since they were commissioned late last year.

“Mr Blair seemed very enthusiastic about the wind farm and asked a lot of questions on the way,” he said.

While on the Celtic Storm Mr Blair briefed journalists about the Government’s energy review, which was unveiled in the House of Commons on Tuesday afternoon.

The Kentish Flats wind farm generates enough electricity from its 30 turbines to power 100,000 homes a year, according to its Swedish owner, Vattenfall AB.

Goran Lundgren, head of generation in the Nordic countries, accompanied the Prime Minister on his trip.

He said: “He was interested to see it in real life and what it can do. He was interested in the relative costs and how much energy could also be produced.”

Once back on dry land Mr Blair went on a short walkabout, shaking hands with people waiting on the quayside.