THE world’s largest windfarm could be built off the Kent coast generating hundreds of jobs and placing Port Ramsgate at the centre of the new development as a construction, storage and assembly site.

The Government has given the go ahead for the £1.5 billion London Array project in the Thames Estuary between Margate and Clacton, while a smaller power-producing turbine plant may be created by Warwick Energy seven miles off North Foreland.

Construction is dependent on building an onshore substation and associated works at Cleve Hill, near Faversham, to connect the wind farm to the National Grid.

A planning application was turned down by Swale Borough Council in June. London Array has lodged an appeal against this decision and a public inquiry is expected to take place early in 2007.

London Array is a consortium made up of CORE Ltd, E.ON UK and Shell WindEnergy Ltd to create the 1,000 megawatt wind farm consisting of up to 341 turbines.

The site is more than 20 kilometres offshore and would generate enough electricity to meet the needs of 750,000 homes, which is a quarter of greater London’s households, or every home in Kent and East Sussex.

Thanet council leader Cllr Sandy Ezekiel said investment is being sought to create a £10 million quay at Ramsgate. He said: "This is excellent news, not just for Ramsgate and Thanet, but for the whole of Kent and the south east and we fully support the wind farm developments, which could bring hundreds of jobs to the area.

"Not only does this news put Thanet at the forefront of this emerging technology, but it opens up a range of opportunities for the Port of Ramsgate in terms of the construction and maintenance of the turbines.

"We have been working closely with London Array for many months now to ensure that the Port will play a major role in supporting this development and it is their preferred onshore base.

"We know that investment is needed in the Port before we can take full advantage of this opportunity and that’s what we’ve been working on for a number of months with both private and public sector partners."

North Thanet MP Roger Gale welcomed the news. He said: "These are very considerable civil engineering projects and during the construction phase I believe that they will be worth a significant number of jobs to east Kent.

"If we are to meet our sustainable energy targets as a country then it is vital that the wind generation schemes proceed swiftly and efficiently and these "Round 2" projects are an essential part of that programme.

"I am acutely aware of the environmental concerns that have been expressed, by the RSPB in relation to birdlife, and by others rightly concerned about potential hazards to shipping using the estuary and rounding the North Foreland.

"These are not issues that can or should be brushed aside. They have to be addressed. I believe, though, that the care and skill that is going into the design and implementation of this second generation of commercial-scale windfarms will satisfy the demands of the environmentalists and that they will, in turn, make a significant contribution to the wider environmental need to reduce carbon emissions."

Andrew Murfin, director of London Array Limited, said: "This is a real landmark decision as we look to develop the world’s largest offshore wind farm and a scheme that has the potential to pump millions of pounds into the Kent economy and to create new jobs.

"We firmly believe that this scheme is something that the people of Kent can be proud of, while also spearheading the fight against climate change locally, nationally and internationally.

"I think everyone recognises that the fight against climate change is one of the most important battles of the 21st-century and London Array is right at the forefront of that fight.

"The scheme – because of its scale – would help the UK significantly reduce its carbon emissions, while also helping to meet the Government’s tough targets for renewable generation."

The whole project, if given the go-ahead, could provide a significant boost to Kent’s economy as London Array is committed to using local companies, wherever feasible, in the construction of the wind farm. In addition, associated facilities, such as hotels, are also likely to be used during the construction process.

Longer term, the county has the opportunity to become a hub for offshore wind farms in the Thames Estuary, creating a new industry for the area with the potential to create thousands of new jobs.

Friends of the Earth climate campaigner Martyn Williams said: "Wind energy has a vital role to play in cutting UK carbon dioxide levels.

"London Array could generate enough electricity every year to meet the needs of a quarter of London’s homes, and cut up to 1.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

"There are lots of clean, safe solutions to the climate change challenge, but we must start investing in them now.

"UK carbon dioxide emissions have risen under Labour. The Government must show that it is prepared to take action that will lead to substantial cuts. Schemes like London Array can play a significant part, but we must go further.

"Ministers should start by ensuring that the recently-announced new climate change law will require successive government’s to make annual cuts in UK emissions."