More than 100 port operators, developers, investors and wind manufactures from across the UK met yesterday with the Government to cut through a potential bottleneck in offshore wind farm development.

With the potential market for UK ports worth £1bn up to the year 2020, there is an extraordinary opportunity for ports to be involved in the supply of services to manufacturers and developers of offshore wind farms.

The UK needs ports with the capacity to handle large vessels and with available space for wind turbine manufacturers and their supply chain.

At the moment, there are too few sites to meet future demand for offshore wind technology, although port operators have started to recognise the potential revenue opportunities from offshore wind.

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Energy Minister Mike O'Brien said in his speech: "We want the UK to make the world's biggest investment in offshore wind. We are an island nation with a fantastic wind resource.

"Britain's ports could become the hub of activity and economic opportunity as we massively increase the amount of renewable energy we get from our seas - and could be key to constructing and transporting wind technology.

"Thousands of jobs could be created as a result of the construction of wind farms - including in our ports which will face enormous demand. Today's seminar will for the first time discuss what Britain's ports have to gain from the development of offshore wind, and what needs to happen to make sure that government, energy developers and Britain's ports work together so that all benefit."

The meeting will inform the offshore wind industry about the opportunities and discuss how to co-ordinate the parties involved in developing ports.

(JM/BMcC)