Seaside town chosen as base for offshore wind firm

Recruitment for about 130 jobs could begin in 2026, Vattenfall said

Up to 130 jobs could be created in a seaside town after it was chosen to house an operations and maintenance base for a wind energy company.

Vattenfall said Peel Ports in Great Yarmouth was the preferred bidder for the base for the Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone project.

Conservative Graham Plant, deputy leader of Norfolk County Council, said it was "a big deal for Great Yarmouth and the whole of Norfolk".

The final decision lies with the government's policy and financial framework for offshore wind, Vattenfall said.

Great Yarmouth's Golden Mile with Scroby Sands wind farm on the horizon

When completed, the wind farm will be able to power about 4.6 million homes, making it one of the largest offshore wind zones in the world, Vattenfall added.

Rob Anderson, the company's project director, said: "It should be a great economic boost for the area.

"Competition was fierce to secure the agreement, with an excellent bid from Lowestoft and Associated British Ports."

The base will be at the new £21.4m O&M Campus.

Richard Goffin, from Peel Ports Group, said Yarmouth's port was "a key enabler in the green energy sector, with tremendous potential to grow".