But the Danes who built a big offshore wind farm in 2002 have a head start.
ON, the Rampion offshore wind farm could create enough electricity to power up to 450, 000 homes.
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Environmental campaigners have raised concerns that an offshore wind farm could damage the South Downs.
The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult centre will focus on offshore wind, tidal and wave power.
But he expected they could start appearing in offshore wind turbines within 5-10 years.
New nuclear plants have not even been started yet, while offshore wind is running behind schedule.
Nonetheless, more than 1, 000 MW of offshore wind capacity was installed in 2010, mostly in Western Europe.
Siemens said the factory would employ 700 people making blades and turbine units for offshore wind farms.
Ministers have instead placed their faith in offshore wind farms, but waterproofing windmills makes them more expensive.
He said the Scottish government would invest the cash in the firm's Hunterston offshore wind turbine test facility.
Installed on the ocean floor, tidal machines also handily dodge the aesthetic concerns posed by offshore wind turbines.
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Last week, the Administration boosted the prospects of offshore wind energy becoming an integral part of that strategy.
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Its two turbines provided the country's first toe in the water for offshore wind power in December 2000.
Announcements by National Grid and NRG Energy over the past few weeks have boosted prospects for offshore wind.
In 2010, installed global offshore wind capacity reached 3, 000 MW, according to the European Wind Energy Association.
Investments of hundreds of millions of pounds in factories to make offshore wind turbines are now under review.
Siemens has said the factory would employ 700 people making blades and turbine units for offshore wind farms.
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If it proceeds, it will be America's first offshore wind park, with an impressive capacity of 468 megawatts.
The turbines are expected to be installed at offshore wind plants across the UK between 2014 and 2017.
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Solar energy (not much use in cloudy Germany) would get less, while offshore wind power would get more.
Alistair Gill, head of offshore wind farm development, said the project was "half the size of the original plans".
Now, GE wants to replicate this success in the emerging offshore wind market.
Some other fishing groups oppose new ocean uses, like offshore wind energy, entirely.
At the moment, about 80% of the materials and services involved in constructing an offshore wind farm are imported.
The money will improve access to the business park and help it provide support for an offshore wind farm.
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In November, NRG bought offshore wind developer Bluewater Wind for an undisclosed price.
Compared to offshore wind farms, tidal energy devices like the turbine trialed in Scotland are completely hidden from view.
Mr Salmond said the huge market for offshore wind beyond 2020 was underlined by the new carbon emissions target.
It said the funding would help it to build foundations for offshore wind farms at its site in Wallsend.
Interfere with defence: The Ministry of Defence are concerned that offshore wind farms will interfere with coastal radar systems.
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