AN energy firm has won government approval to build 70 turbines in The Wash which would further extend the world s largest offshore wind farm.Centrica, the parent company of British Gas, plans to build the new turbines next to the existing 54 in its Lynn

AN energy firm has won government approval to build 70 turbines in The Wash which would further extend the world's largest offshore wind farm.

Centrica, the parent company of British Gas, plans to build the new turbines next to the existing 54 in its Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farms, which are visible from the west Norfolk and the Wash coastline.

The Lincs project still needs the go-ahead from the company's board, but if built it would have the capacity to generate 250 megawatts of green electricity - enough to power 170,000 homes.

The turbines would be situated 8km off the Lincolnshire coast, but the energy produced would be transmitted to the National Grid in Norfolk through the Walpole substation.

It would form part of a string of wind farms which could eventually stretch the length of the county's coastline, including the 30 operational turbines at Yarmouth's Scroby Sands and up to 108 planned at Sheringham Shoal.

Centrica bosses said the numbers of offshore farms would continue to grow as companies strive to meet the government's target of producing 15pc of electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

Chief executive Sam Laidlaw said: "Wind will continue to play an important role in our renewable generation strategy.

"The significant investments we have made in wind for British Gas customers to date have contributed significantly towards meeting the government's challenging targets for renewable generation."

Centrica public affairs spokesman Neville Barltrop said details of the installation had not been finalised, but it was expected to comprise about 70 turbines.

The firm is also exploring the possibility of two further wind farms in the Greater Wash at Docking Shoal and Race Bank which could add a further 1000MW of generating capacity.

Industry leaders believe East Anglia is ideally placed to cash in on the burgeoning renewable energy market, with shallow waters and a strong wind resource stretching into the North Sea.