The world's largest offshore wind project - the 1,000 MW London Array - has received its final consent.

The overhead electricity line that will eventually connect the onshore sub-station in Kent to the wind farm that is to be sited in the Thames Estuary has received the green-light from Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks.

He has also given the go-ahead for a major wind project 14 kilometres (9 miles) from Walney Island, off the coast of Cumbria.

The Walney wind farm, from developer DONG Energy, is expected to have somewhere between 93 and 152 turbines, producing enough clean electricity for approximately 360,000 homes when fully operational in 2013.

The approvals follow the announcement yesterday in the Queen's Speech on the forthcoming Energy Bill, which will contain measures to 'band' the Renewables Obligation (RO) in order to provide increased financial support to less developed renewable energy technologies, such as offshore wind.

Wicks said, "Our belief in renewables has been questioned recently by some, but actions do speak louder than words. We are delivering on our promises to get projects such as Walney and the London Array through the system.

"The Energy Bill will allow us to increase the amount of backing schemes like this get from the Renewables Obligation. People should recognise that the UK, along with Denmark, is leading the world in the development of offshore wind power."