E.ON has submitted a planning application to build a wind farm off the East Yorkshire coast.

E.ON, one of the UK’s leading power and gas companies, has submitted a planning application to build a £700 million offshore wind facility off the East Yorkshire coast – despite objections from the Ministry of Defence.

If created, the 300MW facility would be one of the largest of its kind in UK waters, and would produce enough electricity to power 195,000 homes. It would also help E.ON reach its goal of reducing its carbon emissions by 50% by 2030.

Dr Paul Golby, E.ON UK’s Chief Executive, spoke about the farm’s vital role. He said: “This scheme will displace the emission of hundreds of thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide every year and will make a significant contribution to helping the Government meet its tough renewable energy targets.”

The energy company has submitted the plans despite recent objections from the Ministry of Defence (MoD): “We’re speaking to both the MoD and BERR [Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform] and we’re confident that we can find a way forward that is acceptable to all stakeholders,” said Dr Golby.

Friends of the Earth (FoE) has supported E.ON’s planning application, and has called on the UK Government to do more to develop alternative energy sources. The environment organisation commented: “The MOD has objected to the wind farm proposal on the grounds that it may cause radar interference. FoE believes that if the Government is serious about tackling climate change it should be working across departments to develop and support technological solutions to the problem.”