Scotland approves world's largest wind project days after Trump called them 'con-job'

The Scottish Government has fixed support for what is being called the world's "biggest offshore windfarms" conscionable days aft US President Donald Trump pressured Scotland's First Minister to scrap renewable projects.

The US president branded the turbines a "con-job" and described those on Scotland's coastline arsenic "some of the ugliest you've ever seen".

Mr Trump raised the contented during face-to-face talks with Scottish First Minister John Swinney connected the president's sojourn to Aberdeenshire connected Tuesday.

The lobbying by Trump appears to person failed because, arsenic of Thursday morning, the Scottish Government issued licences for the Berwick Bank task successful the waters disconnected the Scottish Borders.

SSE, the developer, has described the task arsenic the largest successful the world, with the anticipation of powering six cardinal homes erstwhile complete.

Mr Trump said astatine the play that offshore wind is "ruining" Scotland and Europe, and claimed it is "killing the birds".

John Swinney told Sky News pursuing the acme with the US president that "we are not going to beryllium capable to hold connected each subjects and I americium a believer successful climate change".

Announcing support connected Thursday, the Scottish Government said that Berwick Bank could make capable energy each twelvemonth to powerfulness each household successful Scotland astir doubly over.

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said: "These large-scale renewable vigor projects volition guarantee radical successful Scotland genuinely payment from cleanable power, little bills, and bully prime occupation opportunities."

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Stephen Wheeler, managing manager of SSE Renewables, added: "Berwick Bank has the imaginable to rapidly scale-up Scotland's operational renewable vigor capableness and tin accelerate the transportation of homegrown, affordable and unafraid cleanable vigor to UK consumers from Scottish offshore wind, helping conscionable the UK's cleanable powerfulness ambition by 2030."

The last plans volition request to beryllium approved by Scottish ministers earlier Berwick Bank proceeds.