Liverpool will play a significant role in helping Britain meet its sustainable energy targets, according to the government.

On a trip to the northwest, energy minister Malcolm Wicks said that the government wants a fifth of Britain's power to come from renewable energy by 2020 and Liverpool Bay will play a key role in achieving this.

His comments came as a new ten-sq km 25-turbine windfarm in Crosby was officially launched, reports the Liverpool Daily Post.

"The UK is an island nation with one of the best wind resources in Europe, if not the world. The northwest is proving to be a real powerhouse for offshore wind energy.

"We have an opportunity to be a global leader in the offshore sector and the potential economic and environmental benefits are enormous."

The northwest's energy strategy involves securing a reduction in greenhouse gas emission, increasing low-carbon electricity generation and creating more sustainable travel schemes by 2010.