E.ON pushes on with offshore UK wind farm

LONDON, April 7 (Reuters) - E.ON EONG.DE is to apply for planning permission on Monday to build one of the UK's largest offshore wind farms, hoping the Ministry of Defence will drop its objections to the project, the German utility said.

The 300-meagwatt Humber Gateway wind farm, which E.ON hopes to build 8 kms off the coast of East Yorkshire, is expected to cost about 700 million pounds ($1.40 billion) to build.

"The next generation of large-scale offshore wind farms like Humber Gateway have a vital role to play," Paul Golby, the Chief Executive of E.ON UK, 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."

E.ON has applied for permission to build the wind farm despite opposition to the project from the Ministry of Defence.

"We are confident that we can find a way forward that is acceptable to all stakeholders," said Golby. (Reporting by Daniel Fineren)