General Electric has decided to test the world’s largest offshore wind turbines at a test facility in England in a major vote of confidence for the UK’s burgeoning wind power industry.

The renewables arm of the American conglomerate will take its mammoth 12MW wind turbines for a spin at the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult centre in Northumberland as part of a five year research and development deal beginning later this year.

The world’s largest turbines currently in operation were installed off the coast of Aberdeen earlier this month, at less than 9MW in capacity each.

GE Renewable Energy believes its 350 foot new turbines could also be more efficient than the current generation of offshore wind farms by generating more power from lower wind speeds with a 720 foot diameter spin.

The company will be able to test its theories at the catapult centre in Blyth which can replicate real-world conditions for turbines up to 15MW in capacity.