The Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm will be the world's largest offshore wind farm. The $1.8 billion project is being built about 15 miles off the Suffolk coast of the United Kingdom.

Gabbard will be the first U.K. offshore wind farm to be built outside territorial waters and will provide carbon-neutral, renewable electricity for more than 415,000 homes.

The project has been developed by a joint venture between Fluor International Ltd. and Airtricity, acquired by Scottish and Southern Energy in February.

Fluor has already completed environmental studies, site surveys and engineering, and has secured the project's connection to the British national grid, the supply of offshore wind turbines and heavy steel structures required for construction, the firm said in its announcement.

Gabbard will have 140 wind turbines, supplied by Siemens Wind Power A/S under a separate contract with SSE. Fluor will be responsible for the installation of the turbines and a new electricity substation that will be built near the village of Sizewell.

Construction work is scheduled to begin in 2009. It will be commissioned in two phases, with the entire construction scheduled to be completed in 2011.