Energy Secretary Ed Davey gave the strongest signs yet of his support for offshore wind today when he addressed delegates at a conference for the energy source as “colleagues” and said it “deserved” subsidy.

Speaking at trade body RenewableUK’s Global Offshore Wind Conference he praised the British industry for going “from the new kid in class to the star pupil” over the past decade.

At the Excel centre in London, Mr Davey said: “We have more installed offshore wind than the rest of the world put together. We have more projects in the pipeline than anyone else.

“Five of the top ten biggest offshore windfarms are in British waters; by the end of the year, seven will be. We are the most attractive place for investment and we are securing an ever-greater chunk of the supply chain.”

Appearing to answer criticism from some quarters about the cost of offshore wind power, the Lib Dem politician referred to the “hard-nosed case” for renewables, adding: “Truly cost-competitive offshore wind could be less than a decade away.”

Yesterday a report from a DECC Task Force found the cost of offshore wind could be slashed by a third by 2020.