Hopes of a multi-million pound boost for East Anglia's growing green energy industry were raised by chancellor Alistair Darling yesterday as he laid out the economic battle lines for the general election.

Hopes of a multi-million pound boost for East Anglia's growing green energy industry were raised by chancellor Alistair Darling yesterday as he laid out the economic battle lines for the general election.

Yesterday's Budget offered few giveaways for taxpayers, but there was a promise of a new �2bn government investment bank to support green industry and a pledge to spend �60m on port towns that could host factories building offshore wind turbines.

Industry leaders hailed East Anglia as the “perfect place” for ministers to encourage green manufacturing - with plans already in place to build a 1,000-turbine wind farm off Great Yarmouth, and Lowestoft's position as the operations base for another giant wind farm further down the coast.

John Best, chief executive of the industry body the East of England Energy Group, said: “Norfolk and Suffolk would be in a great position to benefit from this money.

“It would make perfect sense for a manufacturer to glean the benefits of developing turbines within such a rich and vibrant energy community.

“Having 40 years of experience in the gas industry, and with the benefit of hindsight in evolving and developing many practical and blue sky solutions to make that industry so effective, the indigenous workforce has the skills that will be vital parts of a manufacturers' toolbox.

“We all now have to make our voice heard collectively that this region is where those manufacturers should be heading.”