Navitus Bay will sign memoranda ofunderstandings (MoUs) with Poole and Portland on the Dorset coast and Yarmouth,on the Isle of Wight.

The developer – a 50/50 jointventure between EDF of France and Dutch utility Eneco – claims the porteventually chosen as O&M base could reap a £670m ($1bn) economic windfallover 25 years.

MikeUnsworth, project director of Navitus Bay, said: "I am delighted that followingconstructive discussions with Poole, Portland and Yarmouth, we are able tocommit to using a local port for operations and maintenance.