LONDON, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Eight major renewable power projects were given approval by the British government on Wednesday, as part of the country's electricity reforms aimed at boosting green growth and jobs.

By 2020, the projects will provide up to 12 billion pounds (20.2 billion U.S. dollars) of private sector investment, support 8,500 jobs, apart from adding a further 4.5 gigawatt of low-carbon electricity to Britain's energy mix (or around 4 percent of capacity), said the Department of Energy and Climate Change of Britain in a press release.

Once completed, the department expects that the successful projects will contribute approximately 15 terawatt hours or 14 percent of the renewable electricity by 2020, helping put Britain well on the way to meeting its renewable energy target.

Meanwhile, they will also reduce carbon dioxide emission by 10 million tons per year compared to fossil fuel power generation, it added.

Edward Davey, Energy and Climate Change Secretary, said in a statement: "These contracts for major renewable electricity projects mark a new stage in Britain's green energy investment boom. By themselves they will bring green jobs and growth across the UK, but they are a significant part of our effort to give Britain cleaner and more secure energy."

Britain's renewable's share of total electricity generation has been doubled since 2010. The government expects to deliver over 30 percent renewable electricity by 2020.