A NEW port on Teesside to build the next generation of offshore wind projects will be constructed as part of a £20 million investment to boost the UK’s world-leading industry and create 3,000 new jobs in the North, the government announced today (Wednesday).

Teesworks Offshore Manufacturing Centre, on the River Tees, will receive up to £20 million and will begin construction later this year to update the port with new infrastructure – helping to revitalise the historic industrial heartland.

The port will have the capacity to house up to three manufacturers to support the development of the next-generation of offshore wind projects, substantially boosting the UK’s offshore wind manufacturing base.

The first offshore wind manufacturer to invest in the Teesside port was also confirmed by the government yesterday.

Thanks to Teesside receiving Freeport status, as well as government backing, GE Renewable Energy will build a new state-of-the-art offshore wind blade manufacturing factory at the site, which will directly create around 750 of the 3,000 high quality jobs created by the Teesside port and approximately 1,500 indirect jobs in the area.

Due to open and start production in 2023, the blades produced by GE Renewables will be supplied to the Dogger Bank wind farm, located off the North East coast, which when completed in 2026 will be the largest offshore wind farm in the UK and will be capable of powering up to six million homes.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Teesside will continue to drive forward our green industrial revolution as we capitalise on new opportunities to produce clean energy through a brand new offshore wind port on the River Tees.

“It will not only create thousands of jobs and harness the skills and expertise of this great industrial heartland, but also boost investment into the area as we build back greener.”

Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “Teesside has already put itself at the forefront of the government’s plans to build back greener and this new wind port will secure new jobs and clean energy for years to come.

“Given its proud industrial heritage and the skills and knowledge of the local community, Teesside is a natural fit for project like this and I have no doubt that the region will embrace this new development and the opportunities it will provide.”

The government funding will be provided through the £160 million investment to upgrade port infrastructure and support manufacturing announced by the Prime Minister in October 2020.

Once complete, the port built by Teesworks Offshore Manufacturing Centre will have the potential to support the development of 100 turbines per year.

Through the new port, businesses - including smaller suppliers – across the UK will be well-placed to win contracts and attract further investment from energy companies around the world, increasing their competitive standing on the global stage.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “This monumental deal reached today with GE Renewables, to bring their manufacturing facility to Teesside and creating more than 2,000 local jobs, is a major step forward for my plan to bring skilled good-quality jobs to local people.

“Just last week our plans to regenerate the Teesworks site were turbocharged when the Chancellor gave the green light to the Teesside Freeport – the UK’s biggest freeport.

“The mark of the infant Hercules can still today be seen and felt across the world, but this is not our past. It is our today and our future. With this new beginning we will continue to build a new, clean green and brighter world.”

Simon Clarke, Conservative MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, said: "It's just over a week since the Chancellor announced a freeport for Teesside and we already have a major international company creating hundreds of jobs on our doorstep.

"And this is after just one week. The Government's £20 million investment will go on to create 750 jobs directly and another 1,500 jobs in the local economy as a result.  

"This is absolutely fantastic news to everyone in our area. It means investment and productivity on a scale we haven't seen here in decades - and this is only the beginning.

"The incentives offered by our freeport are already attracting major businesses to Teesside. This simply could not have happened had we remained in the EU. 

"The people of Teesside should feel vindicated in their decision to back an independent UK in 2016 - major firms like GE Renewables are backing Teesside as a result." 

Jacob Young, Conservative MP for Redcar and Teesworks Board member, said: "This marks the beginning of a new era for Teesside.

"Today's announcement puts our area at the very forefront of the UK's green strategy by placing Teesside at the centre of production for the UK's largest offshore wind farm.

"This means jobs, investment and prosperity for the whole region and will be the catalyst for other major companies to follow suit. 

"After all the pain and challenges we faced following the collapse of SSI, this is the turning point.

"The message is clear: Teesside is open for business."

President and CEO of GE Renewable Energy Jerôme Pécresse said: “This new plant will contribute to the development of an industrial cluster dedicated to offshore wind in the North East of England. GE is delighted to be able to help build a talent pool dedicated to renewable energy in a region with such potential.

"The UK’s target to commission 40 GW of offshore wind by 2030 is ambitious and requires that we invest in the local production capabilities to accompany this effort.”

CEO of Renewables UK Hugh McNeal said: “GE Renewable Energy’s new blade turbine manufacturing plant will transform a former steelworks site on Teesside into a high-tech clean energy powerhouse, creating thousands of highly-skilled jobs in our UK supply chain. This announcement marks the start of the next generation of offshore wind manufacturing.”

Jerry Hopkinson, PD Ports’ Chief Operating Officer and Vice Chairman, said: “Today’s announcement is fantastic news for the Tees Valley and Teesport. As Statutory Harbour Authority for the River Tees, we recognise the many unique advantages Teesport has to offer global investors as the UK’s Northern gateway for global trade.

“This announcement further strengthens the reputation of Teesport and the first-class businesses that operate within the port complex along the River Tees - renowned as a national leader in renewable energy.

"In 2020, the Tees Valley received UK Government Core Status as a Centre of Renewable Engineering, which combined with direct access to the North Sea, deep water facilities, skilled labour, world-class infrastructure and supply chains, will undoubtedly be a catalyst for further major growth in this sector.”

He added: “GE’s commitment to the region builds on the number of world-class offshore manufacturers based in Teesport, including industry leading JDR Cables in Hartlepool, Middlesbrough-based Wilton Engineering and Able UK’s Seaton Port - the marshalling base for the world’s biggest windfarm, Triton Knoll, assembling 90 turbines at its Hartlepool yard.

“Of course, Teesside’s newfound Freeport status will undoubtedly be a contributing factor to securing GE Renewable Energy’s investment in our region, providing a major boost to the Northern economy and delivering the Government’s levelling-up agenda.

“It is an exciting time for our region and we are more determined than ever to continue to deliver growth and prosperity for the Tees Valley and to establish the River Tees as the UK’s most successful port region by 2050.”

Jessie Joe Jacobs, Labour's Tees Valley Mayor candidate, added: "This is great news for the Tees. It is a step towards the green industrial revolution we need to spark in the area and exactly what I have been calling for.

"We built the world and we can be part of protecting the world with clean, green and renewables at the heart of a future Tees.

"But we need to make sure local young people benefit from these investments with opportunities for training in secure, high quality jobs and we need to support local businesses so they can step up and flourish in the supply chain.

"Labour have been calling for a £30 billion green investment fund to help reboot industry but we are calling on the government to make sure they deliver the jobs on Teesside and ensure the contracts go to UK firms."  

George Rafferty, Chief Executive of NOF, the North East-based national business development organisation for the energy sector, said: “This is a clear signal of what the Freeport strategy can do for the UK energy sector and the potential it will bring for the local supply chain that is well-placed through its experience and expertise to support GE Renewable Energy in its new home on Teesside.

“NOF has worked closely with GE Renewable Energy for a number of years to help them build its supply chain and network in the North East region, which is so strategically important to the offshore wind sector, and we’re delighted they have chosen to locate its new facility here. 

“It will be able to tap into the Energi Coast North East England’s offshore wind supply chain cluster that is already highly-active in the global offshore wind sector and help generate further job creation and investment across the North East.”

GE Renewable Energy is a Strategic Partner to NOF and an active participant in Energi Coast.

Together with planned stringent requirements on supporting UK manufacturers in government-backed renewables projects, the creation of new ports and the development of new factories will support industry to reach its target of 60 per cent of offshore wind farm content coming from the UK supply chain.

Last week, the Chancellor named Teesside as a Freeport – which will encourage free trade and bring investment to all regions of the country through lower taxes and cheaper customs.