LEADERS and businesses have reacted to the announcement that a new port will be built on Teesside, creating 750 jobs.

The Prime Minister announced plans for up to £95m to be invested to build new wind ports with the capacity to house up to seven manufacturers in total.

In an announcement yesterday, the government said Teesworks Offshore Manufacturing Centre will benefit from up to £20m.

Offshore wind manufacturer GE Renewable Energy is the first to invest in Teesside and will build a wind blade factory at the site, creating 750 jobs, the Government said.

The blades will be supplied to the Dogger Bank wind farm off the North East coast – set to be the largest offshore wind farm in the UK.

Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham said: “This is great news for Teesside. I’ve long championed our area as a potential home for the clean energy industries such as wind power, and I’m delighted that Teesside has been chosen as a home for wind turbine manufacture. I hope this acts as a catalyst for further growth in the green and clean energy sector in the Tees Valley.

“The pandemic has de-stabilized the economy and left thousands across Teesside unemployed. It is vitally important that good quality, well-paid jobs are created to replace those lost and I wholeheartedly welcome the jobs and training opportunities this project will bring to our area. I hope local people – especially younger people – will benefit from these opportunities, and would welcome further discussions about this.”

Andy McDonald, MP for Middlesbrough, said: “This is positive news for Teesside. It’s a very important and welcome development and there is the real prospect of good well-paid jobs for our local skilled workforce and for much needed career opportunities for our young people.

“It’s also vital that we ensure that our colleges and training agencies deliver the skills that the sector needs. Against the backdrop of more than ten years of Tory austerity that has fundamentally weakened our economy, resulting in devastating unemployment, rampant inequality and insecure work, every local job that comes with this venture will be extremely welcome.

“I look forward to further details of the investment and of the measures to make sure that the benefits flow to our local economy, to Teesside families and our communities.”

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."  

Chris McDonald, the Chief Executive of the Materials Processing Institute, said: “Confirmation that GE Renewable Energy is to create a huge offshore wind blade manufacturing centre here on Teesside places this region front and centre of the UK’s growing green economy. Teesside and the wider North East has a supply chain that is already leading the way in the development of clean energy and the decarbonisation process This facility can only strengthen that position and attract further investment to the area.

“This decision follows on from the announcement in last week’s budget that Teesside has been granted Freeport status along with a £20m investment in the pivotal Teesworks Centre."