Today marks a monumental step forward for Teesside, with the confirmation of Government funding which will support the launch of the Northern Endurance Partnership and the East Coast Cluster.

When I was elected as Tees Valley Mayor in 2017, I had a clear mission to turn around an area that had long been synonymous with industrial decline. Today, we take another giant step forward.

Teesside has a long and proud industrial heritage, but we are no longer defined by our past. We are now leading the charge in the industries of the future, showing the world what can be achieved when ambition meets opportunity.

The Northern Endurance Partnership’s CO2 transportation and storage infrastructure,  which underpins the East Coast Cluster, will enable the deployment of carbon capture projects on Teesside which will bring thousands of high-quality jobs. But the impact of this project will be far greater than just employment numbers as we turn the Teesworks site into the new ICI.

This project could have gone anywhere in the world, but it came to Teesside and that is because we’ve spent the last seven years laying the groundwork to make our region a global centre for investment.

We’ve secured more than £6bn billion in private investment to date, with more on the horizon, including transformative deals in hydrogen fuel production, wind turbine manufacturing, and large-scale battery storage. Teesside is becoming known as the "Silicon Valley of Net Zero," and it’s no accident that companies like bp, EDF, Natpower, SeAH Wind, and others are investing here.

This CCUS project is just the beginning. It’s part of a broader strategy that will see our region pioneer cutting-edge technologies and develop a blueprint for large-scale industrial growth.

The Northern Endurance Partnership can capture up to 10 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually from Teesside, a massive step towards the UK’s goal of achieving net zero by 2050. And it’s not just about protecting the environment— even more importantly this project will safeguard thousands of jobs in our chemical and processing industries, ensuring that Teesside remains a vital part of the UK’s industrial future.

The economic benefits of this project will ripple across our communities. Business rates in Redcar and Cleveland are projected to double, rising by £79 million annually once these large-scale projects including this one become fully operational. This revenue will support local services and help provide the economic stability our area deserves.

Teesside is no longer a story of decline—it’s a story of renewal, resilience, and reinvention. We are proving that with the right vision and the right investments, our industrial heritage can translate into a lasting industrial future.

This is levelling up: creating opportunities, securing investment, and building a future that benefits local people.

This project is a symbol of progress—not just for our region but for the whole country.

This is part of a jobs revolution on Teesside, one that will shape our economy for generations to come. We are not just playing catch-up in the global economic race; we are leading it.

The future is bright for Teesside, and today, it gets even brighter.