The North East has been given a jobs boost after the announcement that the maintenance base for the world's biggest wind farm will be sited at the Port of Tyne.
Construction on the Dogger Bank wind farm in the North Sea started in January, led by European power companies Equinor and SSE Renewables.
It is hoped the development will create enough electricity to power 4.5m homes in the 海角视频, with its operational life expected to be more than 25 years.
Now Norwegian firm Equinor has announced that it have its onshore base at the Port of Tyne, with offices and a warehouse creating a range of different jobs.
There are also hopes that the development could open up possibilities for North East companies in the supply chain.
Port of Tyne chief executive Matt Beeton said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have been selected by Equinor and SSE Renewables as the port of choice to house the Operations and Maintenance base for the largest offshore wind farm in the world. This is clearly a very important milestone in attracting such leading names in offshore power generation to the Port but it’s also extremely important for the wider region in terms of local supply chain and employment opportunities.
“The Port recently launched its ‘Tyne 2050’ plan with a vision to become one of the most environmentally sustainable ports in the 海角视频 by 2030. Offshore wind is a key component of that strategy and this announcement is a huge step towards developing a cleaner future for the Port, the region and for industry in the North East.
“We’re very excited to start working with Equinor and SSE Renewables to make this base a success and we’re looking forward to playing our part in the world’s largest offshore wind farm.”
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Most of the technical jobs created by the scheme will be based offshore, but there will be office-based teams at the Port of Tyne.
The main recruitment for those jobs will begin in early 2022 as the wind farm nears operation.
There will also be hopes that local companies in the offshore industry can benefit from the project, with many in the sector having complained in the past that lucrative projects from the 海角视频’s offshore wind industry have gone to overseas firms.
Business Secretary Alok Sharma said: “This new facility is fantastic news for Tyneside and the North East of England. Renewable energy is one of the 海角视频’s great success stories, providing over a third of our electricity and thousands of jobs.
“Projects like Dogger Bank will be a key part of ensuring a green and resilient economic recovery as well as reaching our target of net zero emissions by 2050.”
Stephen Bull, senior vice president for Equinor’s North Sea New Energy Solutions and chair of Renewable 海角视频, said: “The North East has a strong industrial heritage and a supply area that stretches north and south of the River Tyne. With a strong low-carbon vision for the future; as well as targets to become net zero in its own operations by 2030 the Port of Tyne is clearly well set up to attract future investments which we hope will complement our activities.”
Paul Cooley, SSE Renewables director of capital projects, said: “The Operations and Maintenance base will bring significant socio-economic benefits to the local area during construction and throughout the projects lifetime, as we have seen on our previous offshore wind projects including Beatrice.”
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The Humber, already home to the current world-leading farms operated by Orsted from Grimsby, had been in contention as it looked to add to the existing cluster, with a similar sailing time as the Tyne offered. Six farms are served from the port, with a pipeline of projects taking it to 10GW in development and construction.
The North East already plays a key role in the load out of the sub-sea foundations and transition pieces that emerge from the North Sea when installed.