£130 million investment in offshore wind secures hundreds of North East jobs
Report by Gregg Easteal
A £130 million investment in offshore wind has secured hundreds of jobs in the North East.
Around 170 jobs will be created at a new JDR Cable Systems factory in Cambois in Northumberland and 270 jobs will be protected at an existing site in Hartlepool.
The money will also be invested in facilities that will develop and build components for next generation wind turbines.
The funding has come from both the Government as well as private investment.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, said: “I want Teesside to be as synonymous with clean energy and Net Zero as Silicon Valley is for tech and social media, and from offshore wind to hydrogen fuels of the future we’re powering ahead like no other region in the country.”
Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: "The UK's offshore wind sector is a major industrial success story, but we need to ensure local workers and manufacturers fully reap the economic benefits of this booming industry."
The project is part of the UK plans to build on its offshore wind capacity to deliver clean electricity generation as the country ends its reliance on coal for power by 2024.
The Government is also launching a consultation on how to minimise the impact on local communities and the environment when offshore wind farm power cables are connected ashore.
A more co-ordinated approach to projects could lead to billions of pounds of savings to the industry, lower bills for consumers and reduce the impact on the environment.
Energy, Clean Growth and Climate Change Minister Greg Hands said: "We are committed to growing this even more as we meet our bold climate change targets and reduce our exposure to volatile fossil fuels.
"But we want to hear people's views to ensure that connecting offshore wind farms doesn't have a negative impact on communities and our precious coastal and marine environment."
He visited Hartlepool today to witness the production of subsea cables at the site.