When the wind blows...
DOGGER BANK WIND FARM WILL CREATE OVER 200 PORT OF TYNE JOBS
MORE than 200 jobs will be created in the North East after the Port of Tyne was chosen to be the maintenance base for the world’s biggest wind farm.
The Dogger Bank wind farm in the North Sea, which aims to generate enough electricity to supply more than 4.5m homes in the UK, is being developed by power companies Equinor and SSE Renewables.
Construction of the wind farm began in January and once completed it is expected to be in operation for more than 25 years.
Norwegian firm Equinor will have its onshore base at the Port of Tyne for the operational life of the wind farm, with offices and a warehouse creating a range of different jobs.
The decision to site its operations and maintenance base at the Port of Tyne will not only create direct employment, but could also 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 UK 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.”
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 UK’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 UK’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 UK, 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 lowcarbon 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.”