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Tyne Port helps bring clean energy to every home

[ November 6, 2020   //   ]

The Port of Tyne has launched a Clean Energy Park, a strategic base for the region’s renewable energy sector that will play an important role in supporting the government’s goal to power every UK home with offshore wind electricity.

Located on four sites, it will offer unrestricted, round-the-clock lock free access to berths with 13.0m of depth alongside. The Port is a safe haven for offshore wind operators and other renewables specialists, during all tide states.

Earlier in 2020, the Port was selected as Equinor’s flagship operations and maintenance base, for what will become the world’s largest offshore wind farm at Dogger Bank. This provided the catalyst for further land clearance to free up additional space for renewable energy tenants. The new Tyne Clean Energy Park will provide a total of 200 acres of land and is expected to create thousands of jobs. 

As well as Dogger Bank, it is conveniently sited for the Seagreen and Sofia sites.

The river Tyne is already home to an existing offshore cluster, including organisations such as South Tyneside Marine College, A&P, Smulders Projects, Shepherd Offshore and TechnipFMC. This further increases the Port of Tyne’s suitability as a commercial base for renewables manufacturers, operators and servicing providers. Tyneside is also renowned for its local pool of offshore energy industry professionals, who have highly transferable skills for the renewables sector.

Port of Tyne chief executive Matt Beeton, said: “Tyne Clean Energy Park provides a fantastic opportunity for companies in the renewables sector who are looking for a long term operational base. We are absolutely committed to becoming a low carbon industrial hub and supporting innovation, so launching a green business hub at the Port is a natural evolution of our vision.”

Port of Tyne is leading the UK’s first 2050 Maritime Innovation Hub, a collaboration of organisations from maritime logistics, technology and academia. Launched in response to the government’s call for greater innovation in maritime, this has focused on a range of projects, including investigating the potential of renewables.  

Commercial director, Simon Brett,  added: “There are three distinct supply chains relating to the offshore wind farm lifecycle involving component manufacture, construction services and operations. Each one of these requires different levels of investment, from plant and infrastructure to labour resourcing and all of it will be accommodated at the Tyne Clean Energy Park.”

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