Boris Johnson has pledged to enforce rules on UK content levels at offshore wind farms if elected Prime Minister on 12 December.
The Conservative candidate made the comments in response to a question during a site visit to Wilton Engineering facilities in Middlesbrough on Wednesday afternoon.
Johnson said Brexit will help UK yards take a larger slice of fabrication work at future projects.
“I totally understand the importance of local content rules,” he told workers at the factory.
“Sometimes what can happen with EU public procurement rules is that stuff that should be made for this country, in this country, to drive its energy sector is made elsewhere.”
“When you look at the sums this government is investing in offshore wind… I would like to see us use the freedoms Brexit is going to give us to invest those sums in driving manufacturing here in this country,” he added.
Johnson gave no detail on how local content rules will be enforced.
Former Conservative energy minister Sir Michael Fallon called for the creation of local content commissioners to ensure developers hit targets last year after he was commissioned by Wilton to write a report on the UK supply chain.
The Offshore Wind Sector Deal signed between the industry and Government this year aims to raise lifetime domestic on offshore wind farms from 50% to 60% by 2030. It also sets out a broader goal of helping UK fabricators bag a bigger share of the capex spend developers make on projects.
Johnson said helping companies like Wilton make more offshore wind foundations is a “no-brainer”.
“This company is making incredible stuff for putting wind farms on the seabed but a lot of it…is being made by non-UK companies and there is no reason at all why that manufacturing should not be happening in this country,” he said.