ORE Catapult, regional politicians and businesses have formed a taskforce with the ambition of transforming the Tyne area in north-east England into a “world-leading” offshore renewable energy hub.
MPs, councillors, businesses, the Port of Tyne, local authorities, the North of Tyne Combined Authority, along with ORE Catapult, have agreed to work together to further increase investment to the Tyne.
The increased investment would bring thousands more jobs to the river, which already supports more than 6000 jobs and has the potential to support thousands more, including at Equinor’s operations and maintenance base for the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm and Smulders Projects UK.
Positive developments further upstream include the new Sage arena and conference centre at Gateshead quays, which is set to open in 2024.
In a joint statement the Tyne Taskforce set out its ambitious plans for the Tyne to be recognised as a global destination for offshore energy: “We’re a region which works together and the Tyne Taskforce is a reflection of that, uniting people along the length of the Tyne and beyond, and letting investors from around the world know what’s great about our River Tyne.
“The Tyne has everything that forward-thinking investors need in order to grow their business: a skilled and loyal workforce, a pipeline of future talent, a strong focus on innovation, an established supply chain, competitive costs – and of course it’s an unbeatable place to live and work.
“We will look to maximise investment in the river with a focus on future proofing the river’s infrastructure, unlocking key development sites whilst managing the river to keep it healthy and thriving.
“By working on behalf of our communities, we will ensure that the benefits of job growth and prosperity along the river are directly felt by all of our communities.”