Port of Tyne selected for £923m clean energy scheme

LS Eco Advanced Cables’ plans to build a high voltage deep-sea cable production facility would put the North East at the heart of the UK’s green energy transition.

The cables produced at the site would be for under-sea electricity transmission, designed to transport renewable energy made from offshore wind onto UK shores.

An onshore factory would be built on the south side of the Port of Tyne, at Tyne Dock, to manufacture the cables, and the complex would include a series of buildings including a manufacturing space, testing facilities, and offices.

They would be arranged around a 200 metre high tower, where the cables would be stretched and sheathed before use.

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Today, LSEAC has launched a five week public consultation for the project, running until 18 June.

A planning application will be made to South Tyneside Council later this year and LSEAC intends to work alongside the North East Combined Authority and the Port of Tyne to maximise the social impact of the project.

Initiatives include working with the region’s schools and universities to provide training and re-training in the skills needed for the 500 direct jobs and 1,000 indirect that the facility would provide, keeping the employment benefits local.

Sangdon Lee, director at LSEAC, said: “At a time when the UK is moving ever-more-quickly to decarbonising its energy supply, now more than ever there is a huge need for the infrastructure underpinning that transition.

“We’re delighted as a joint venture to be proposing this facility for a sub-sea cable development – but we must make it sure it works for the local community.

“That’s why we deeply value the input of everyone in the area to this consultation and encourage people to share their views and shape the future of this project.”

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North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, said: “We are leading the way to bring this incredible new facility to our region and with it thousands of new jobs.

“LS Eco Advanced Cables will truly establish North East England as the home of the green energy revolution while also supporting the nation’s drive for energy security.

“This long-term investment will create more than 500 high-quality jobs directly, but we know it will also mean thousands more jobs are created as the supply chain grows around our already thriving offshore sector.

“It will create a new industrial icon – a symbol of our ambition on a global scale to compare with the Swan Hunter cranes that once overlooked the Tyne.

“This is a hugely exciting project for the region and shows we are building for the future— that we are the home of green energy, and that we are open for business with the world.”

Matt Beeton, chief executive of the Port of Tyne, said: “The proposed cable manufacturing facility is a huge generational employment opportunity for people in the North East and complements the region’s already impressive advanced manufacturing sector.

“It demonstrates the ability of the region to attract significant international investors to support the clean energy transition, with the Port of Tyne at its heart.”

To provide feedback, members of the public can visit the project’s website or attend one of two consultation events being held:

• Tuesday 27 May, 4.30 – 8.30pm: One Trinity Green, Eldon St, South Shields NE33 1SA
• Wednesday 28 May, 4.30 – 8.30pm: Cedarwood Trust, The Avenue, Avon Avenue, North Shields, NE29 7QT