GE Renewable Energy tonight announced that it will open a factory for making wind turbine blades on Teeside, creating 750 jobs in the area.
The facility will provide turbine blades for the 2.4 gigawatt Dogger Bank wind farm in the North Sea, a joint venture between energy giants SSE, Equinor, and Eni.
It added that the factory would also indirectly support a further 1,500 jobs in the region.
The investment comes a week after it was announced that Teeside would be the site of one of eight new freeports in England.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Teesside will continue to drive forward our green industrial revolution as we capitalise on new opportunities to produce clean energy through a brand new offshore wind port on the River Tees.
“It will not only create thousands of jobs and harness the skills and expertise of this great industrial heartland, but also boost investment into the area as we build back greener.”
Turbine blades from the factory will begin to be installed in 2024, when the third phase of the Dogger Bank development kicks off.
When it is completed in 2026, it will be the world’s biggest offshore wind farm, with enough generating capacity to power 6m homes.
Wind power is at the centre of the UK’s drive to become a net zero economy by 2050. The government has made plans to install 40 gigawatts of wind generation capacity by the end of the decade.
Project director Steve Wilson said: “Through our turbine supply order with GE, the Dogger Bank project is the catalyst for this important GE investment in Teesside, harnessing skills and expertise in the local area and delivering long-term benefits in the UK’s offshore wind sector.”
Today’s announcement takes the total number of people employed by the project to 2,500.