PD Ports seeks Chain Reaction for Teesside
PD Ports, one of the major companies driving Teesside’s ambition to become a centre of excellence for the European wind energy sector, recently hosted a Chain Reaction conference in Hartlepool to build support for the concept.
Representatives of local companies, as well as local MP Iain Wright, listened to presentations outlining the major opportunities and challenges facing the renewable energy sector.
“We need to act now to build the facilities and infrastructure for the wind farm manufacturers if the UK is to develop a sustainable renewable energy manufacturing and logistics sector,” says Paul Barker, PD Ports Development Director bulks, ports and logistics. “This is the perfect opportunity for the Government to back UK manufacturing and exporting while at the same time making sure we meet our commitment to its 2020 renewable energy targets.”
Speakers called on the Government to make sure planning consent procedures for renewable projects were both transparent and fast and that access to the national grid be made easier for those already generating alternative energy.
Other parts of Europe benefit from significant levels of public subsidy which makes it more difficult for the UK to compete, so the local North-East companies are working together to launch Chain Reaction, the Teesside Renewable Energy Supply Chain Cluster.
They believe that by working together, they can offer the range of skills and facilities needed by those seeking sites for their businesses – including those making hardware for the industry and providers of components for that hardware.
“We have the skills, the facilities and the determination to blend the experience of the past with the vision needed to make this new industrial revolution work,” says Mr Barker. “The people here have the engineering skills to work with the new technologies which will be used to produce everything needed for both onshore and offshore wind farms.”
The Port of Hartlepool, part of PD Ports, is already building a reputation as a centre of wind energy expertise on its 50ha site. The port hosts JDR Cable Systems, a leading cable manufacturer for renewable energy projects, and Heerema Fabrication Group, which specialises in the engineering and fabrication of large and complex structures, mainly for the offshore oil & gas and energy industry,.
With a large brownfield area, Hartlepool is ideally placed for companies manufacturing and supporting wind energy projects. Its location as the closest UK port to Dogger Bank (the Government’s largest designated offshore wind farm zone), its open access to the North Sea, and a workforce with experience and expertise in dealing with large and outsize cargo, makes Hartlepool the obvious choice for this business.
Iain Wright, MP for Hartlepool, says he is very happy to back this initiative. “The Chain Reaction initiative has enormous potential to secure Hartlepool and the wider area as a centre of excellence for wind energy. This will help to create jobs and produce wealth and prosperity for the region. I give Chain Reaction my wholehearted support and will do all I can to work with the team to make it a success”.
PD Ports welcomes expression of interest from any companies who wish to be part of the Teesside Renewable Energy Supply Chain Cluster. To register interest, contact amanda@imageline.co.uk , tel: +44 (0)20 7689 9009.
