I think this facility will put the Port of Tyne at the heart of the green industrial revolution

Plans were unveiled on Wednesday, May 14, to create a new sub-area and onshore underground transmission cable manufacturing facility at the Port of Tyne - creating 500 new jobs in the process.

LS Eco Advanced Cables (LSEAC) has launched a five-week public consultation on their proposals to develop a high voltage cable production facility at the port.

The cables produced there would be for under-sea electricity transmission, which are designed to transport clean energy generated by offshore wind onto UK shores.

Despite the plans being at an early stage, the total investment is expected to be approximately £923 million, which would put South Shields and the wider region at the heart of the UK’s clean energy transition.

Matt Beeton, CEO of Port of Tyne, has explained that the investment will not only help the Port of Tyne, but the wider North East as well.

He said: “Firstly, it is really exciting for the Port of Tyne to announce plans to build a cable manufacturing facility - it is something that we’ve been working on for a few years now.

“It is £1 billion worth of investment but actually for us, it is about jobs.

“There will be 500 direct jobs at the Port of Tyne and thousands in the supply chain and that is what the Port is all about.

“It is about attracting opportunity and being part of the green revolution.

“From a business perspective, this is something wider - this is about being a catalyst for further investment in the Port, as well as the other ports in the region, and into the North East itself.

“We’re all about attracting generational activities and this really signifies that, it is the start of something new.

“It really puts us at the heart of the green industrial revolution and we think this will be one of a number of opportunities to come to the Port.”

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Kim McGuinness, North East Mayor, has highlighted that it is important for the North East to be leading the way when it comes to the green energy revolution,

She added: “We know that we can be the home of the green energy revolution, there is nobody with better access to the North Sea, particularly for offshore wind.

“We are already doing a whole host of things in the supply chain from research and development right through to servicing of the offshore wind industry.

“This massive cable manufacturing facility will give us a new string to our bow when it comes to delivering that green energy future for our region.

“This is the future, it isn’t something we can consign to politics. It’s not a choice to whether we transition, we will run out of fossil fuels.

“Oil and gas has been a really important part of industry here on Tyneside and will continue to be through that transition but for businesses like this, they are thinking about the future and what investments they want to make.”

The public consultation will run from May 14 to June 18 to provide an opportunity for local communities, businesses and organisations to give their feedback on the proposed development.

A final planning application is set to be made to South Tyneside Council later this year.

To provide feedback, members of the public are encouraged to visit the project’s website or attend one of the two consultation events.

These are being held on:

• Tuesday, May 27: From 4.30pm until 8.30pm at One Trinity Green, Eldon Street, in South Shields.
• Wednesday, May 28: From 4.30pm until 8.30pm at Cedarwood Trust, The Avenue, Avon Avenue, in North Shields.

For more information about the proposal and to give feedback, you can visit: http://www.lseac-southtyneside.com/.

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