Blyth Energised by Offshore

Blyth energised by offshore : Energy Central is delivered through a partnership between Arch and the Port of Blyth, providing nearly 200-ha of land strategically positioned with quayside access.

The sites are aimed at offshore energy sector businesses looking to relocate and grow in Northumberland, in North East England.

Already Energy Central has supported a number of significant offshore energy projects including assisting Royal IHC Ltd to relocate its entire manufacturing and project base into Blyth, where the Port of Blyth has supported the company in assembly and movement of what is touted as the world's most advanced J-Lay pipe system.

This comes on the news that Statnett and National Grid are working together to construct the North Sea Link - an electricity interconnector between Norway and the UK - creating the world's longest subsea interconnector. Connecting the electricity systems of the two countries via high voltage subsea cables from Kvilldal in Norway to Northumberland Energy Park in Blyth, the project sees Energy Central being home to another major offshore construction project with international significance.

In addition, EDF Energy Renewables is building a new offshore wind farm off the coast of Blyth. Located less than 7 km offshore, the project will see five turbines with a total capacity of 41.5 MW installed. Already EDF has built an onshore substation at Energy Central on the Northumberland Energy Park site, adding to its project office at the Blyth Workspace and commitment to a permanent Operation and Maintenance office and maintenance facilities within the Port of Blyth's South Harbour site.

The Energy Central partnership is promoting a selection of these strategic quayside development sites and aims to attract further investment from the energy sector at SPE Offshore Europe 2017 in Aberdeen next month. Martin Lawlor, Chief Executive at the Port of Blyth said: "The Port of Blyth has a great deal of expertise and a consistent track record in supporting the delivery of large scale projects across the energy sector. "Energy Central offers an ideal location for companies looking for access to markets including offshore wind projects, the decommissioning of oil and gas assets in the Northern, Central and Southern North Sea sectors and fabrication, mobilisation and demobilisation for new and existing oil and gas fields in the United Kingdom Continental Shelf."

Richard Wearmouth Chair of Arch, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Energy Central at a global level, as SPE Offshore Europe is recognised as one of the leading oil and gas events in Europe, with over 50,000 attendees.

"The sites in Northumberland are ideal for energy sector businesses looking to locate and grow in an area that offers benefits including an experienced and ready-made skills base, Enterprise Zone status and a £25M investment to add a new deep water quay."

Over £30M of UK government funding has been secured to provide the right conditions for economic growth within Energy Central. This funding has supported commercial development on key Energy Central sites as well as a continued programme of investment in both development and site preparation.