Tees and Humber wind farm ports to 'create 6,000 jobs'

Up to 6,000 jobs could be created by two new river ports to support offshore wind farms, the government has said.

About £75m has been pledged for Able Marine Energy Park on the Humber and £20m to the Teesworks Offshore Manufacturing Centre on the Tees.

The two ports will house seven firms, the first of which is GE Renewable Energy at Teesworks, which will build 350ft (107m)-long turbine blades.

Boris Johnson said the schemes "put the wind in the sails" of green industry.

The prime minister added: "Our multimillion-pound investment in these historic coastal communities is a major step towards producing the clean, cheap energy we need to power our homes and economy without damaging the environment."

GE Renewable Energy, which aims to start producing blades at Teesworks by 2023, said it will employ 750 people directly and a further 1,500 in the supply chain.

The blades will be made for the Dogger Bank project more than 77 miles (125km) off the Yorkshire coast which, upon its completion in 2026, is set to be the UK's largest offshore wind farm with the capacity to power six million homes, according to the government.

GE Renewable Energy president Jerome Pecresse said: "We are delighted to announce such a commitment for the renewable energy industry.

"We believe it will help develop a strong talent pool through the hiring and, more importantly, training of future colleagues."

Peter Stephenson, executive chairman of Able Group, said: "The government has set clear policies that provide the offshore wind sector with far greater certainty and market visibility."

The Able Group would "seek to maximise the benefits, locally and nationally, through increased UK content, new jobs and new opportunities for local businesses", he added.