HAVE YOUR SAY
ON NET ZERO
Net gains – Net Zero Teesside MD Andy Lane (right) on the South Tees
Development site with Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen and Pratima
Rangarajan, CEO of OGCI Climate Investments.
Teessiders are being encouraged
to have their say on a worldfirst
energy project set to bring
thousands of jobs to the area.
Net Zero Teesside is the UK’s first
industrial cluster aiming to cut carbon
emissions from Teesside’s heaviest
polluters by as early as 2030.
A major consultation on the second
stage of the project is underway including
locations, routes and the design and layout.
Net Zero Teesside will either store or
use the carbon dioxide emitted by industry,
taking advantage of enormous storage sites
beneath the North Sea and carbon capture
utilisation and storage technology.
The consultation will help make
Teessiders “fully aware of the project”,
how it could contribute to decarbonising
the UK’s economy - and how Teesside can
make the most of its benefits.
Views will also be sought on the potential
Port of call
The largest ever container ship to visit
Teesport has been welcomed during
the Covid crisis with a delivery of 850
containers packed with goods destined for
UK retailers.
The 222-metres long Adelheid-S, which
can handle 3,400 20-foot containers, was
a sight to behold as it approached the
port, arriving after an 18-hour journey from
Antwerp in Belgium.
Operated by global shipping company
MSC, the ship carried 852 containers, which
the port’s three dockside cranes unloaded
before the Adelheid-S departed for its
return sailing to Antwerp.
With discharged cargo heading
nationwide to well-known retailers, the visit
of the Adelheid-S highlights the critical role
that Teesport plays in the local and national
TEES
Business.
effects of the project, its construction and
impact on the environment.
Five of the world’s biggest energy
companies - BP, Eni, Equinor, Shell and
Total - are behind Net Zero Teesside (NZT).
It will be operated by BP.
It is believed the project could support
up to 5,500 direct jobs and £450m in direct
GVA during the construction phase alone.
Its carbon capture and storage and
fuel production system could safeguard
between 35% and 70% of the existing
manufacturing workforce on Teesside,
which amounts to at least 7,000 jobs.
Andy Lane, the project’s managing
director, said: “We believe Net Zero
Teesside an plat a vital role in the UK’s
green recovery while generating substantial
direct economic benefits for Teesside and
the UK.”
Visit netzeroteesside.com to give your
feedback.
economies, supporting vital supply chains at
an extremely challenging time.
Frans Calje, PD Ports’ CEO, said:
“The Covid-19 crisis has highlighted the
importance of the global supply chain to our
region’s economy.
“As one of the UK’s major pieces of
infrastructure, Teesport has continued
to operate throughout this global crisis,
keeping the country supplied with imports of
food, fuel, pharmaceuticals and other goods
essential to everyday life.”
See pages 22-25 to read our in-depth
interview with Frans Calje.
Work on a £35m upgrade to Middlesbrough railway
station is set to get underway in 2021 including a
platform extension that could deliver the first direct
train link to London for decades. Other plans include a
£6.5m entrance with accompanying business units on
Zetland Road.
#TalkingUpTeesside #TalkingUpTeesValley
BUSINESS BITES
NEWS
RECRUITMENT DRIVE
Fire alarm, emergency lighting and
security specialists TFS are looking
to recruit for a number of roles due
to company growth.
Based at Drake Court on
Middlesbrough’s Riverside Industrial
Estate, fully accredited TFS
designs, installs, commissions and
maintains all systems for clients
including hospitals, schools and local
authorities.
The new roles include a fire
alarm commission engineer, fire
and security engineer and an office
administrator.
‘WELCOME BACK’ HELP
Ben Houchen visited the Cleveland
Bay pub in Eaglescliffe to discover
first-hand how a recently launched
fund to support the hospitality and
tourism sector is helping businesses
across the region.
The Welcome Back Fund is part of
the Tees Valley mayor’s jobs plan for
the region and is the first phase of a
£1m year-long programme of support
for frontline small and medium-sized
businesses, offering grants of up
to £1,500 as they seek to reopen
following the coronavirus pandemic.
LOCKDOWN SALES BOOST
Mercedes-Benz dealer Bell Truck
and Van – which has branches in
Stockton and Billingham – sold more
than 700 new and used vans in the
seven weeks after lockdown – up
116 per cent on the corresponding
period last year.
The sales team worked throughout
from their homes and were able to
turn an impressively high proportion
of enquiries into sales.
Social distancing measures to
protect technicians enabled the
firm to keep workshops and parts
departments open for customers,
particularly blue light fleet operators
such as North East Ambulance
Service.
CRIME SCENE APP
A pioneering new app, Crime Scene
Assistant, has been developed
by two former Crime Scene
Investigators (CSIs), and is helping
first responders to preserve vital
evidence when they arrive at an
incident.
The app is the first product to be
offered through Crime Scene Assist,
the new digital sister company of
Teesside business CSI Training and
Events, and aims to make forensic
awareness second nature for first
responders.
Both companies were founded
by Teesside University graduates
Angela Davies and Dionne Watson,
who decided to move into the digital
arena last year. Crime Scene Assist
will also offer online training services.
The voice of business in the Tees region | 13