FEATURE
Guardians of the River Tees – PD Ports staff carry out conservancy work on the river .
On the precipice of change – Frans Caljé says Teesside has great momentum going into 2025 .
We – here in Teesside – have the building blocks to be at the forefront of what I believe will be the fourth Industrial Revolution .
A busy year on the Tees Of course there are exciting activities elsewhere on the river .
The government ’ s support for Net Zero Teesside , led by bp and Equinor , this autumn to progress carbon capture is welcomed and can support the UK ’ s future energy security .
Able UK at Seaton Port is leading the way , as installation yard for Dogger Bank , the world ’ s largest offshore wind farm – a visible representation of the future on our skyline .
Simultaneously , the arrival of the Brent Charlie platform to Able Seaton Port this summer shows the other end of the offshore spectrum , decommissioning the huge structures that for so long have symbolised the UK ’ s energy needs .
Our new neighbours SeAH are also making great strides as the factory that will produce huge monopiles is closer than ever to completion – we ’ ve been pleased to support that effort by handling more than 14,000 tonnes of project cargo across the quay at Tees dock .
All of these developments are just the start of what can be achieved on Teesside in support of the energy transition . The secure , well-paid jobs that they can each bring – and the related boost to the supply chain – can be a game-changer for the region and its children .
Looking to the future With these early foundations in place , we must now look to the future .
Government support is key and at PD Ports we are lobbying for targeted investment in the maritime sector , a focus on skills and for clarity of policy around the energy transition .
We want action and forward thinking from Westminster to finally kickstart major projects .
Sir Keir Starmer visited Tees dock to announce £ 1.8bn of funding for port infrastructure projects earlier this year , of which the energy transition and the offshore sector will play a huge part . We need to understand and influence how that funding will be deployed and trickle down the supply chain , into the wider economies of the regions .
We also strongly welcome the government ’ s plans to develop a 10-year infrastructure strategy , aligned with an industrial strategy , to give long-term foresight to investors and operators .
It is by working together – public sector and private sector – that we ’ ll break through some of the pinch-points that hinder and slow development , giving the River Tees and the wider region the opportunity to deliver generational change .
There ’ s great momentum in Teesside going into 2025 and we must harness that through collaboration across the river community .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 31