BUSINESS BITES
Woodsmith project boosted by Mitsubishi backing
NEWS
BUSINESS BITES
SIX OF THE BEST Ørsted has taken delivery of the first sets of monopiles for its Hornsea 3 Offshore Wind Farm. In total, six of the massive structures have now arrived on Teesside from manufacturer Haizea after travelling 960 nautical miles in two batches from Bilbao in Spain.
The monopiles, the first of a total of 197 produced for Hornsea 3, the world’ s single largest offshore wind farm, each weigh an average of 1,670 tonnes and are 90m long.
PARK’ S RECORD NUMBERS Teesside Park has reported a record number of visitors in 2025, with more shoppers visiting the centre across the year than ever before.
Supported by a range of exciting new store openings and refurbishments, alongside a wide variety of events designed to suit the whole family, the centre saw a 4.3 % increase in footfall compared to 2024.
Retailers across the centre saw strong sales figures, with health and beauty, sportswear, fast food and cafes performing particularly well throughout the year.
NEW LEISURE CENTRE Work on a new, state-of-the-art leisure facility for Thornaby Town Centre is underway.
The project is part of the £ 23.9m Thornaby Town Deal, set to bring long-term change and investment to Thornaby.
The £ 14m leisure facility will boast impressive new facilities such as a five-lane swimming pool, gym, sauna and changing rooms.
The two-storey building will connect into the existing Thornaby Pavilion with a first-floor link bridge.
SCHOOL TAKING SHAPE Exciting new drone images have revealed how Middlesbrough’ s new secondary school is taking shape.
Several months after work started on Outwood Academy Riverside, much of the building’ s outer frame is now complete.
The new school, which will welcome students in 2027, is being developed in Middlehaven on land close to Middlesbrough College and the Plenary BV House HQ of Tees Business.
The project is led by the Department for Education and Outwood Grange Academy Trust in partnership with Middlesbrough Council.
Jobs – Amazon’ s latest Tees site is expected to create more than 100 new roles.
Amazon confirms £ 40m Stockton investment creating 100-plus jobs
Global technology giant Amazon is set to create more than 100 new jobs after confirming plans to open a £ 40m delivery station in Ingleby Barwick, strengthening its growing footprint across the region.
The 10,800-sq m facility, currently under construction off Queen Elizabeth Way beside Preston Farm Industrial Estate, is scheduled to open in autumn 2026 and will support last-mile deliveries across Teesside, County Durham and North Yorkshire.
The new site will create a range of permanent roles including managers, supervisors and associates, with full-time positions starting at £ 29,744 per year.
The investment forms part of Amazon’ s wider £ 40bn commitment to the UK between 2025 and 2027 and marks another
Woodsmith project boosted by Mitsubishi backing
The long-term development of the Woodsmith Mine has received a significant boost after Anglo American confirmed a new investment agreement with Japanese industrial giant Mitsubishi Corporation.
The deal marks an important vote of confidence in the North Yorkshire project, which is being developed to produce polyhalite – marketed as POLY4 – a multinutrient fertiliser positioned to support more sustainable global food production.
Under the agreement, Mitsubishi will provide financial and commercial support to help accelerate Woodsmith’ s progress while both companies work together to expand global demand for POLY4 across key agricultural markets.
Tom McCulley, CEO of Anglo American’ s significant vote of confidence in the region’ s logistics infrastructure and workforce.
When operational, the Stockton delivery station will become Amazon’ s latest North- East base, joining existing fulfilment and logistics centres in Darlington, Wynyard, Durham and Gateshead.
Amazon says it will trial innovative technologies on the new site, including cement-free paving, carbon-storing construction materials, AI-powered carbon tracking systems and photo-based emissions monitoring.
Prajvin Prakash, UK director of Amazon Logistics, said:“ When fully operational, it’ s expected to consume around 50 % less energy than a typical logistics building – a significant step forward as we work toward our goal of achieving net-zero carbon by 2040.”
Boost – the Woodsmith mine is being backed by Mitsubishi.
Crop Nutrients business, said the partnership underlined growing international confidence in the project.
“ This is fantastic news for the Woodsmith project,” he said.
“ We are delighted that Mitsubishi has shown such confidence in the enormous potential of Woodsmith and the global market for our highly effective POLY4 fertiliser product.”
150 | Tees Business