Serving the Teesside Business Community | 9
/NEWS
/OPINION
WHY A FREE PORT WILL
BENEFIT TEESSIDE
I
CF FERTILISERS REVEALS £40M PLANS
C
F Fertilisers is set to invest around
£40m in its Billingham manufacturing
complex following two years of
record outputs building on the near
100-year heritage of fertiliser manufacturing
at the site.
The biggest investment at the facilities
for 20 years, the project will create over 100
temporary jobs during its execution over the
next two years.
The bulk of the money will be spent
on two key projects to improve the
infrastructure and production capabilities of
the site with development of other facilities
and equipment also planned.
CF’s Billingham site manager Keith
Brudenell said: “We are now the only
company manufacturing high quality
Ammonium Nitrate in the UK with our iconic
blue bags a feature on farms up and down
the country.
“Since CF Industries took a 100% holding
in the site in 2015, demand has grown
considerably and we are now developing the
plant to keep pace with this and meet the
challenges of the future.
“The first priority is a £15.75m project
to upgrade and rationalise the Billingham
high voltage electricity distribution network
including replacement of switchgear on the
Ammonia plant and upgrading those on the
fertiliser production units.
“The new high voltage network will be
state-of-the-art, with a lifespan in excess of
40 years giving us significant power security
for future needs and making for more
efficient production.”
The second major project is a £15.5m
upgrade to the Ammonia reforming plant
designed to extend its life by 20 years.
In addition, CF Fertilisers is investing £8m
to replace a range of equipment in one of its
acid plants to improve reliability and meet the
growing demand.
News of the investment coincides with
exceptional safety statistics released by the
company.
At both CF’s Billingham and Ince site
in Cheshire, production facilities we have
now recorded a million hours of production
accident free at each site.
Sir Michael Fallon to work on wind sector report
T
he former Defence Secretary and
former Energy Minister, Sir Michael
Fallon MP, is to prepare a report
assessing the impact of the Government’s
policy towards UK local content in the
provision of the technology required to
deliver energy from the UK’s offshore wind
energy licences.
Sir Michael’s report, provisionally titled
‘Winning Locally’, has been commissioned
by Wilton Engineering and will consider the
detail of contracts undertaken by the firm and
its partners in evaluating the effectiveness of
the Government’s UK content policy.
He will also be consulting with companies
from across the North-East region and the
offshore industry to compile the report.
Sir Michael’s report will consider the local
impact of this expenditure and look at the
best practice that could enable the sector as
a whole to achieve its 2020 target to source
50% of its work in Britain.
Bill Scott, chief executive of Wilton
Engineering, said: “As a former North-East
MP and former Energy Minister, Sir Michael
’m delighted that more than 50
businesses have supported my calls for
a Free Port for Teesside (read more on
page 72).
When we leave the EU, Britain will find
itself with more freedoms than at any
t ime in almost half a century. Whether
you voted leave or remain, we need to
look to the future and at the opportunities
that are ahead.
In my view, Free Port status for Tees
Valley will be transformational for local
people. Not only would we become an
international magnet for businesses
wanting to set up here, it’ll also mean
more jobs for local people.
There is grit and a natural optimism in
places like Tees Valley when it comes to
Britain’s place in the world. We are and
always have been an open, outward-
looking part of the world, ready and
willing to embrace new opportunities.
Our industrial roots, current businesses
and future plans for the world-class South
Tees Development Corporation site mark
us out as a manufacturing powerhouse to
be reckoned with.
So as we take back control of our trade
policy, I want to ensure we capitalise on
these new freedoms to ensure we’re
best placed to benefit from all that Brexit
brings.
I am enormously grateful the campaign
has secured such positive support from
the business community and local
politicians – particularly Simon Clarke MP
who has been a passionate advocate in
Parliament.
We are all united in our ambition
for our area, but now it’s time for the
government to listen to us, look forward
and embrace the merits of Free Port
status.
Ben Houchen
Elected Tees Valley Mayor
Sir Michael Fallon with Wilton Engineering chief
executive Bill Scott (left) and managing director
Steve Pearson.
is in a unique position to assess the way
North-East manufacturing businesses are
interacting with the wider supply chain.”
Sir Michael Fallon said: “The offshore wind
industry is growing quickly, with £11.5bn of
investment in new UK offshore wind farms in
the pipeline it is vital that local content is fully
incorporated into the supply chain.
“My report aims to consider best practice
and assess any obstacles that need to be
overcome.”
Wilton-based Applied Graphene Materials
is leading the UK market in the race to
commercialise graphene – nicknamed a
‘wonder material’. A form of carbon, the
material is tougher than diamond, a better
conductor than copper and is just one
atom thick.
#TalkingUpTeesside