BUILDING WHAT COMES NEXT FEATURE
Future focus- the Teesworks Skills Academy is helping train the region’ s clean energy workforce of tomorrow.
Teesworks director Matt Johnson explains why energy market volatility is raising the stakes for clean energy delivery in Teesside …
TURNING PLANS INTO POWER
Clean energy investment is often discussed in terms of long-term transition targets, technology and policy frameworks.
But with global energy markets still volatile, the focus is shifting to security, price stability and whether new infrastructure can be brought forward quickly enough.
Recent analysis from the Climate Change Committee highlights the economic case for moving away from fossil fuel dependence and towards a low-carbon economy. Its findings also highlight something practical – progress depends on whether the industry has the resources in place to move forward at the necessary pace.
This is already visible in the grid. It has recently been reported that the UK is generating record levels of wind power, but at times not all of it can be used due to network constraints, leading to curtailment.
As renewable capacity continues to grow, the pressure is increasing on the grid to keep up and ensure it can be efficiently transmitted and used.
That same pressure extends beyond the grid to how new capacity is built out.
Offshore wind projects and other major developments rely on large, complex components and highly specialist logistics, placing greater demands on port capacity, workforce capability and industrial space.
Teesside has become increasingly central to how clean energy infrastructure is advanced. The region is playing a key role in turning ambition into practical delivery by drawing on its industrial strengths to support rollout. Steel River Quay is a critical asset that provides the heavy-lift, deep-water port and logistics facilities needed to handle and move large-scale offshore wind components, including for key developments such as Ørsted’ s Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm.
This kind of capability is essential. Without it, operational progress becomes slower, more complex and more expensive.
Alongside these facilities, Teesside is also advancing world-first developments to support wider industrial decarbonisation. NZT Power, for example, shows how carbon capture and storage can be integrated into existing processes, allowing industrial activity to continue while delivering low-carbon power. With construction progressing at pace and start-up expected in 2028, it reflects how the industry is evolving to meet modern needs.
Workforce and skills availability are additional pieces of the puzzle. These projects require a mix of engineering, construction and operational expertise, much of which is not always directly transferable from existing roles. In Teesside, targeted training that is aligned with demand is helping to close this gap through technical pathways and industry-linked apprenticeships.
Ultimately, the energy transition is not just about investment or technology – it comes down to whether regions have the systems in place to turn plans into delivery. Where infrastructure, logistics and industrial capacity line up, progress is faster and smoother. Where they don’ t, momentum slows and costs increase.
In that sense, Teesside is not simply part of the UK’ s clean energy story, but one of the places where the story is being built in practice.
As energy markets remain volatile and pressure grows to strengthen domestic security, the ability to move from plan to reality is becoming more important than ever. Teesside is playing a central role in enabling this, providing the industrial and logistical base needed to translate investment into real-world outcomes.
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