Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham has today welcomed the Government’s decision to invest in ports across the country to equip them to build wind turbines for the Offshore Wind industry and hopes it will now mean many jobs for Teesside.
And now he awaits details on how the announcement will affect ports in the North East and in particular the yards alongside the River Tees which are ripe for this kind of development.
Alex was one of many MPs who were campaigning to ensure the Government fulfilled the promise from the last Labour administration to spend £60 million to upgrade ports which are mainly in the North East. The money was deemed vital if private investment in the next generation of offshore wind turbines was to be secured.
Alex said: “I am delighted that at long last we have some good news from this Government for the North East but the devil will be very much in the detail and I look forward to learning just how it will affect the Region and Teesside in particular.
“The confirmation of the cash, earmarked under the last Labour Government, has already seen a positive response from industry with Siemans, General Electric and Gamesa committing to investment in the UK. It was always clear that we simply could not depend on funding from the private sector to ensure vital infrastructures, such as ports, are in place. Without this funding, we ran the risk of businesses withdrawing their investment in offshore wind in the UK, costing thousands of jobs including many in my constituency.
“This however is only a first step forward – what we need to know now is how the money will be invested exactly and what it will mean for Teesside and other ports across the North East.
“We have led the way on green industries and we have the skills needed to create a new world leading industry which will help secure the future. It is important for everyone across the North East to come together and ensure we reap the dividend from this good news.”
