LS Eco Advanced Cables Ltd. (LSEAC) has today launched a five-week public consultation on their proposals to develop a high voltage cable production facility at the Port of Tyne, for under-sea electricity transmission – designed to transport clean energy generated by offshore wind onto UK shores.
While plans are at an early stage and still being finalised, total investment is expected to be approximately £923 million, which would put the North East at the heart of the UK’s clean energy transition.
The consultation runs from 14th May to 18th June and provides an opportunity for local communities, businesses and organisations to give their feedback on the proposed development before the final planning application is made to South Tyneside Council later this year.
The facility would lead to 500 direct jobs and a thousand more across the wider supply chain, including in high-skilled roles in engineering. Along with the North East Combined Authority and the Port of Tyne, LSEAC will work with the region’s schools, colleges and universities to provide training and re-training in the skills needed at the facility, ensuring generations of North East people benefit from the huge employment opportunities.
Sangdon Lee, Director at LS Eco Advanced Cables Ltd., said: “At a time when the UK is moving ever-more-quickly to decarbonising its energy supply, now more than ever there is a huge need for the infrastructure underpinning that transition.
“We’re delighted as a joint venture to be proposing this facility for a sub-sea cable development – but we must make it sure it works for the local community. That’s why we deeply value the input of everyone in the area to this consultation and encourage people to share their views and shape the future of this project.”
North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, said: “We are leading the way to bring this incredible new facility to our region and with it thousands of new jobs. LS Eco Advanced Cables will truly establish North East England as the home of the green energy revolution while also supporting the nation’s drive for energy security.
“This long-term investment will create more than 500 high-quality jobs directly, but we know it will also mean thousands more jobs are created as the supply chain grows around our already thriving offshore sector. It will create a new industrial icon – a symbol of our ambition on a global scale to compare with the Swan Hunter cranes that once overlooked the Tyne. This is a hugely exciting project for the region and shows we are building for the future— that we are the home of green energy, and that we are open for business with the world.”
Matt Beeton, CEO of the Port of Tyne, said: “The proposed cable manufacturing facility is a huge generational employment opportunity for people in the North East and complements the region’s already impressive advanced manufacturing sector. It demonstrates the ability of the region to attract significant international investors to support the clean energy transition, with the Port of Tyne at its heart.”
This proposal would see a state-of-the-art facility to manufacture deep-sea cables built on land within the Port of Tyne (South side, Tyne Dock). The industrial complex would include a series of buildings – including a manufacturing space, testing facilities and offices – situated around a 202 metre tall tower where the cables would be stretched and sheathed before use.
To provide their feedback, members of the public are encouraged to visit the project’s website or attend one of two consultation events being held:
Tuesday 27 May, 4.30 – 8.30pm: One Trinity Green, Eldon St, South Shields NE33 1SA
Wednesday 28 May, 4.30 – 8.30pm: Cedarwood Trust, The Avenue, Avon Avenue, North Shields, NE29 7QT
Visit www.lseac-southtyneside.com to read more about the proposal, leave comments and find out about ways to discuss the facility with the project team.