Boost as £300 million, 2000-job SeAH Wind Teesside factory plans move forward

Moves to create a £300 million wind turbine parts factory have taken a major step forward.

SeAH Wind has submitted plans for the development, which it says will create and support more than 2000 jobs.

Described as the “world’s largest monopile plant for offshore wind turbines”, bosses say the plant will create 750 direct jobs and support a further 1500 construction and supply chain posts.

Subject to approval, the factory will sit on a 90-acre site at Teesworks, near Redcar, and be fully operational by 2026.

Officials say it will be capable of making up to 150 monopiles – large steel tubes that form turbine foundations – every year, with a number tipped to be used on the North Sea-based Dogger Bank wind farm.

An artist’s impression of the new SeAH Wind plant

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “2022 is our year of construction and we are rebuilding a new skyline for Teesside – one that looks to the future and is creating hundreds of well-paid jobs in the cleaner, healthier and safer industries of tomorrow.

“This latest move once again proves this scheme, along with other innovative projects taking place at Teesworks, are not pie-in-the-sky proposals.”

Joosung Lee, SeAH Steel Holdings’ president and chief executive, added: “Bringing the UK’s first monopile manufacturing facility is a very meaningful and significant project to the UK offshore wind industry.”