Teesworks deep water quay to be major wind energy hub
Steel River Quay is set to become a ‘major strategic facility’ for the offshore wind industry.
Located at the Teesworks site, the quay was completed in spring 2024 and is already playing a ‘significant role’ in some of the UK’s largest offshore wind projects.
The quay was built over two years and cost around £114 million to construct.
Steel River Quay: A ‘vital’ deep-water facility supporting the UK’s offshore wind expansion (Image: Supplied)
It is 450 metres long and has a depth of at least 13.6 metres at any state of the tide, allowing it to accommodate two of the largest offshore wind installation vessels at the same time.
It also has a heavy-lift platform, rated at 30 tonnes per square metre, to support the demands of the industry.
Garry O’Malley, chairman at Steel River Quay, said: “Steel River Quay is a standout facility and unique to the East coast of England.Deep-water capability facilitates the handling of large cargo (Image: Supplied)
“Not just for its deep-water capabilities and heavy lift technology but its expansive storage areas and access to an additional 500 acres of land via the South Bank Link Road.
“The quay will be a major strategic facility for the North Sea offshore wind industry over the next few decades.”
The quay’s deep-water capabilities and vast storage space provide an ‘essential’ marshalling point for turbine components for the Dogger Bank Wind Farm – the world’s largest offshore wind farm currently under construction – before they are transported to their final installation sites in the North Sea.Heavy-lift infrastructure enables the handling of massive offshore wind components (Image: Supplied)
Additionally, the quay has also started taking deliveries for what will be the world’s largest monopile manufacturing facility – the giant £950m SeAH Wind factory nearing completion on the Teesworks site.
The deep-water facilities, storage and related infrastructure on Teesworks were crucial components in the decision by SeAH to locate their 810-metre-long facility at the site, recently visited by His Royal Highness King Charles III.
Teesworks will also play a significant role in the development of the £8.5bn Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm.
Set to deliver enough green energy to power more than 3 million UK homes, Hornsea 3 will be making a significant contribution toward UK energy security, as well the local and national economy.
As one of the UK’s most significant renewable energy projects, Hornsea 3 will require large-scale steel fabrication to support its offshore wind turbines.
To assist with this, Hornsea 3 project developer Ørsted and steel contractor Severfield are establishing a steel fabricating facility at Teesworks for Hornsea 3.
Severfield, a market leader in structural steel, is leveraging Teesworks’ strategic location, deep-water access and logistics network to construct key components for this transformative project.
While major occupiers and large-scale projects have grabbed the headlines at the Teesworks site, the development is also making its presence felt further down the supply chain.
Chris Musgrave OBE, Teesworks Ltd chairman, said: “We know how important small businesses are to building the bedrock of the local economy, creating jobs and driving prosperity which is why we always wanted to involve SMEs literally on the ground at Teesworks.
“We’re keen to make a start on building those units as soon as possible so we’ll be getting on site as soon as we can and creating the spaces for new and existing businesses to set up and grow.”
Planning permission was recently secured for more than 40 hybrid commercial units to be built on the Teesworks site near to the SeAH Wind factory.
These units will be rented out to local SMEs, including those in the renewable energy and related sectors, a number of whom are likely to service the needs of large occupiers on the Teesworks site such as SeAH Wind.