Last year, Port of Blyth celebrated 25 years of involvement in offshore wind. As the home of the UK’s first demonstrator offshore wind farm, which was installed in 2000, it has been at the heart of the sector’s development – strengthened by its role in the Energy Central cluster.
And the next 25 years could be just as transformational for the port…
New investments, new partnerships and new tenants are just some of the exciting developments we discuss with Alasdair Kerr, Commercial Director of Port of Blyth, in this in-depth interview.
The results of Allocation Round 7 (AR7) were announced in January – and the round saw a record 8.4GW of offshore wind secured. How can Port of Blyth support the winning projects?
The results of AR7 were good news for the sector and the UK supply chain, especially those in North East England with three large offshore wind farms off the East coast receiving Contracts for Difference (CfDs).
Port of Blyth is a pioneer and leader in supporting UK offshore wind projects, with over 25 years’ experience in the sector. The Port is offering those developing the sites to use our experience to support them during the construction and operation & maintenance phases. Our turn-key solutions approach means we can support marshalling and installing their subsea assets, including cables and foundations, while providing bases for offshore construction, vessel mobilisations and O&M.
The port recently signed an MOU with North East Mayor Kim McGuiness and Port of Tyne, Port of Sunderland and Newcastle Airport to create the North East Ports Partnership. How significant is this for both the Port of Blyth and the region?
The new partnership is majorly significant for success across the North East region, which has a track record in driving green energy growth, innovation and delivering major projects globally.
By the North East Ports (Ports of Blyth, Tyne, Sunderland and Newcastle International Airport) working together, we can move projects faster, attract investment and drive sustainable growth. We can also offer a unique joined-up proposition for clean energy developers, manufacturers and investors.
The partnership brings together expertise into a coordinated effort, promoting the region, jointly solving shared problems and delivering innovation. I am confident that the North East Ports Partnership will deliver jobs and growth to the region.
What will the award of £275,000 of funding from The Crown Estate to the Port of Blyth, as part of the Supply Chain Accelerator fund, mean for the Port? And what impact could the development of Battleship Wharf Terminal and the river dredging, which the funding will support, have for North East England’s wider capabilities?
The backing of The Crown Estate is an important step in helping us grow the opportunities for more UK content in UK offshore renewables. In the short term, the match funding will enable our initial work on expanding the footprint of Battleship Wharf Terminal by 3Ha (7.5Ha) and deepening the Port to ensure we can service the ever-growing offshore vessels that are constructing and maintaining UK, European and global wind farm.
Longer term, these works will enhance port capacity, operational efficiency, and accessibility, further supporting the expansion of the UK’s offshore renewables sector. We are unlocking new opportunities for offshore renewable energy, enabling unrestricted access for larger offshore vessels, and creating a dedicated facility for cable storage, marshalling, manufacturing and long-term O&M support.
The Port recently opened new office facilities at South Harbour – what kind of companies are being attracted to the Port of Blyth and have any businesses already signed up? How could businesses benefit from the location?
Blyth is nationally and internationally recognised as a key hub for the offshore sector, both for oil & gas and offshore renewables. Energy Central, a partnership between the Port, Advance Northumberland, Northumberland County Council and Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, has already attracted over 50 supply chain companies to be based in Blyth. The success of this one-stop-shop approach not only draws the attention of potential customers, but attracts others in the supply chain to relocate to the Blyth cluster.
There has been significant interest in the new South Harbour offices, which are already oversubscribed by companies further strengthening the Blyth offering, including heavy lift, port agency, oil supply and other complementary services for vessels visiting Blyth.
Port of Blyth is a key partner in Energi Coast, North East England’s offshore wind cluster: how important is it to have such a strong cluster network in the region?
It is vitally important. Energi Coast offers multiple benefits, from providing market updates to signposting opportunities for the North East supply chain. The Energi Coast team facilitate meetings and events to bring key stakeholders to the region and to help them understand our market leading capabilities. Their proactive approach has helped local businesses win work with developers and Tier 1 contractors, as well as hopefully securing a leasing round in the waters off the North East coast, which will deliver jobs, work and wealth to the region. These are just a few of the reasons that we actively support and participate with Energi Coast.
The Blyth Festival of Energy takes place in March. What role is the port playing and what impact could the festival have on Blyth?
The Port of Blyth is playing a central role in the Blyth Festival of Energy, working in partnership with Blyth Celebrates and Walk the Plank to deliver a diverse programme of events in March. The port will host two large-scale public spectacles, Whale Song on the River Blyth and the Tower of Light on Duncow Quay, providing free, high-quality entertainment inspired by the town’s relationship with energy, industry and place.
Alongside this, the Port will host a Green Careers Fair for local students and an open day at the Energy Central Learning Hub. The festival will celebrate Blyth’s growing role in the clean energy sector, highlight the businesses and people driving this work, showcase career opportunities, and help demystify what happens behind the port walls, giving the community a better understanding of the port’s role in supporting and improving the town and its future.
What else is on the horizon for the Port in 2026?
The Port has achieved record performances over the past five years and looks to continue this trend into 2026 and beyond. This year will see the first cables produced by JDR Cables at their Blyth facility, which will be loaded to vessel on the new NEP1 Dock by the Port.
We will see more cable and flexible pipe handled through the Port, the world’s largest trencher built and deployed in Blyth, more investment in our infrastructure to allow us to grow in the future, students and professionals being trained in engineering and renewables, expansion of our global forwarding services, more tenants moving onto site and existing tenants expanding their facilities.
It promises to be another exciting year not only for the Port, but also for people that work and/or live in Blyth!
For more information on the Port of Blyth, visit portofblyth.co.uk