Able project hailed as opportunity for Humber

THE Humber’s £450m Able Marine Energy Park is a massive “shot in the arm” for the Humber as a green energy centre of excellence, according to business leaders.

The Department for Transport granted planning approval for the £450m scheme for a purpose-built, renewables-focused port and logistics facility at North Killingholme on the south bank of the Humber yesterday. Developer Able UK estimates it will create 4,000 jobs and form a critical part of the UK’s offshore wind industry infrastructure.

Team Humber Marine Alliance (THMA) said the Able UK Marine Energy Park government go-ahead will provide a major boost to Humber businesses working in the maritime and offshore wind supply chain.

“This is one of the big pieces of positive news we have been waiting for,” said Mark O’Reilly, director of THMA.

“The development is a massive shot in the arm for the Humber as a green energy centre of excellence.

“It will bring with it a host of potential opportunities right along the maritime and offshore wind supply chain, benefiting many existing, and new businesses in our region, such as steel fabrication, tugging, port and portside services, logistics and transport, research and development, seabed survey, diving, offshore rescue and many, many more.

“We have already seen Strabag sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Able UK, but they are just the start of what is potentially a significant influx of a range of renewable energy companies.”

The Bondholders marketing organisation, which promotes the Humber, welcomed planning consent for the giant Able Marine Energy Park and said the region was now in a “superb position” to become the UK centre of the offshore wind industry.

Peter Aarosin, chair of the Bondholders, said: “This is the latest piece of a jigsaw which is coming together to establish the Humber as a leading location, nationally and internationally, for offshore wind power and marine renewables.

“With around a quarter of the country’s energy needs generated here or supplied through the region, the Humber is already the UK’s Energy Estuary. Now the Humber is rapidly establishing unrivalled credentials as a major hub for green energy industries.

“With planning permission already in place for the proposed Siemens Green Port Hull development, the Humber now has two major consented sites, within the UK’s largest enterprise zone, for manufacturing operations related to the huge Round Three wind farms in the North Sea. This puts the Humber in a superb position to lead the development of a massive new industry for the UK.

“We can look forward to the New Year with optimism that 2014 will see a series of investment decisions within the estuary which will bring significant numbers of new jobs, directly and through the supply chain, and send a positive wave across the region’s economy.”

The announcement comes just five days after the signing of a landmark Hull and Humber City Deal focused on realising the region’s opportunities within the renewable energy sector. Announcing the City Deal, cities minister Greg Clark said the Humber was “probably the best located centre for energy and marine engineering in Europe”.

The Humber LEP welcomes the decision, hailing it as the unlocking of the potential to improve the competitiveness of the estuary in the offshore wind sector.

Lord Haskins, chair of the Humber LEP, said: “We have supported the project throughout the planning process and are delighted that it has been approved.
This decision could see the transformation of our capacity to supply to the needs of the offshore wind sector and improve the competitiveness of the estuary.

“Investment in offshore wind has seen new confidence in the past few weeks and we will continue to work with Able UK and other Humber partners to support the sector to invest here, where the offshore renewables offer is world class.

“The Able Marine Energy Park is our largest enterprise zone site and a critical part of our plans for growing the Humber as the UK’s energy estuary. Now that it has been approved I want to see the project get underway without any further delays.”

Able founder and executive chairman, Peter Stephenson, says that as well as attracting around 4,000 local jobs directly, it will be the catalyst for delivering the Humber-wide vision to create a cluster of renewable energy companies, both large and small.

He said: “During the public hearings into our plans for AMEP, its significance was compared to the impact of the Nissan development in the North East and this is no exaggeration. It provides the opportunity, not available at any other UK location, to create a critical mass of activity—not only producing wind turbines and their foundations but also providing a base for offshore installation.

“The Humber is ideally placed in close proximity to the world’s largest proposed offshore wind farms and, coupled with the scale of the site, the inherent strengths of local people and local businesses, we have the very best package to offer the emerging offshore wind sector.

“We firmly believe that renewable energy offers the opportunity to transform the economy of the South Bank and the Humber region as a whole. We know that view is shared by the overwhelming majority of people in the area, including local Members of Parliament, by local authorities the Local Enterprise Partnership and a wide range of local businesses.

“In particular we are indebted to North Lincolnshire Council with whom we have worked throughout the development of our plans for Able Humber Port and the Able Marine Energy Park. Their support and guidance has been invaluable.”

 
Chief executive of the Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce, Dr Ian Kelly, said: “Able Marine’s site is ideally suited for this major development as it is not restricted by hinterland and they don’t have to move existing businesses before work can start and there is no need for any remedial work.

“It’s exciting that we will be getting a new port on the Humber, which is already the busiest river in the UK by tonnage, built specifically to meet the needs of the renewables sector.

“The Autumn Statement will have given a degree of confidence to the renewable industry and this excellent news brings a welcome boost to the region just before Christmas which means we can look forward to the creation of new jobs as building work gets under way.”