In March 2021. The Tees Valley was announced as one of the first places in the UK to receive freeport status. The Teesside Freeport stretches across the region. Including Teesworks, Wilton International, Teesside International Airport, the Port of Middlesbrough, the Port of Hartlepool, Liberty Steel Hartlepool, LV Shipping and Teesport.
Building on existing manufacturing strengths, particularly in chemical and materials processing, biomanufacturing, offshore wind and renewable activity. The freeport will create more than 18,000 jobs and boost the local economy by billions. And by spreading out the freeport, maximum benefit can be gained for the people of the Tees Valley.
As the UK’s largest freeport, the site covers approximately 4,500 acres, the equivalent of 2,550 football pitches. On top of that, its transport links make it the country’s best connected freeport and a gateway to global markets via air, sea, rail and road.
Complementing this scale and connectivity is the east coast of England’s deepest port, Redcar Bulk Terminal. Alongside this, the UK’s fifth largest maritime complex, Teesport, and a new 1km quay at South Bank, make the Tees Valley a major export region and the go-to place for renewables, offshore wind and hydrogen manufacturing. This is supported by its close proximity to the majority of UK wind farms. With 80% located within a 24-hour vessel time including the world’s biggest offshore project, Dogger Bank. which lies just 80 miles away.
The freeport also boasts investment from GE Renewable Energy in the form of a multimillion-pound manufacturing facility. As well as the Tees Offshore Manufacturing Centre and the UK’s most developed CCUS project, Net Zero Teesside; both located at Teesworks. This paves the way for a cleaner and greener economy. While helping the area realise its ambition to become the UK’s first net zero cluster.