SeAH Wind Teesside plant hits major milestone

Work on a £450 million wind turbine parts factory has hit a major milestone.

SeAH Wind has welcomed the first vessel of raw materials to its Teesside base.

The 2578-tonne steel plate cargo will be used in production trials at the company’s plant, which is being built on the Teesworks site, near Redcar. 

Described by bosses as the world’s largest base of its type, the 750-job factory will make tubular wind turbine foundations, with operations expected to begin in earnest next year. 

Its maiden cargo was delivered by the 89-metre Jalonborg to the recently-completed 450-metre Steel River Quay, on the south bank of the River Tees, which will also be used to ship SeAH Wind orders to sea. 

Peter Ivey, chief operations officer at SeAH Wind, said: “This marks the first significant material delivery, enabling pre-production trials to commence and reducing risk ahead of commercial launch in 2025.”

Bill Draper, general manager at quayside operator ASCO, said: “It is great to be able to welcome the Jalonborg and demonstrate our capabilities in vessel hosting and shipment handling.”

James Braid, divisional director at Clarksons Offshore and Renewables, which provides management support at Steel River Quay, added: “This may not be the largest shipment, but it is a significant one.”

Steel River Quay was built over two years by contractor GRAHAM using 30,000 tonnes of concrete.

Officials say they are now exploring plans to extend its length by a further 300 metres to cope with future demand.

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