Ready to strive for a whole new industry

May 27 2009 By Peter McCusker, The Journal

THE sound of rivets being hammered into place resounds around the banks of the Tyne once more. Peter McCusker reports on the rennaissance of a once great industry.

DURING its engineering heyday it played host to some of the world’s great shipbuilding companies and created some of the world’s great ships.

Tens of thousands of men and women worked on the banks of the Tyne and it was a gloomy day when the last ship to be built on the river, the Lyme Bay, left four years ago.

Tens of thousands of men and women worked on the banks of the Tyne and it was a gloomy day when the last ship to be built on the river, the Lyme Bay, left four years ago.

Commentators reflected sadly on the end of the river’s great industrial age but those valedictory remarks now appear premature.

Commentators reflected sadly on the end of the river’s great industrial age but those valedictory remarks now appear premature.

For the Tyne is re-emerging as an industrial hotbed with the mechanical and engineering skills that once forged ships now creating machines to provide the world with energy.

For the Tyne is re-emerging as an industrial hotbed with the mechanical and engineering skills that once forged ships now creating machines to provide the world with energy.

The success of the Tyne’s subsea oil and gas companies is well documented, with the likes of world-leading companies Wellstream, Duco and SMD around Walker, providing work for hundreds of people.

The success of the Tyne’s subsea oil and gas companies is well documented, with the likes of world-leading companies Wellstream, Duco and SMD around Walker, providing work for hundreds of people.

And in the past few weeks the former Hadrian shipbuilding yard in Wallsend has re-opened and will eventually be used to build the towers for giant offshore wind turbines. Shepherd Offshore has started work creating a 50,000sq ft plant at the Neptune Yard in Walker for the manufacture of turbine blades.

And in the past few weeks the former Hadrian shipbuilding yard in Wallsend has re-opened and will eventually be used to build the towers for giant offshore wind turbines. Shepherd Offshore has started work creating a 50,000sq ft plant at the Neptune Yard in Walker for the manufacture of turbine blades.

On the river’s southern bank McNulty Offshore at South Shields recently won a contract which will secure work for 200 to build a 1,600-tonne offshore windfarm substation.

On the river’s southern bank McNulty Offshore at South Shields recently won a contract which will secure work for 200 to build a 1,600-tonne offshore windfarm substation.

And the flagship yard Swan Hunter, birthplace of the last ship built on the river, looks set to be given a new lease of life with North Tyneside Council in talks to buy it. The council and Newcastle College are considering the creation of a centre to train workers in marine engineering and there are plans for manufacturing too.

And the flagship yard Swan Hunter, birthplace of the last ship built on the river, looks set to be given a new lease of life with North Tyneside Council in talks to buy it. The council and Newcastle College are considering the creation of a centre to train workers in marine engineering and there are plans for manufacturing too.

The driver for this renewed surge in activity is the Government’s goal to generate 20% of the UK’s power from renewable sources by 2020, with offshore wind farms viewed as the main source

The driver for this renewed surge in activity is the Government’s goal to generate 20% of the UK’s power from renewable sources by 2020, with offshore wind farms viewed as the main source

If the Government wants to hit this target it will have to generate 33GW – equivalent to 5,700 large wind turbines, with many of these earmarked for the North Sea.

If the Government wants to hit this target it will have to generate 33GW – equivalent to 5,700 large wind turbines, with many of these earmarked for the North Sea.

In Blyth, home of the North East’s only offshore windfarm, the region possesses one of the world’s leading centres of expertise in renewable energy NaREC – the North East Renewable Energy Centre.

In Blyth, home of the North East’s only offshore windfarm, the region possesses one of the world’s leading centres of expertise in renewable energy NaREC – the North East Renewable Energy Centre.

Its business development director Andy Williamson equates what is happening on the banks of both the Tyne and the Tees to what happened with Nissan on Wearside 20 years ago.

Its business development director Andy Williamson equates what is happening on the banks of both the Tyne and the Tees to what happened with Nissan on Wearside 20 years ago.

"The North East is set to become a major strategic manufacturing base for offshore wind," he said. "Offshore wind manufacturing is a massive opportunity for the region and the skills required will be the traditional engineering skills, electrical and mechanical engineering which the North East is famous for. The rivers of the region with deep port facilities are the ideal locations for the manufacture of wind turbines. They are in strategic locations close to the North Sea where the turbines will be placed, with access to a strong engineering supply chain.

"The North East is set to become a major strategic manufacturing base for offshore wind," he said. "Offshore wind manufacturing is a massive opportunity for the region and the skills required will be the traditional engineering skills, electrical and mechanical engineering which the North East is famous for. The rivers of the region with deep port facilities are the ideal locations for the manufacture of wind turbines. They are in strategic locations close to the North Sea where the turbines will be placed, with access to a strong engineering supply chain.

"There is already a strong supply chain, with the likes of Siemens and JDR Cables in Hartlepool. What we are looking at is a Nissan-style investment where a whole supply chain will develop providing thousands of jobs.

"There is already a strong supply chain, with the likes of Siemens and JDR Cables in Hartlepool. What we are looking at is a Nissan-style investment where a whole supply chain will develop providing thousands of jobs.

"The North East is in a great location, but it will also be competing against other towns and cities along the UK’s North Sea coast.

"The North East is in a great location, but it will also be competing against other towns and cities along the UK’s North Sea coast.

"The Government says the developments will create 80,000 jobs in the UK over the next 10 years and there could be 20,000 of these created in the North East.

"The Government says the developments will create 80,000 jobs in the UK over the next 10 years and there could be 20,000 of these created in the North East.

"We are continuing to attract some major players looking to establish manufacturing facilities on riverside bases here in the North East.

"We are continuing to attract some major players looking to establish manufacturing facilities on riverside bases here in the North East.

"These are large international companies who want to invest in the North East. It’s a very compelling investment proposition.

"These are large international companies who want to invest in the North East. It’s a very compelling investment proposition.

"There are a handful of major players globally in wind turbines and we are in talks with them, with a view to them putting down long-term roots in the North East." NaREC is the largest independent offshore wind industry body in the UK and provides technological support, development and testing facilities to the sector.

"There are a handful of major players globally in wind turbines and we are in talks with them, with a view to them putting down long-term roots in the North East." NaREC is the largest independent offshore wind industry body in the UK and provides technological support, development and testing facilities to the sector.

It is working with United States company Clipper, which is testing offshore turbines at NaREC’s Blyth base.

It is working with United States company Clipper, which is testing offshore turbines at NaREC’s Blyth base.