Hartlepool at the heart of UK green industry revolution says minister after firm's £130m deal

The Government’s energy minister says Hartlepool is at the centre of the country’s green industry future.
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Greg Hands, the Minister for Business, Energy and Clean Growth, hailed the part town firm JDR Cable Systems is playing in the growth of offshore wind power.

He visited the dockside site on the day JDR announced a major new £130million Government and private investment in its facilities ,which will secure 270 Hartlepool jobs and create 170 new ones with the building of a new factory near Blyth.

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It will enable JDR, which manufactures and supplies undersea cables for the offshore wind industry, to develop and build components for next generation wind turbines and compete on a global level.

Energy minister Greg Hands at JDR Cables in Hartlepool.Energy minister Greg Hands at JDR Cables in Hartlepool.
Energy minister Greg Hands at JDR Cables in Hartlepool.

Mr Hands said: “In the UK we’ve got the world’s largest installed offshore wind capacity, ten gigawatts overall, but we’re quadrupling that over the next ten years to be 40 gigawatts.

"That will lead to a big demand in the cabling that brings the electricity from the turbines to the land.

"That’s why it’s such an important part of our green industrial future and Hartlepool is right at the very centre of it.”

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Mr Hands said he also spoke to JDR bosses about the potential for exporting more of their goods to the rest of the world.

The £130m deal with safeguard around 270 jobs at JDR Cables's Hartlepool headquarters.The £130m deal with safeguard around 270 jobs at JDR Cables's Hartlepool headquarters.
The £130m deal with safeguard around 270 jobs at JDR Cables's Hartlepool headquarters.

He said: "It’s a really exciting thing for the country, for the North East and really exciting for Hartlepool.”

Mr Hands said the recent energy crisis including the spike in the cost of wholesale gas meant the future for the UK is in renewables and diversifying sources of energy.

Mark Braybrooke, JDR’s chief operating officer, said of the investment: “It’s great for the UK, great for the industry and great for the North East.

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"This is phase one of what we hope and believe will be a much larger development.”

Hartlepool MP Jill Mortimer also praised the investment and said it was testament to the Government’s commitment to green energy.

"I think our region is going to be the world leader for green industry and this is part of it,” she said.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said he had worked with the company, government and officials to secure the new investment.

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He said JDR Cables was an amazing business that is “essential” to the UK’s clean energy ambitions.

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