Port facilities outside of “Humber and Tees” appear to be facing an uphill battle to attract the attention, and funds, of the UK Government.
Richard Goffin, port director, south east cluster at Peel Ports Group, says “everything is focussed politically on the north-east” of England, at the expense of harbours elsewhere.
Great Yarmouth, one of a number of facilities on Peel Ports’ books, is among the locations currently struggling to get a look in from ministers, Mr Goffin said.
That is despite the Norfolk site sitting on the doorstep of the Southern North Sea, having a net zero by 2040 pledge, and plans to expand.
“We’re lucky, but unlucky at the same time,” said Mr Goffin, the port director for Great Yarmouth.
© Supplied by Big Partnership“We’re lucky on the basis that we have the space to grow, planning is relatively easy and the relevant proposals are in place to allow us to double our capacity by around about 2025.
“The bad thing is we’re not in the Humber and not in the Tees. If you take the process that BEIS, as it was then, went through as part of the offshore wind manufacturing investment schemes, everything was focused politically on the north-east of England.”
Similar frustrations in Scotland
His comments will strike a chord in Scotland, and particularly in Aberdeen, which is trying to maintain its claims as Europe’s oil and gas capital.
Since 2021 the north-east of Scotland has missed out on carbon capture and storage (CCS) funding – at the expense of projects in northern England – and was overlooked for a green freeport.
It has led to repeated claims from local figures that, in trying to ‘level up’ specific part of the UK, Westminster is failing the Granite City.
© Wullie Marr/ DCTAmplifying concerns is the fact that UK ports are competing for domestic renewables work with facilities in Northern Europe, many of which are larger and better funded.
Mr Goffins said: “We’re pushing central government really hard on this. Ultimately if we don’t get up to speed, all of the pre-assembly works for the Southern North Sea’s next generation of offshore wind will go to Europe.”
He added: “There are a hell of a lot of good things going on in the region – such as hydrogen and carbon capture and storage work at the Bacton gas terminal – it just depends on whether there’s a real government focus in the right area, rather than just trying to win votes.”