North bank of River Tyne

The River Tyne is vital to economic growth in the offshore sector, particularly offshore wind, decommissioning and subsea technologies.  It is home to globally significant businesses including Siemens, Technip and Baker Hughes who deploy state of the art technologies such as robotics, AI, and energy storage,  They are attracted to the area due to our deep water berths, marine testing facilities, port infrastructure, university research, highly skilled workforce and supply chains. 

 The Offshore Wind Industry Council forecast a doubling of employment across the industry from 26,000 to 70,000 jobs by 2026.  Levelling Up investment will ultimately support both Newcastle’s and the government’s ambitions in the Offshore Energy Sector, providing businesses with the confidence to invest.  

 Further economic growth on the River Tyne is threatened by unique challenges arising from historic mining activity in the North Pennines.  This has resulted in the sediment in the estuary having high levels of heavy metals. At times of higher river flows the sediment washes downstream and accumulates in the quay berths.  A situation exacerbated by climate change. 

When this occurs, action levels for the disposal of the sediment at sea are exceeded and the only alternative is disposal at landfill adding significant costs to businesses. Over time this will lead to berths becoming unviable economically, resulting in the loss of global businesses and jobs on this nationally important East Coast Estuary   

Interventions are being undertaken in the headwaters, supported by Defra, to stop contamination entering the river.  We have developed a technical solution to solve the issues in the estuary and are seeking funding for this project, along with the preparation of a development site.  

Both projects are part of a wide strategic economic plan for the North Bank of the Tyne.  Ultimately, these investments will create highly skilled jobs and benefit some of our most deprived communities (Byker & Walker).   

 Our wider programme includes: 

• Walker Quay – future proofing infrastructure; 
• Further Headwater Interventions  
• River Tyne Restoration Facility (RTRF) and 
• Developing sites along the North Bank 

£17.93 million funding from LUF towards a total cost of £21.57 million (£2.2million spend in 2021/22) is being sought for: 

 River Tyne Restoration Facility (RTRF), our unique solution (4km east of the City Centre) is a purpose-built facility for the deposit of dredged material containing elevated levels of mining-related metals that require appropriate disposal.  A water source heat pump will provide a low carbon energy source for adjacent premises.  Detailed technical feasibility work alongside significant engagement has informed our solution.  

Woodside Avenue within Neptune Park Enterprise Zone, requires remediation to become a viable development site.  This will create a 2.25 hectare developable area to attract businesses in the offshore sector.  

Expected economic impact from LUF investment: 

• 1,004 gross and 761 net additional jobs  
• £376 million of cumulative GVA  
• reduction of 825,516kg of CO2 emissions by avoiding 250,000 tonnes of landfill waste 
• reduction of 2,715kg of CO2 emissions(pa) through a water source heat pump and subsequent construction of a heat network 
• 5.5 ha of wetland habitats 
• 2.25 ha of land remediated