Dock Works at Northumberland Energy Park Reaches Major Milestone

Advance Northumberland has successfully completed the final phase of dock works at Northumberland Energy Park in Cambois, delivering a major milestone in the regeneration of the former Blyth Power Station site and surrounding dock infrastructure.

The Ash barge dock was built in the late 1950’s to serve the former power station and has been transformed into a strategic energy and logistics hub designed to support the growth of the offshore energy and subsea markets.

Starting in 2019, the 36-acre site was cleared and remediated with the project requiring complex marine infrastructure works to double the width of the dock to 90m and take the depth to 9m in order to accommodate larger cable vessels and to also service the adjacent JDR subsea cable manufacturing facility.

Under Advance Northumberland’s ownership and following a tender process the Port of Blyth has recently been appointed as operator of the new “Cambois Dock.”

Steven Harrison, CEO of Advance Northumberland, said: “Projects such as this are one of the reasons for Advance Northumberland’s existence, we are here to regenerate infrastructure which is vital to our region and allied to power provision projects such as the Blyth interconnector project. Such developments give us the infrastructure needed to attract global investment, support offshore wind deployment at scale, and create high-quality jobs for local people.

The appointment of a highly successful local partner such as Port of Blyth, and the completion of the Cambois Dock, is a major moment for the region. The North East has an opportunity to lead the UK’s clean energy transition, and sites like this are critical to making that ambition a reality.

It also underlines the importance of ensuring we have the right sites, skills, and partnerships in place so the North East can fully seize this opportunity and compete on the international stage.”

The milestone comes at a time when regional leaders and industry figures have highlighted the scale of opportunity facing the North East’s clean energy sector. Mayor Kim McGuiness recently announced plans to create 25,000 green jobs in the region, stressing it must act decisively to secure investment, maximise its natural advantages, and ensure it captures a leading role in the UK’s transition, particularly in offshore wind, where ports and infrastructure are critical enablers of growth.

Energy Central spans a total of 200 hectares and features 11 deep water berths across three strategically distinct sites. The development is set to play a pivotal role in supporting the growth of offshore wind deployment and wider low-carbon technologies, providing critical portside infrastructure for manufacturing, assembly, storage and transportation.

Ideally positioned on the North Sea coast, the sites offer exceptional connectivity to major offshore wind developments, including Dogger Bank, Berwick Bank, Hornsea and Sofia. This strategic location reinforces Energy Central’s role as a key enabler in the UK’s transition to a low-carbon economy and the expansion of the offshore renewable energy sector.

Advance Northumberland is a diverse property investment and development business, creating opportunities to improve prosperity, tackle inequalities and drive sustainable economic growth across the County. Through the remediation of complex brownfield sites and delivery of high-quality commercial space, to town centre regeneration and the provision of both market sale and affordable housing, the organisation delivers at every stage of the development lifecycle.