Leaders at one of the country’s fastest developing industrial zones have marked the huge progress made ten years on from one of the darkest days in Teesside’s industrial history.
Ten years ago, the Redcar Steelworks closed its gates for the final time following the liquidation of SSI, then-owner of the steelworks site.
The Redcar Blast Furnace was extinguished, thousands of jobs were lost, and a proud industrial community was left with a bleak future ahead.
Out of the ashes of the steelworks has risen Teesworks – the UK’s largest industrial zone and a growing global base for clean energy, advanced manufacturing and innovation.
Now the site is home to a new 450-metre long heavy lift quay, a £950million half-mile long offshore wind monopile manufacturing facility, in SeAH Wind, and work is underway on the Net Zero Teesside Power project just a stone’s throw from where the Blast Furnace once stood.
These are all creating thousands of good, well-paid jobs on the site – with ambitions and work ahead to attract more investors, complete more major infrastructure works, and realise long term targets set out to create thousands more good, well-paid roles.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “The day the steelworks closed was one of the toughest in Teesside’s history. Families were torn apart, livelihoods were lost and an industry that had defined our area for generations was all but gone.
“But we refused to be written off. We took back control of the site and, in just a few short years, transformed it into Teesworks. It’s a place reborn, powering not just the recovery of our region but also leading the way nationally in development of cutting-edge industries.
“Thousands of local people are benefitting from the secure, well-paid jobs being created on the site, and in the years ahead, AI, carbon capture technology, and advanced manufacturing will bring even more skilled jobs to the site.
“Teesside has always been at the heart of Britain’s industrial story – we built the world, and we must never forget the huge role iron and steel have played in our history, our heritage and our culture for almost two centuries.
“Today, ten years on from that dark day, we’re moving forward and reclaiming our rightful place at the forefront in building the world of tomorrow.”
David Smith, Chairman of the South Tees Development Corporation, added: “It is a privilege to be part of this transformation and to see how far we have come. Ten years ago, the closure of the steelworks left our area vulnerable. Today, the site is being rebuilt as a diverse, agile place where world-leading projects in clean energy, advanced manufacturing and innovation are taking root.
“We have work still to do, and the project is also about making sure what happened in 2015 can never happen again. By creating a broad base of industries, we are safeguarding the future and giving local people opportunities in resilient, secure sectors for decades to come.”
Chris Musgrave, Chairman of Teesworks, said: “The closure of the steelworks was devastating, but in just a decade we have turned that loss into one of the UK’s greatest regeneration success stories.
“In that time, the whole team at the site has delivered an extremely complex demolition programme, remediated hundreds of acres of land, and built the infrastructure needed to give global investors confidence to move in and prosper.
“That work is already paying off with SeAH Wind’s £950million offshore wind monopile manufacturing facility, Net Zero Teesside Power at Redcar, and the new Steel River Quay all bringing hundreds of good jobs to local people.
“Teesworks shows what can be achieved when we match determination with ambition. We are building a sustainable future rooted in our proud past, and this is only the beginning. The opportunities ahead in clean energy and advanced industries will deliver long-term growth and secure jobs for generations to come.”
