Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen is inviting local businesses in Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool to bid for a contract on the former Redcar steelworks site as part of a £120 million project.
Just 24 hours after setting out his 12-month plan for jobs on the newly-named Teesworks site, Mayor Houchen can announce a contract for the new Joint Venture High Voltage Network is going out for tender from today (July 29).
The £120million electrical infrastructure project will create up to 20 construction jobs in its initial phase. The contract is expected to be awarded later this year, with work commencing midway through 2021.
The network has seen no major investment since the 1970s and it would not meet the demands of the future development plans for the site, therefore work is required to replace old and construct new high voltage power network capabilities across the full site, including work on underground infrastructure, existing equipment in current buildings and new substations.
The work will allow the progression of major projects across the whole site, such as Net Zero Teesside and the 4.5million sq ft of state-of-the-art manufacturing space, which between them could create 14,500 jobs for local people.
Over the next 12 months, 19 separate demolitions will take place and 18 individual contracts will go out for tender across the Teesworks site, creating 390 jobs, 39 of which will be for apprentices.
In total, 775 jobs will be created through these investments, which will total £393 million.
Mayor Houchen said “Yesterday, when I set out my 12-month plan for jobs for the former steelworks, I vowed to make sure local workers and local businesses were aware of the opportunities going forward so the jobs we are creating can go to local people.
“Just 24 hours later, we are already putting the first of these new contracts out for tender, and I want to make sure suitable businesses in Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool are aware of the work and can apply accordingly through our new teesworks.co.uk website.
“As part of our comprehensive development plans across the Teesworks site, we must create a sustainable high-voltage network to meet the future demand of the businesses we’re attracting to the site such as Net Zero Teesside.
“Minimal power infrastructure investment has been made over the past 50 years so we are going to put that right with this critical improvement and expansion in the power network
“We have already created 208 local jobs on the site, but this is just the beginning. Over the next year, we will go on to create hundreds more real jobs for real people in our communities, and today’s announcement is another huge step in my plan for local jobs for local people in Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.
“We own the land, we have the keys, the diggers are in place and we are getting on with the job we promised to the former steelworkers, some of which are already back on site in new jobs, making it a place for them to be proud of again.”
Local businesses and local workers will be able to find out about contracts and job opportunities at Teesworks by visiting www.teesworks.co.uk.
