THE Prime Minister hailed the leading role that North-East firms are playing in the drive to combat climate change during a summit with ministers from 23 leading economies.

David Cameron used the Clean Energy Ministerial Conference to launch

a new industry partnership, called Norstec, which brings together key players in renewables to make the most of opportunities in the world's fastest growing energy sector.

An early signatory to the initiative was JDR Cables which yesterday completed a £30m investment in its Hartlepool plant, which employs 140 workers.

The firm, which is a world leader in producing cables for wind turbines, and the oil and gas industries, is part of a cluster of North-East firms helping to make the region a hub of renewable energy activity.

JDR is about to complete an order of more than 200 kilometres of cables for one of the world's largest offshore wind farm installations, the London Array project, and was recently awarded a contract for Dong Energy's Gunfleet Sands wind farm project.

After completing the multi-million pounds investment, Andrew Norman, chief executive of JDR Cables said the investment would boost the firm's chances of supplying upcoming projects in the North Sea.

The company was recently given funding from the Government to evaluate future potential sub-sea cable and manufacturing technologies.

Mr Cameron noted JDR's growth as he argued for renewables to sit at the heart of energy policy.

"With global demand forecast to increase by more than 40 per cent in the next two decades, we urgently need a more diverse, cleaner mix of energy sources that will give us energy security without causing irreparable damage to the planet," he said.

"Renewables are now the fastest growing energy source on the planet. And I am proud that Britain has played a leading role at the forefront of this green energy revolution.

"Britain has gone from virtually no capacity for renewables, to seeing them provide almost 10 per cent of our total electricity needs last year. And we've added more capacity for renewables in the last two years than at any time in the last decade.

"Our commitment and investment in renewable energy has helped to make renewable energy possible. Now we have a different challenge. We need to make it financially sustainable."

The Prime Minister spoke about collaboration between government and business to drive down costs, the need to develop a global carbon price and the importance of enhanced international trading.

Other North-East firms in the Norstec partnership include Darlington-based subsea engineering support firm Modus Seabed Intervention and Tag Energy Solutions, which has a wind farm factory at Haverton Hill, Billingham.

Alex Dawson, Tag's Chief Executive, said: "This is a critical time for the industry and this new initiative demonstrates the collaborative attitude that exists in the industry to get the maximum benefit from the resource the North Sea offers. It has tremendous potential to deliver hundreds of gigawatts capacity for secure, clean, renewable power, which will in turn create and sustain thousands of jobs."