A PETROCHEMICALS firm has signed a new deal to commit itself to the region for another 15 years.

Sabic has taken a fresh lease to continue using 29,000sq ft of office space at the Wilton Centre, near Redcar, which it says will help ensure the success of Teesside’s process industry for “decades to come”.

The move comes just weeks after the business told The Northern Echo it had put “another piece in the puzzle” following the completion of work to modify its flagship Cracker plant.

The Cracker, also based at Wilton, makes goods for food packaging, and has been converted to take US ethane gas as a manufacturing material.

Bosses say the change means the base is now more cost-effective and one of the most flexible of its type in Europe since ethane is cheaper than naphtha fuel, which was previously used on the Cracker.

The factory will still process naphtha, as well as propane, butane and condensates as feedstocks, but officials say the ethane move will provide extra flexibility against a fluctuating energy market.

Reflecting on that work, Daren Smith, acting Sabic site director, said the firm’s decision to extend its Wilton Centre lease was an obvious one, since the company will go on benefiting from its strong position in the region and support from organisations such as the North-East Process Industry Cluster (Nepic).

He said: “The Wilton Centre is an ideal location for the headquarters of Sabic UK Petrochemicals Limited.

“I’m delighted we have committed to continue our presence here for the long-term future.

“The infrastructure, access and facilities within the centre are superb and meet the diverse needs of our organisation very well, from our laboratories to our training facilities.

“The nature of the other businesses and organisations that are based here, such as Nepic, ensure we continue to collaborate and work in partnership to ensure the success of the process industry on Teesside for decades to come.”

The deal to retain Sabic on the 75-acre science and business site follows the letting of 40,000sq ft of office and training space to electrical safety training provider The Faraday Training Group.

Biopharmaceutical operator Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies has also taken 15,000sq ft of office and laboratory space, with that expansion complementing £7m plans to extend development work at a site in Billingham, near Stockton.

Steve Duffield, Wilton Centre site director, said: “Sabic, Fujifilm and Faraday are all leaders in their industries and are exactly the sort of occupiers we want to retain and attract.

“The centre’s owners Angelo Gordon and Trinity Investment Management are especially keen to see leading scientific research and development businesses here.”

Middlesbrough-based commercial property agent Dodds Brown represented the Wilton Centre in the deals.