CONSTRUCTION has officially begun on a huge underground tunnel which will transport fertiliser 23 miles from the North York Moors to Teesside as part of a £3.2bn mining project.

Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry MP sounded a horn to signal the start of huge piles being driven into the ground at Wilton, near Redcar.

When production begins at Sirius Minerals’ Woodsmith mine, near Whitby, the tunnel will be used to transport polyhalite, a high-quality fertiliser, via a high-capacity conveyor belt to the Wilton site.

When it arrives at a purpose-built materials handling facility and harbour, it will then be exported across the world and around the UK.

The tunnel will be more than a mile under the ground and is being built by Austrian firm Strabag.

Mr Berry said: “Sirius Minerals is set to create thousands of new jobs and provide a major economic boost to the North economy.

“The fact this is an international investment shows that the Northern Powerhouse is about creating a globally facing economy in which people have the confidence to come and invest.

“This will be one of the largest infrastructure projects in Western Europe.

“The idea that we can lay a 30 plus kilometre tunnel from here in the Tees all the way over to Whitby is an extraordinary feat of engineering.”

The project could result in further investment and development at Wilton and at an adjacent site in Redcar being managed by the South Tees Development Corporation.

A recent independent economic impact assessment said eventually more than 4,000 jobs could be created and there would be a £100bn boost to the UK economy over the next 50 years from the project.

Scott Williams, from Guisborough, a construction manager with Sirius, said: “It’s great for the area and there is a drive to get local people on board.”

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “The ground breaking represents an enormous vote of confidence in Teesside and the development potential of the neighbouring South Tees Development Corporation site.

“This is a project that everyone needs to get fully behind and while there is the outstanding issue of a Treasury guarantee, Sirius are very much pushing for that and I am four square behind them.”

Chris Fraser, chief executive officer of Sirius Minerals, said: “The life of the mine will span multiple generations, so the facilities that we are building here will continue to provide jobs and attract investment to Teesside for many years to come.”