BIODIESEL producer D1 Oils has opened its new global headquarters bringing almost 40 jobs to the region.

The company was based in Stockton but has moved to Middlesbrough's Riverside Park site, where it will also manufacture up to 32,000 tonnes of biodiesel a year through four new refineries on the site.

It has transferred staff from its London and Preston bases to Middlesbrough, where it will carry out research and development and house the final assembly and testing of its refineries, which are being manufactured in Sunderland.

The headquarters will also house training facilities for D1's international operations.

D1 is growing an oil-producing weed, jatropha, in plantations across Asia and Africa and plans to manufacture biodiesel refineries in the North-East for delivery to those plantations, and to customers.

It has developed lorry container-sized refineries capable of producing 8,000 tonnes of diesel each a year, four of which will be based in Middlesbrough from June, going into full production from the autumn.

D1's regional refinery centre will use soya oil rather than jatropha and will supply its private clients, such as hauliers, instead of being sold in service stations.

The four refineries being deployed to the site are the first production units of the company's patented D1 20 refinery. The site will allow it to ship out its refineries, and it said there was capacity to significantly expand its operations.

The group, which is listed on London's junior stock market, AIM, said it was waiting for final operating approvals from the Environment Agency shortly.

Elliott Mannis, chief executive officer of D1, said: "We are building a global supply chain for biodiesel production, from planting and harvesting energy crops to refining and trading of vegetable oils and biodiesel.

"The site has room for significant expansion of refinery operations."

Karl Watkin, chairman of D1 Oils, said: "The deployment of the first D1 20 to Teesside to begin refining biodiesel is the realisation of years of hard work by the whole company and, in particular, by the refinery team. The site will be a showcase for the refining technology and engineering capabilities of both D1 and the region."

Middlesbrough Councillor David Budd, executive member for regeneration, said: "It is good to see a growing company making Middlesbrough their location of choice.

"This is a market with massive potential and D1 Oils will be ideally placed to expand and prosper."