A PROPOSED heliport for the region could be on the cards if the Tees Valley Mayor's plan to buy an airport gets approved this week.

Ben Houchen is hoping to secure the support of all five Labour council leaders, who make up the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA), for his ambitious £40m scheme to bring Durham Tees Valley Airport into public ownership.

And this morning he has announced that Developers SSE and Norwegian energy giant Equinor have confirmed that the airport could be considered as part of Operation and Maintenance plans for what will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm at Dogger Bank.

The joint venture between the two companies will likely require a heliport to support the transfer of people to and from the £3.2billion wind farm project – located more than 100 miles off the coast of Redcar.

 

Wilton Engineering CEO Bill Scott in front of the load-out of the transition pieces for wind farms

The Mayor says that the commitment to plan for public ownership of the airport will ensure it can be considered for use during their operation and maintenance activities.

He said both he and his office have been working with Dogger Bank Wind Farms since 2017 to identify a suitable location in the area for their proposed operations and maintenance base, and to ensure that the airport is considered in the mix.

Halfdan Brustad, Vice President of Equinor, said: “This deal will support the growth of a number of offshore wind supply chain clusters including in the North East. The development of the Dogger Bank Wind Farms is expected to offer a range of opportunities for companies in the North East cluster."

The Equinor-SSE joint venture has also invited the Mayor to address a conference in Newcastle on January 30 where he will pitch for further investment opportunities at the airport.

 

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen

Welcoming the support, Mr Houchen said: “I have always said that my plan to save our airport isn’t just about flights to Costa del Sol, we need to also attract commercial investors like Equinor and SSE to get our airport back into profit. I’m delighted these two huge companies are willing to put their faith in our airport.

“Our success as a region depends on our ability to work, trade and collaborate with old friends and new allies around the world. That means we have to be as accessible, visible, competitive and pro-active as possible."

Bill Scott OBE, Chief Executive of Wilton Engineering Group, added: “The huge positive impact of Equinor setting up on the airport is an absolute massive tick in the box for the businesses and employees, not just within the Tees Valley but for the wider North East economy.”

The TVCA meeting takes place on Thursday.