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26 March 2026 PD Ports welcomes the Crown Estate's announcement on the Round 6 offshore auction by confirming its planned 'Teesport Offshore Gateway' - a large deep-water offshore wind manufacturing and assembly facility on the River Tees - as the natural landing point for the next phase of the UK's offshore wind programme. With the central North Sea licence plots - expected to bring 6GW of capacity to market - located closest to the River Tees, Teesport Offshore would provide the scale and deep-water access that the UK currently lacks for the assembly, manufacture and deployment of fixed and floating offshore wind. Economic modelling indicates the facility would add £270 million (GVA) per year to the local economy and support the creation of more than 2,200 direct and indirect jobs. Images attached are computer generated and show the location and scale of the Teesport Offshoer Gateway development within PD Ports' Teesport estate and how it could look once underway: 
Image by PD Ports 
Image by PD Ports
Teesport Offshore Gateway could be online as early as 2028, once a final investment decision to proceed is agreed. The new development sits within an established offshore wind and port manufacturing cluster across Teesport and Hartlepool, including JDR Cables' subsea cable facility, EDF's offshore wind operations base and major fabrication activity from SEAH and Able. PD Ports already holds consents for deep-water berth development on the site, currently undergoing a planning variation for offshore wind use. Advanced discussions are underway with developers, manufacturers and installation partners, with strong market appetite for Teesport Offshore Gateway. Frans Calje, Chief Executive Officer at PD Ports, said: "Today's announcement underlines the Government's ambition in offshore wind. What the sector now needs is the port infrastructure to match. Teesport Offshore Gateway can fill a critical gap in the UK's offshore wind supply chain. We have the site, the consents, the deep water access and an established industrial cluster around us. We can be operational by 2028, directly supporting the Clean Power 2030 mission and creating more than 2,200 jobs and £270m GVA per year across Teesside. The deep-water port would also secure a decisive competitive advantage for the UK, capable of taking the largest vessels and wind turbine generators along the East Coast." PD Ports will continue to engage with Government, the Crown Estate, Great British Energy, the National Wealth Fund and industry partners to finalise the investment framework needed to bring Teesport Offshore Gateway forward. About PD Ports • PD Ports is one of the UK's major port groups, operating across 11 locations nationwide including Teesport and Hartlepool in the north, a cluster of sites on and around the River Humber, and Felixstowe, Thames and the Isle of Wight in the south. • PD Ports is the Statutory Harbour Authority for the River Tees, with a jurisdiction of 12 miles to the Tees estuary with legal responsibility to ensure safe navigation for all vessels and maintenance of the river. Teesport • Handling both unitised and bulk products at Teesport, we also offer portcentric logistics, contract logistics, warehousing, freight forwarding services, shipping services and stevedoring across our portfolio. Investment and jobs • Employing more than 1,400 people, PD Ports is the largest private employer in Teesside and generates 10% of the region's total GVA. • More than 22,000 jobs supported in the wider supply chain • The UK's northern gateway to global trade, Teesport is of national strategic significance, providing businesses and exporters across the UK with essential access to international markets. • As the only major net exporting port in England, Teesport is central to boosting UK exports and achieving Global Britain. • In the last 10 years, PD Ports has attracted more than £1bn of private investment to the Tees Valley, backed by long-term contracts, creating over 2,500 high quality, direct jobs. People and skills • Teesport is the UK's number one port operator for supporting young people. • Teesport has a strong track record on safety, training and skills, including three consecutive years holding RoSPA gold certification. • Staff networks allow like-minded people to share support and experiences, including a women's network, an LGBTQI+ network and a neurodivergent network. • PD Ports are co-founders of High Tide Foundation, which runs dedicated programs aimed at raising aspirations and increasing career prospects for 11-19 year olds across Teesside. • We also operate our own dedicated primary school maritime engagement program, Teesport Explorers, welcoming year 5 and 6 pupils to the port for tours and the chance to meet people across a wide range of career roles. Sustainability • PD Ports has a public commitment to be the UK's most sustainable port company, with the aim reaching net zero operations by 2040. • Our Sustainability Strategy sets out our ambitious decarbonisations targets, our work to support the communities we serve and our commitment to good governance - www.pdports.co.uk/sustainability • We are on target to reach our first milestone - carbon neutral operations across our Tees-based landside operations by 2027. • Multi-million pound investment in plant and infrastructure to support our decarbonisation aims including the £23m Emerald Duchess dredger, which runs on sustainable fuels, and £9.3m on two Liebherr electric hydraulic bulks handling cranes. • Teesport Intermodal Rail Terminal supports greener supply chains, with capacity to remove 85,000 trucks off the road annually and significantly reduce carbon emissions. • Winners of the British Ports Association Port Sustainability Award in 2024. PD Ports press release 
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