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£130m to be invested in new JDR Cable Systems factory
JDR Cable Systems (JDR), a global subsea cable and umbilical supplier and servicer, part of the TFK Group, has announced plans to open a new state-of-the-art subsea cable manufacturing facility in Cambois, near Blyth, Northumberland.
JDR has confirmed its intention to go ahead with the project, subject to final agreements, with construction expected to begin in 2022 ahead of a 2024 opening, creating 170 local jobs on completion and safeguarding 270 jobs at JDR’s existing facilities. The initial project investment is estimated at £130m, which will be part funded by a grant from the BEIS Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Support (OWMIS) scheme. JDR and TFK plans to raise the remaining funding with support expected from financial institutions and UK Export Finance.
JDR Cable Systems has announced a government-backed plan to open a £130m state-of-the-art subsea cable manufacturing facility in Northumberland / Picture: JDR Cable Systems
The new facility is the first stage of JDR’s plans to expand its product portfolio to support the growing global renewable energy market, adding high voltage export and long length array cables to its existing capacity and product capabilities. Further stages of the development could result in over 400 staff working at the site, with supplied products complementing JDR’s existing capacity provided by the company’s Hartlepool and Littleport UK manufacturing sites.
When complete, the facility will include a new catenary continuous vulcanisation (CCV) line, making it the only facility in the UK capable of full start-to-finish manufacturing of high voltage subsea cables for offshore wind farms.
Tomasz Nowak, chief executive officer at JDR, said: “As the energy transition gathers pace and the UK’s offshore wind sector continues to thrive, turbines are growing taller and farther from shore, calling for higher voltage subsea cables. We’re delighted to build on our legacy as a leading provider of subsea cables to the offshore energy sector by investing in this new facility. We’re also delighted to continue our investment in the North East of England, and in bringing new jobs to Cambois, Blyth and Northumberland. Our proposed facility is strategically located to capitalise on the rapidly growing and largest offshore renewable energy market in Europe.”
The new facility is due to open in 2024, creating 170 new jobs and safeguarding 270 others at existing JDR facilities / Picture: JDR Cable Systems
The 69,000 sqm facility will occupy the site of the former coal-fired power station, continuing Northumberland’s emergence as a hub for renewable energy engineering and industry.
Tony Quinn, chair of Energi Coast – the North East England’s Offshore Wind Supply Chain Cluster, said: “We’re delighted that JDR has selected Cambois, near Blyth, for such a strategically important investment. It will make a significant contribution toward the development of an offshore wind industrial cluster in the North East, strengthening an already well established supply chain and creating hundreds of high value jobs.”