Port of Blyth has been awarded £275,000 in match funding from The Crown Estate to support the expansion of its Battleship Wharf terminal. The money comes from the second round of The Crown Estate’s £50m Supply Chain Accelerator fund, which backs early-stage offshore wind supply chain projects.
The funding will cover initial design work for infilling and reclaiming 3 hectares of land at Battleship Wharf and for capital dredging of the river. These works are intended to increase capacity, improve efficiency, and enhance access for offshore renewables. The initial design phase is scheduled for completion in 2026.
Martin Lawlor OBE, chief executive of Port of Blyth, said the award is an important step for the port and for the UK offshore wind sector in a year when Blyth marks 25 years in offshore wind. He said that reclaiming land and deepening the river channel at Battleship Wharf will create new opportunities for offshore renewable projects, allow larger offshore vessels to access the terminal without restrictions, and provide dedicated space for cable storage, marshalling, manufacturing, and long-term operations and maintenance.
Lawlor added that the developments will expand Blyth’s role in offshore energy activity and help strengthen the UK’s clean energy supply chain as the industry grows.
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness welcomed the announcement, calling it good news for the regional offshore sector and saying she was pleased that Port of Blyth had secured the funding. She said the North East is working to make itself a centre of green energy and that projects such as this are an important part of that plan.
McGuinness pointed to the sector’s growth potential and restated the target of delivering 25,000 new green jobs across the North East by 2035. She also said she was encouraged that The Crown Estate recognises the region’s vision as it implements its Local Growth Plan and seeks more opportunities for local people.
The project is in line with Port of Blyth’s strategy of investing in modern, sustainable port infrastructure that supports the renewable energy sector, drives local economic growth and contributes to the UK’s Net Zero goals. By increasing capability at Battleship Wharf, the port is expected to take on a larger role in the UK’s offshore wind supply chain.
Port of Blyth is the port operating division of Blyth Harbour Commission, an independent statutory trust founded in 1882. It is one of the UK’s larger trust ports, handling cargo across four terminals on the River Blyth. Alongside its logistics and training divisions, the group reports turnover of more than £31 million, supported by a mix of trades including offshore energy, containers, dry bulks such as coal, aggregates and cement, and marine fuels.
