At Offshore Wind North East 2025, Energy Central took centre stage as Diamond Sponsors, showcasing the strength and ambition of Northumberland’s dynamic and mature offshore wind cluster centred around the Port of Blyth.
With green energy at its core, Energy Central brings together the collective expertise of the Energy Central Partnership, comprising Northumberland County Council, Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, the Port of Blyth, Advance Northumberland, and the North East Combined Authority. Together, these partners are driving investment, innovation and skills development across Northumberland’s clean energy landscape.
We spoke with Maria Antoniou, Head of Economic Development at Northumberland County Council, who spoke at the event’s opening session in Sunderland. Maria highlighted Northumberland’s position as a leading investment location for businesses operating across the green energy and offshore wind sectors.
Energy Central brings together partners from across Blyth and wider Northumberland with a shared ambition: to develop, strengthen and grow our clean energy cluster. By combining the strengths of industry, academia and the public sector, we’re creating the perfect environment for innovation, investment and skills to flourish.
The past year has been nothing short of transformative and the momentum is only building. On Halloween it was just treats, no tricks, as we marked a major milestone with the official opening of the ORE Catapult Technology Development Centre (TDC). This incredible facility is designed to help early-stage technology developers bring new offshore renewable solutions to market faster, giving SMEs and innovators access to specialist expertise and testing environments.
ORE Catapult is also developing a new accredited high-voltage cable testing facility at its Blyth site. This will be a game-changer for the UK allowing cables to be tested under real offshore conditions, from burial and ducting to saltwater submersion. Supported by the North East Combined Authority, it fills a crucial capability gap, improving reliability and speeding up production for the entire offshore wind supply chain.
Another exciting development on the horizon is the opening of JDR Cable Systems’ state-of-the-art high-voltage subsea cable manufacturing facility. This nationally significant investment will expand the UK’s capacity to produce export and array cables for major offshore wind projects and it’s happening right here in Northumberland.
It’s not just about infrastructure; it’s about people. This facility will create high-quality jobs, apprenticeships and long-term career opportunities, strengthening Energy Central’s position as a global hub for subsea cable expertise. The company are also Gold Sponsors of Energy Central Campus, collaborating to inspire and equip the next generation with the skills required to thrive in the renewable energy sector.
Skills are a core part of our mission. The Energy Central Learning Hub is already delivering STEM education and vocational training through our Energy Central Campus, helping to build a strong local talent pipeline for the clean energy sector. The next phase, Energy Central Institute, will expand this work even further, offering higher-level technical, degree and PhD-level training right in Blyth town centre. It’s a major step toward ensuring that local people and the future talent pipeline have access to the skills and opportunities of a rapidly changing energy landscape.
If there’s one word that sums up our progress, it’s collaboration. Every success story I’ve shared is the direct result of our partners working together through the Energy Central Partnership. Collaboration is the foundation of our success.
We know that our industry is evolving fast. Data, digitalisation and AI are reshaping offshore wind, and Northumberland is right at the forefront of this transformation. As part of the new North East AI Growth Zone, we’re helping to grow our regional digital economy and support businesses developing tomorrow’s solutions. We’re already nurturing the growth of digital in the renewable energy sector through the Digital, Autonomous, and Robotics Engineering (DARE) Centre at ORE Catapult and through the 5G Innovation Lab at Port of Blyth. This is just the beginning and we’re excited to see where this digital journey drives us.
It was a pleasure to showcase Energy Central at Offshore Wind North East where Northumberland really did shine bright like a diamond! If you didn’t get a chance to speak to the Energy Central team on the stand then please contact us and talk to us about our Investment Zone site at the Bates Clean Energy Terminal, our world-class R&D, our office, industrial and land opportunities. Explore with us what opportunities Northumberland can unlock for your business.