Port of Sunderland has declared itself ''ready, willing and able to deliver'' after a long-awaited government announcement of investment in Dogger Bank.
The North East port, which is owned and operated by Sunderland City Council, said it expects to see strong interest in its facilities and services following the government’s decision to approve the development of the Dogger Bank windfarm.
Port director Matthew Hunt described the announcement as 'game-changing' for the UK maritime sector and believes Sunderland is in prime position to see the benefits. “Dogger Bank has long represented a significant opportunity for Sunderland, so we have been putting all of the building blocks in place to ensure that we were absolutely ready to capitalise on it from the moment the government pushed the button," he said.
Port of Sunderland, which offers deep water berths, round-the-clock access and has development sites readily available, is perfectly positioned to provide support to Dogger Bank, which is around 100 nautical miles away and will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm upon completion.
Spanning a six-year development period, delivered in three phases and costing a total of £9 billion, the opportunities Dogger Bank will create for the supply chain are expected to be transformative. Port of Sunderland has invested heavily in improved storage facilities and logistic services over the past six years, with the offshore market a key focus of this investment.
By Rebecca Strong
