MPS heard about the strength of North-East offshore renewables supply chain at an event held last week at the House of Commons.

Attendees at the reception, which was sponsored by Stockton North MP, Alex Cunningham, discussed the opportunities and challenges facing the offshore renewables sector and the role the North-East can play in its future.

Energi Coast, NOF Energy, Subsea North East and the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (NELEP) were on hand to showcase one of the region's most important industry sectors.

Andrew Hodgson, NELEP board member, chairman of Subsea North East and chief executive subsea engineer SMD, said: “This was the perfect event to demonstrate the importance of the offshore renewables and subsea sector to the North-East. Both the Tees Valley and the North East Enterprise Partnerships have singled out these industries as being vital to the future economic growth of the country.”

Joanne Leng, the deputy chair of Energi Coast, said: “The North-East has an important role to play in the development on the energy mix. It has an excellent reputation in oil & gas and this is being continued in emerging sectors such as offshore wind.

“The reception effectively displayed the integrated offshore renewables and subsea oil and gas supply chains that has been built in the North East and how they can play a significant role in the development of the growing offshore renewables industry.”