A POTASH firm has unveiled its vision of a Teesside harbour, which it says will be crucial to a 1,000-job mining development.

Sirius Minerals says the image gives an insight into how its North-East base will operate.

The harbour forms part of wider plans in Sirius’ £1.5bn York Potash Project, which aims to mine up to 13 million tonnes of polyhalite every year from beneath the North York Moors, near Whitby.

Under its proposals, the harbour, planned for Bran Sands, on the mouth of the River Tees, will handle the mineral after it has been delivered to Teesside through an underground tunnel to a granulation and storage site at Wilton, near Redcar.

Bosses say it will be intrinsic to their plans to break into international markets, with the company already holding a number of agreements to send the mineral abroad.

They include Sinoagri, one of China’s largest fertiliser distributors, which is expected to receive 500,000 tonnes every year in a ten-year partnership.

It also previously announced a deal with Chinese firm Yunnan TCT Yong-Zhe to supply one million tonnes of polyhalite every year from 2017, as well as an agreement with the Tanzanian Ministry of Agriculture to send the mineral for research and development.

Last month, Sirius revealed it had taken the first step in getting approval for the harbour, with the Planning Inspectorate accepting an initial application, though it added months of examination will follow as it scrutinises the plans.

A final decision on the harbour, which also includes a proposed quay and ship loading equipment, is expected in summer 2016.

The company has also revealed an image of how it expects its mining site to look like, complete with the mine and offices.

Sirius says the mine, which will take 58 months to build, will create 1,040 direct jobs and support a further 1,010 posts in the construction and development phase.

Redcar and Cleveland Council planning officials have already approved the mine, the underground system and the handling factory, with the North York Moors National Park Authority holding a meeting on June 30 to deliver its own decision.

If the organisation gives its support, work could start this year, and the company hopes to go to the City for £600m of finance within weeks.

Chris Fraser, Sirius’ managing director and chief executive, added: “The plan is now that we will be in a position to start work on the project before the end of the year if we get approvals.”