Teesside Airport Welcomes Businesses For Major Summit

Teesside Airport has welcomed around 150 delegates for a major annual business event bringing together the area’s largest and most influential private and public sector organisations.

The North East England Chamber of Commerce’s (NEECC) Larger Business Summit kicked off with a welcome from Chamber President Lesley Moody OBE, before a keynote speech from Louise Kingham CBE, bp’s Senior Vice President Europe and Head of Country – UK.

The global energy giant is developing a number of low carbon schemes in the region, leading a consortium of oil and gas firms on the multimillion-pound Net Zero Teesside Power scheme at Teesworks, a gas-fired power plant with carbon capture, utilisation and storage capabilities. It has also announced H2Teesside, a blue hydrogen production facility, and HyGreen Teesside, a green hydrogen facility, will be based in the region.

Tees Valley Combined Authority Freeport Director Nolan Gray outlined all the opportunities available right now in the region following the launch of the Teesside Freeport, the UK’s biggest and first operational. The 4,500-acre Freeport, made up of tax and customs zones at sites across the Tees Valley, is expected to create 18,000 jobs and drive billions into the economy over five years.

The airport’s Managing Director Phil Forster was also on hand to detail progress being made on the airport’s new Business Park and cargo handling facility, with further presentations by NEECC’s Chief Executive John McCabe and the British Chambers of Commerce Director General Shevaun Haviland.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “Everyone at the airport was delighted to host the NEECC and such a high profile at Teesside Airport, bringing together some of the region’s biggest business bosses to discover all of the opportunities available in our region and some of the transformational projects we’re driving forward.

“Everyone who went along also got to see first-hand our terminal transformation, discover our land and property ambitions – the day after work began on a new business park link road – and learn just how convenient and easy it is to use to fly worldwide from Teesside for business or pleasure.

“Whether it’s flights, events like the Teesside Airshow or conferences such as this one, the airport is constantly being used in new ways to put it at the heart of our communities and we’ll be welcoming many more events in the future.”

Flight information on all destinations served by Teesside International Airport can be found at www.teessideinternational.com