The Green Port Growth Programme is capitalising on the Siemens investment by establishing Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire as a world-class centre for renewable energy.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to secure long-term sustainable economic growth and employment for the region. As well as offshore wind, there are major opportunities in biofuels, waste to energy, wave and tidal power generation.
The Green Port Growth Programme is administered by East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Hull City Council. With an investment of over £25.7million, the programme, which is supported by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, is designed to capitalise on renewables opportunities and to develop indigenous business growth within the renewables sector. The project is providing continual support to help local businesses recognise and embrace these potential opportunities.
The Government’s Regional Growth Fund is a £3.2billion fund designed to help companies in England grow. So far, £2.9billion has been allocated to support projects and programmes committed to delivering sustainable jobs and economic growth.
Working in partnership with the private sector, the Green Port Growth Programme delivers a programme of activity through six business strands designed to develop all aspects of the renewables industry.
The six strands are:
Employment and Skills Development – apprenticeships, up-skilling and specialist skills training
Site Assembly – provision of appropriate and suitable employment sites
Inward Investment – engagement with OEMs and tier 1 & 2 suppliers, as well as delivering proactive targeted overseas visits and trade missions
Business Support & Advice – helping local businesses to enter the renewable energy supply chain
Business Investment Grants – reducing relocation/expansion costs for co-located value chain companies
Research, Development & Innovation (RDI) – providing support for key industries working in the offshore wind and wider renewables sectors
The objectives for the six delivery strands are to:
- Increase GVA by £300million
- Up-skill and train up to 1,900 local people
- Develop over 90 ha of brownfield land and bring forward 70 ha of greenfield sites
- Secure £280million of large inward investment
- Assist up to 650 local businesses to diversify and enter the supply chains of major renewables investors and their suppliers
- Establish Hull as a Centre for RDI for the renewables industry
With a fantastic natural location, established infrastructure, knowledge, expertise and the capability to handle a diverse energy mix, the Humber area is capitalising on its strengths to put the region on the world stage for renewable energy. The Humber has the potential to be the capital of this national opportunity.