Polish firm JDR Cable Systems, a division of the TFK Group, has awarded Galliford Try a £65m contract to lead the construction of a new subsea cable factory in Northumberland.
JDR Cable Systems is investing a total of £130m in the new 69,000 sq.metre factory to produce cables that will transfer energy from offshore turbines to the mainland network.
The factory is being built on the site of the former Blyth power station.
JDR is largely funding the project with a £100m working capital loan from Société Générale, HSBC UK and Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK), underwritten by the UK taxpayer in the form of export credit guarantees from UK Export Finance.

Galliford Try chief executive Bill Hocking said: “We are delighted to be part of this fantastic project, which adds to our excellent portfolio of work in the northeast and also helps the UK towards energy security and its net zero carbon targets.
“We look forward to working with JDR to provide them with a first-class facility that assists them in achieving their ambitions.”
JDR chief strategy and compliance officer, James Young, added: “The appointment of Galliford Try and the start of construction represents a major milestone in the realisation of our new high-voltage subsea cable manufacturing facility.
“JDR selected Galliford Try for their technical expertise, attention to detail, strong local supply-chain and their collaborative solutions.”
Image credits: JDR Cable Systems
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