Break-through!

Byline: By Gayle Tomlinson

Plans to build a ship recycling yard are going full steam ahead with hopes of work on the first vessel starting within a year.

A group of bosses have formed a partnership with the job of securing the A&P Tyne yard in Wallsend which is earmarked as the site for the pounds 40m shipbreaking centre.

They are to make the Environment Agency aware of the plans and to apply for the correct licences as soon as possible to make sure the new business is regulated.

The group, including representatives from Northern Defence Industries, Newcastle City Council, North Tyneside Council, the GMB union, One NorthEast and riverside consortium NEMOC, was formed after a meeting with stakeholders from across Tyneside.

Officials supported the plans to build the shipbreaking yard, the first of its kind in Britain, after they were outlined by chief executive of Dutch firm NV Ecodock, Doebren Mulder.

He said he expected work on fixing up the docks at A&P Tyne to start by September.

He imagined the yard would hire 400 people, going up to more than 1,000 as orders came in.

He added more than 1,000 jobs would be created indirectly in Tyneside.

Mr Mulder now plans for a team of specialists to start a feasibility study on the site to look at the condition of the cranes and the docks.

He said he expected the scheme to cost around pounds 40m.

He said: "I think it is a great area. There is a lot of space. There is not so much investment needed.

"We now have to get a report and investigation done by Ecodock specialists. This could take four to six weeks.

"They will look at what is needed and what equipment we must get.

"This is good for the area, good for employment and good for the economy."

Chairman of the Ecodock project group and Northern Defence Industries chief David Bowles said actual work on breaking ships is unlikely to start until next year due to red tape in getting contracts freed up.

He said: "This is a very exciting project.

"Ecodock have a strong track record of carrying out environmentally acceptable decommissioning of ships and offshore facilities in Holland.

"We will be working with them to ensure this project comes to a successful solution quickly.

"Once we have done that we can make sure we win orders for this work from the Ministry of Defence and some ship companies in Europe, who need to dispose of ships that are no longer legal."

The Ecodock yard would be able to break up 12 British Navy warships which are earmarked for decommissioning.

The vessels include HMS Newcastle, which was built at Swan Hunter.

It would also be able to bid for contracts to scrap 1,300 single-hull tankers.

GMB regional secretary Tom Brennan said: "It is an exciting prospect and the potential is monumental if we can buy into this. It would create a lot of jobs."