The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult and the North East Combined Authority have announced a £2.1 million investment to build a new offshore wind cable testing rig at ORE Catapult’s Blyth site, designed to speed up technology development and improve cable reliability.
Funded by the North East Combined Authority, the facility will become the UK’s only high-voltage offshore wind cable testing rig capable of applying extreme voltages and currents under simulated real-world conditions. The project will replicate environments such as buried, ducted and saltwater settings to test cable performance and durability, with testing times expected to be significantly reduced.
“We are making the North East the home of the green energy revolution and I am pleased we are funding projects like this amazing new offshore wind cable testing rig in Blyth to make this a reality for local people,” said Kim McGuinness, North East Mayor. “This will be the only facility like this in the UK – underpinning the North East’s status as the UK’s leading region for clean energy.”
McGuinness said the investment would help build “innovation, skills and infrastructure,” creating thousands of skilled jobs across the region.
JDR Cable Systems will be the first company to use the new facility when it opens in late 2026. “We’re proud to be the first partner to collaborate with ORE Catapult on this new high-voltage cable testing facility in Blyth,” said James Young, chief strategy and compliance officer at JDR Cable Systems. “The investment marks an important step in strengthening the UK’s capability to test and qualify next-generation offshore wind cable systems domestically.”
Young said the rig would “enable faster development and qualification of advanced cable technologies that will power the industry’s next phase of growth.”
Alex Neumann, ORE Catapult’s chief engineer for high-voltage electrical systems, said the new capability would “help cable system designers and manufacturers develop products faster” while keeping the Blyth site “at the cutting edge of testing.”
According to ORE Catapult, the development of next-generation offshore wind cable technology represents a market opportunity worth £19 billion for the UK over the next decade, as the country continues to expand its renewable energy infrastructure to meet net-zero targets.
