The importance and value of Freeport East has been widely recognised, and is being supported by many businesses, educational institutions and business organisations.
East of England Energy Group (EEEGR): “As the nation’s energy generator across renewables, nuclear and oil and gas the east of England has a long and proud tradition of innovation from the pioneering days of the nuclear sector at Sizewell through to the region having the highest concentration of offshore wind turbines anywhere in the UK.
“The East of England is vital for the nation’s prosperity through its role in energy generation and distribution. The potential that a freeport facility could add to this mix in the East of England is palpable with opportunities to develop new and innovative energy hubs, promote trade and inward investment and create jobs in an area of considerable economic deprivation. EEEGR will do all it can to support this initiative and we commend the project to the government.”
- Simon Gray, CEO, EEEGR
UK Power Network: “We are witnessing a clean energy transition in transportation sectors particularly ports, rail and logistics. Freeport status will support and enable the Port of Felixstowe and Harwich International Terminal to unlock investment and accelerate this transition.”
- Basil Scarsella, CEO, UK Power Network
Maritime Transport: “As a business we are dedicated to delivering sustainable solutions to our customers, a large number of which are importers and exporters from the UK. Freeport East provides an opportunity to support UK manufacturers, increasing the global reach of Britain’s traders whilst benefitting from the scale and choice of shipping connections from both Felixstowe and Harwich to the rest of the world."
- John Williams, Group Executive Chairman, Maritime Transport
Freightlinger: “Freightliner welcomes the opportunity to work with the Port of Felixstowe and the UK government in the creation of a freeport in the East of England. We believe freeports contribute towards the drive for a sustainable ports sector and we look forward to working collaboratively to provide solutions for our customers.”
- Emma Dempsey, Chief Commercial Officer, Freightliner
South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP): “We are delighted to see the proposal for Freeport East; the important economic role of the ports in this area is long recognised but Freeport East would be an economic spark, injecting investment and providing much needed long term regeneration for the wider area.”
- Christian Brodie, Chairman, SELEP
RWE: “RWE continues to invest heavily in wind power and other emerging technologies with net investments of €5 billion by 2022 planned globally – with the UK a key part of our plans. We would support the sensitive development of the infrastructure in the Harwich and Essex area to support the ongoing growth of the renewables industry and our business in the UK.
“We strongly believe Freeport East offers an exciting and compelling opportunity from which to increase the reach of Britain’s manufacturers and traders, benefiting from the excellent worldwide connectivity from Felixstowe and Harwich.”
- Richard Sandford, Director of Offshore Development Europe RWE
Galloper Wind Farm Ltd: “The East coast of England is important to our business and currently Harwich offers the only renewables facilities in the North Essex area. We have a number of renewables interests along the southern east coast, including the operational Galloper offshore wind farm and Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm (operated by our partner SSE), and two offshore extension projects in development, Five Estuaries and North Falls.
“The Freeport East initiative, with the appropriate environmental mitigation plan, can bolster trade and encourage innovation, whilst delivering urgently needed regeneration and job creation not just locally in the Essex area but also nationally.”
- Guy Middleton, General Manager, Galloper Wind Farm Ltd
Three UK: “Providing proof that 5G is industry-ready opens the door to a variety of uses and could drive a revolution in logistic coordination and efficiency. The opportunity that Freeport East affords us to test this technology means this could benefit the wider UK manufacturing and industrial sectors across the UK and prove that we are global players in cutting edge use of technological innovation.”
- Robert Finnegan, CEO, Three UK
“We at the Institute of Export and International Trade believe that Freeports create commercial opportunities and jobs, regeneration of local communities and an increase in international trade. The Institute is well positioned to work with businesses and local education providers to create training which supports people to take up employment opportunities and businesses to expand into new markets. We can help equip businesses and their employees with the skills and knowledge required to master customs and trade procedures, trade facilitation and trade compliance. Headquartered in Peterborough, we are also particularly excited by the prospect of regeneration in our Region that the creation of Freeport East offers.”
– Marco Forgione, Director General, Institute of Export and International Trade
