Wedoany.com Report-Oct 26, The North East has been hailed for the part it is playing in the construction of the Sofia wind farm which, once complete, will be one of the world's largest.

Since work has started on the scheme - set to be roughly the same size of the Isle of Man, with the capability to provide 1.2 million typical UK homes with their electricity needs - it has stimulated £3bn worth of investment in the UK's electricity infrastructure, as well as creating and supporting a host of jobs.

Since May, more than a quarter of the foundations to support the wind turbines have been installed in the North Sea.

A range of large-scale items, including external platforms, boat landings and ladders, have made the journey from Poland to the Port of Tyne.

The port is the chosen base for Van Oord, which is handling this phase of the Sofia project, managing the engineering, procurement, construction and installation of the foundations and inter-array cables.

The Dutch firm has been using the port's Tyne Clean Energy Park as a storage and marshalling base, benefitting from direct access to its deep-water quay and connection to the North Sea.

As part of Van Oord's operations, the port has been welcoming the tallest offshore installation vessel in its history, the Aeolus.

Matt Beeton, chief executive at the Port of Tyne, said: "Since partnering with Van Oord earlier this year, real strides have been made in their construction of Sofia, accelerating the region's path towards a clean energy future.

"Pojects like this are key to achieving the UK's 2030 clean energy goals, and the North East is perfectly placed to support in the development of these sites, with our direct access to the North Sea."

Project director for the Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, Matthew Swanwick, added: "Seeing the first foundations being installed at sea is a hugely symbolic moment in the construction of every wind farm. The Sofia project is around fourteen years in the making and the construction phase has around two further years yet to go. Achievements like this make it all worthwhile. We are proud to help build an industry that produces sustainable power at best cost to the consumer, while delivering regional economic growth."