“Obviously it was cutting edge at the time and it was seen as rather optimistic,” says Martin Lawlor, Blyth Harbour Commissioners’ chief executive.“But it was one way we could raise revenue ourselves.” The port sold the wind farm to Hainsford Energy about 18 months ago because the turbines had reached the point where they needed reengineering.

“This was a non-core business for us and we got an offer we thought worth taking,” says Mr Lawlor. “They are now going to be replaced with a smaller number of turbines with a larger span. Hainsford Energy is also talking about putting up possibly the largest turbine in the UK at our Battleship Wharf terminal – and we are in discussions as to whether we could harness some of that energy for the port.

“Previously the electricity has all been fed directly into the National Grid.”

Blyth is also home to the first two offshore turbines in the UK – again these were cutting edge when they went up two years ago, but there have been problems relating to underwater cabling being damaged by friction against rocks. These two turbines, now owned by Amec Border Wind, have stood idle for some time and discussions continue about bringing  them back into operation.

Next door to the Port of Blyth – and working closely with the port – is the New and Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC), where feasibility studies, evaluation, testing and commercialisation of the whole range of renewable energy solutions take place. Facilities include wave and tidal dock testing facilities, a turbine blade testing facility and a range of laboratories.

“We have a reputation as a port for renewable energy and wind power,” says Mr Lawlor.“We are hoping to see the blade testing facility take forward UK policy in terms of technology for wind turbines – and we would like to see the blades coming through the port.

“We have had a lot of success over the past year in handling turbines coming in from the continent. Blyth has become something of a hub for turbines and we must have had 15 to 20 shipments over the past two to three months.”

Working with NaREC, Blyth is considering the possibility of installing wave units at the base of the replacement turbines being planned.