New £12m biotech site jobs boost

The site will become fully operational at the end of 2010

A new testing centre for the biotechnology industry is to be created on Teesside as part of a £12m government project.

An extra £2.5m is also being promised to support companies using the facilities at the site in Wilton.

Up to 40 "highly skilled" posts could be created when the site becomes fully operational at the end of next year.

The centre will help the development and testing of alcohols, biodiesels and chemicals from renewable materials.

Minister for Science and Innovation Lord Drayson said: "This investment in an industrial biotech demonstrator will give a real boost to green jobs in the North East and to the chemicals industry in the UK.

Plant closures

"The facility will enable companies to test their products and processes, enabling them to bring their products to market more quickly and much more affordably."

The facility will be managed by the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI).

Earlier this month, two chemical plants at Wilton announced plans to close in the next six months, with the loss of almost 200 jobs.

The Dow Chemical Company blamed the recession for the loss of 55 jobs, which will go when its ethylene oxide and glycol (EOEG) production facility shuts.

Croda International said it had been forced to close its nearby plant, which uses raw materials from Dow, axing 125 jobs.