Humber Freeport promotes £3bn development potential with Investment Prospectus launch

Humber Freeport has showcased opportunities that have the potential to deliver up to £3bn of further transformational investment and 5,000 jobs.

The development opportunities are set out in full for the first time in Humber Freeport’s new Investment Prospectus, launched at UKREiiF, the UK’s leading event for investment, regeneration, property and infrastructure.

The opportunities are on strategically located sites benefiting from Freeport financial incentives, spanning a total of 600 hectares. 

Over £2bn of investment has already been secured across the Humber Freeport tax sites. It is estimated that a further £2-3bn of investment can be delivered on these sites over the next decade, creating an additional 5,000 high-value jobs.

The prospectus details investment-ready opportunities across the globally-significant industrial cluster, and showcases the Humber’s compelling proposition as a gateway for international trade, a manufacturing powerhouse, and a strategic asset in UK energy security.

Humber Freeport launched the Investment Prospectus at UKREiiF in Leeds, during a packed event hosted by Connected Places Catapult, the UK’s innovation accelerator.

Humber Freeport leaders were joined by the region’s two elected Mayors, Luke Campbell MBE and Dame Andrea Jenkyns, in presenting the Humber as a premier UK location for large-scale investment.

Humber Freeport Chair Finbarr Dowling said: “The Humber has long been a place where industry, trade and ambition meet. This prospectus highlights the many strategic advantages that position our region as one of the UK’s most compelling locations for industrial investment.

“Having spent more than three decades working in advanced manufacturing and inward investment, I’ve seen first-hand what this region can deliver. The Humber has moved from vision to reality, attracting global businesses, building skilled workforces, and delivering projects at scale.

“Freeports are central to the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy and act as catalysts for growth and regeneration. Our delivery-led model is focused on creating the skilled jobs and opportunities which empower communities and enable our region to thrive.”

Since Humber Freeport’s launch in 2023, more than £2bn of investment has been pledged across its tax sites, with confirmed major investments including LanzaTech’s sustainable aviation fuel facility at Saltend Chemicals Park near Hull, and Metsä Tissue's development of what will be the UK’s largest tissue paper mill, in Goole.

The Investment Prospectus underlines how the Humber offers investors scale, capability and proven delivery, and sets out strategic opportunities across the Humber Freeport’s tax sites in Hull, Goole and Immingham. 

The prospectus also spotlights the incentives available to investors in freeport tax sites, including reliefs from business rates, Stamp Duty Land Tax and Employer National Insurance Contribution. 

It was launched at a panel event involving Mr Dowling, Luke Campbell MBE, Mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire, and Dame Andrea Jenkyns, Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire. The panel was chaired by Ibrahim Mohamed, a Strategic Advisor for the Department for Business and Trade, and hosted within the Connected Places Catapult Pavilion at UKREiiF.

Mayor Luke Campbell MBE said: “The Humber already plays a huge role in the UK economy, but this prospectus shows there’s a lot more we can achieve. It sits alongside our Local Growth Plan, which builds on Hull and East Yorkshire’s strengths to create real opportunities for local people.

“I want to work together across the Humber to bring in new investment and back our local industries. With combined authorities now in place, we have a chance to do exactly that and give residents and businesses confidence about this region’s future.”

Mayor Dame Andrea Jenkyns added: “This year’s UKREiiF is a defining moment for Greater Lincolnshire. It marks one year since I was elected to lead Greater Lincolnshire, and we are celebrating that anniversary with a massive statement of intent. For the first time in our history, we have a full, powerhouse Investment Prospectus ready for the world to see.

“Greater Lincolnshire is the backbone of the United Kingdom. We feed Britain, we power Britain, and we defend Britain. We are one team, we are standing tall, and we are ready to outpace the competition. Greater Lincolnshire is open for business, let’s get to work.”

The prospectus launch was Humber Freeport’s headline event during a prominent showing at UKREiiF. Other contributions included Mr Dowling taking part in a fireside chat with Juergen Maier, Chair of Great British Energy, discussing the Humber’s critical role in energy security, and how investments and innovations in renewable energy can underpin the region’s economic future.