Approval has been granted for a temporary hub which will help a port become “part of the green energy revolution”.
The hub will be created at the planned Bathside Bay Container Terminal (BBCT) at Harwich in Essex.
Bathside Bay, part of Freeport East, was originally given permission more than 20 years ago but construction did not start until 2022.
Tendring District Council said the hub would support the offshore wind turbine industry, create jobs and “raise aspirations”.
The council, which is run by a coalition of Independent and Labour councillors, said permission was given on Tuesday night to use the terminal platform as a green energy hub for a temporary period of 15 years.
The hub would bring together a cluster of businesses and organisations in a new dedicated building which, the council said, would help “the town to become a national leader in clean energy”.
According to Freeport East, it will support large-scale manufacture of offshore wind turbines and components to service the UK and overseas markets.
The hub will begin operating before the terminal is complete which is not expected to happen until 2034 at the earliest.