What brings someone home after four decades working at the other end of the country - and on the other side of the world?
For both Richard and Steve, the answer was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on the NZT Power Project.
Richard Clark is Balfour Beatty’s Construction Director (Electrical & Instrumentation) on NZT Power. After 45 years working away, he’s now back on home soil - contributing to a project that will shape the future of the region and being present for the moments that matter.
And he’s not the only one. Alongside him on the project is Steve Fishlock, Construction Director at Balfour Beatty.
Steve’s own career has taken him across continents, industries and major infrastructure projects before also bringing him back to Teesside. Their journeys share familiar themes: opportunity, sacrifice, resilience - and ultimately, the pull of home.
Early career journeys
Harrogate-born and settled in Teesside, Richard’s career began aged 16 as an Apprentice Instrument Technician. He worked his way up through Site Engineer roles, before progressing to site management positions.
Richard has spent his career working away from home - regularly travelling hundreds of miles for work, with commutes most of us can’t imagine.
“My furthest commute was 8 hours each way to places like Pembroke, Inverness and Plymouth. For shorter commutes, I’d travel early Monday morning and come back on Fridays. For jobs based further afield, I’d usually be away for 2 weeks at a time.”
Steve’s early career followed a similar pattern, driven by opportunity far from home.
Born on a small farm just outside Middlesbrough, Steve began his career in the local oil rig yard at the foot of the Tees Transporter Bridge.
When he finished his welding apprenticeship, Steve had the chance to gain experience in London, on various Thames Water upgrades. Despite having a young family, he knew he needed to take the leap:
“I realised I had to seize opportunities that may not come round again. That opened up other opportunities and gave me a look into the wider industry… It gave me the foundation to move into management.”
For both Steve and Richard, it seemed mobility was the pathway to growth.
From Teesside to life in Australia
As his career evolved, multiple promotions led Richard to making a big move to Barrow Island, off the coast of Western Australia in 2012 as a Construction Manager. He would spend 56 days working in Australia, before 21 days at home.
Steve’s longest commute was similar - working on a power station in Bayswater, Western Australia, 11,000 miles from home. And yet, Steve found returning home became easier as travel improved:
“Being able to get home on most weekends makes it a lot easier to manage working away. I’ve been fortunate to get home even when working abroad in places like Denmark and Finland.”
For decades, both men built their careers whilst managing distance from routine and home life.
Returning home - and joining NZT Power
After returning home to another Project Director role, Richard moved to Hinkley Point C, before ultimately joining Balfour Beatty in 2023. “My first 15 months at Balfour Beatty were based at Devonport Naval shipyard, before joining the NZT Power project in May 2025.”
And what attracted Richard to the NZT Power project?
“For the 45 years of my career I’ve worked away from home, this is the first project where I can work close to my family home. I’m approaching retirement (I’m not quite there yet!) so the biggest draw of this project was working the last years of my career at home.
The travel element had become tiresome - obviously I’d seen my family growing up and pretty much left home - so working last few years nearer home was the biggest attraction.”
Steve feels the same pride, delivering a transformative project in the place where he grew up:
A highlight of my career at Balfour Beatty is being part of the NZT team in my home town, executing a major new build carbon capture plant.
View open roles at NZT Power with Balfour Beatty
Being home - a new chapter
Richard knows that working away from home isn’t for everyone - and he can now see what a difference being home has made to life outside of work, without having to cram everything into weekends.
Steve also says he’s now able to do things he previously couldn’t imagine.
Working closer to home, I’m now able to do things that I’ve struggled to do for 40 years.
"I’m going to see my kids during the week, I’m getting to take the dogs out for a walk and taking some of the stress off my partner, and off the family. I now get to go to my grandchildren’s nativities."
Steve says that going home at night instead of to a hotel is a revelation for him. "I’ve had a few months of it now, and long may it continue because it certainly makes a difference to your quality of life.”
Building a sustainable future for Teesside and the North East
NZT Power is more than a low carbon energy project. It represents a defining moment for the region - bringing together sustainability, long-term investment and meaningful careers rooted in the North East.
Balfour Beatty is the main construction partner for NZT Power, along with a consortium led by Technip Energies and alongside GE Vernova.
NZT Power aims to be the world’s first commercial scale gas-fired power station with carbon capture and storage. The plant will be capable of generating the equivalent annual electricity requirements of more than a million UK homes.
Large-scale projects like NZT Power don’t just change infrastructure, they change perception. For Teesside, this is a chance to showcase the depth of talent, innovation and capability that exists across the region - along with the local supply chain mobilisation.
Richard sees the project as a moment of real significance for the local community:
“This is a massive opportunity for Teesside - it will show what we can achieve.”
Steve shares how the long-term impact goes beyond the site itself.
This project is an opportunity for the people of Teesside to show the industry what they can do.
The NZT Power project will support local employment, skills development and long-term economic resilience for Teesside.
Why join NZT Power?
Joining this project means contributing to a project that matters - to the UK’s Net Zero future, to the North East economy and to the community it’s being built in.
With Balfour Beatty, it’s a chance to:
• Work on a nationally significant, low-carbon energy project
• Develop skills on a complex, technically advanced ‘first-of-a-kind’ programme
• Build a long-term career
• Contribute to a legacy the region can be proud of
For Steve, it’s a rare moment to deliver a cutting-edge project in the place he calls home.
“Be prepared to work hard and you’ll reap the rewards - not just financial. There’s real opportunity for career progression, but you have to be open-minded and prepared for something different.”
As Richard puts it, success won’t just be measured in megawatts or milestones, but in how people look back on what’s been built - and who it’s benefitted.
Looking ahead, Richard hopes the project becomes a catalyst for future investment.
In 10 years’ time, if everybody looks back and is proud of what we’ve built, and we can attract more work to Teesside and the North East off the back of this project, that would be the biggest positive takeaway for me.
If you’re looking for a role where your work has lasting impact, NZT Power offers the chance to be part of something truly iconic.
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