Houchen said the authority had a responsibility to make sure the site was being used to “deliver the biggest possible benefit for local people”.
He said BP’s decision to pull out “clears the way for what could be the biggest private investment Teesside has ever seen”.
“BP’s hydrogen project faced a number of challenges, and while I know this won’t have been an easy decision, I welcome their pragmatism,” the Conservative peer said.
“We’ll continue working closely with BP to deliver their world-first £4bn NZT carbon capture scheme – a critical part of Teesside’s industrial future.”
The mayor said land on the former steelworks site was “limited” and “investor interest is high”.
“A cutting-edge data centre will create more long-term jobs, attract more investment and deliver greater future-proof growth than any alternative,” he said in a statement. “This is absolutely the right move for Teesside.”
Teesworks is run as a joint venture between the publicly owned and funded South Tees Development Corporation, led by the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA), and Teesside businessmen Martin Corney and Chris Musgrave.
The men initially owned 50% of the shares in Teesworks, but that increased to 90% in 2021 with the remaining 10% staying in public hands.
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