Pembroke Dock 'on threshold to new epoch' following £60m port revamp
Pembroke Dock is on what has been described as 'the threshold to a new epoch' following the completion of the dockyard's £60m upgrade.
The revamped port, which will have its official opening later today (Wednesday), is being heralded as a world class centre for wind, wave and tidal power projects.
It includes a new supersize slipway that is capable of launching and recovering large marine energy devices and vessels as well as a pontoon for workboat berthing for vessels supporting the long term operations and maintenance contracts for the floating offshore wind (FLOW) industry.
"The site now stands on the threshold of a new epoch," commented Tom Sawyer, who is the chief executive of Milford Haven Port Authority.
"The project will help to turn the site into a multi-purpose port here in Pembroke Dock, and is the culmination of years of hard work.
"And the size of the slipways and the access from quayside into deep water is a fundamental requirement for many of the renewable technologies that are going out to sea."
The renewable industry is supported by the creation of additional fabrication and laydown spaces, as well as additional office and workshop spaces in the Hangar Annexes.
The Pemboke Dock Marine project, which forms part of the Swansea Bay City Deal and is backed by UK and Welsh Government funding, will establish a world-class centre for marine energy and engineering with easy access to the Celtic Sea and its significant marine energy resources.
Planning permission for the project was granted in 2021, despite opposition from both local and national heritage organisations which claimed the work would have a potentially 'catastrophic impact' on the port's historic buildings and infrastructure. However the concerns were outweighed by both Pembrokeshire County Council and the Welsh Government who cited the economic benefits of advancing the marine energy sections would far outweigh the concerns.
Meanwhile, the race is now on to ensure that Wales can capitalise on its potential as the Crown Estate starts awarding seabed leases for firms looking to develop floating offshore wind farms in the Celtic Sea.
Commenting on the Pembroke Dock Marine project, the director of RenewableUKCymru, Jessica Hooper, said that far more investment needs to be made to upgrade the port infrastructure across south Wales.
"This £60m is a very good stepping stone, but we're probably talking in the realm of a billion pounds needed to be brought forward," she said.
Pembroke Dock 'on threshold to new epoch' following £60m port revamp
Pembroke Dock is on what has been described as 'the threshold to a new epoch' following the completion of the dockyard's £60m upgrade.
The revamped port, which will have its official opening later today (Wednesday), is being heralded as a world class centre for wind, wave and tidal power projects.
It includes a new supersize slipway that is capable of launching and recovering large marine energy devices and vessels as well as a pontoon for workboat berthing for vessels supporting the long term operations and maintenance contracts for the floating offshore wind (FLOW) industry.
"The site now stands on the threshold of a new epoch," commented Tom Sawyer, who is the chief executive of Milford Haven Port Authority.
"The project will help to turn the site into a multi-purpose port here in Pembroke Dock, and is the culmination of years of hard work.
"And the size of the slipways and the access from quayside into deep water is a fundamental requirement for many of the renewable technologies that are going out to sea."
The renewable industry is supported by the creation of additional fabrication and laydown spaces, as well as additional office and workshop spaces in the Hangar Annexes.
The Pemboke Dock Marine project, which forms part of the Swansea Bay City Deal and is backed by UK and Welsh Government funding, will establish a world-class centre for marine energy and engineering with easy access to the Celtic Sea and its significant marine energy resources.
Planning permission for the project was granted in 2021, despite opposition from both local and national heritage organisations which claimed the work would have a potentially 'catastrophic impact' on the port's historic buildings and infrastructure. However the concerns were outweighed by both Pembrokeshire County Council and the Welsh Government who cited the economic benefits of advancing the marine energy sections would far outweigh the concerns.
Meanwhile, the race is now on to ensure that Wales can capitalise on its potential as the Crown Estate starts awarding seabed leases for firms looking to develop floating offshore wind farms in the Celtic Sea.
Commenting on the Pembroke Dock Marine project, the director of RenewableUKCymru, Jessica Hooper, said that far more investment needs to be made to upgrade the port infrastructure across south Wales.
"This £60m is a very good stepping stone, but we're probably talking in the realm of a billion pounds needed to be brought forward," she said.