Energy leaders unite to enhance efficiency, reliability and capability at the Port of Milford Haven 

Energy leaders unite to enhance efficiency, reliability and capability at the Port of Milford Haven 

At a workshop held recently in Pembrokeshire, leaders from key industry organisations across the Port of Milford Haven came together to discuss ways to maximise efficiency and improve the Authority’s service reliability for international energy customers using the port.  

Hosted by the Port of Milford Haven, the initiative brought together senior leaders from the oil and gas sector as well as service providers integral to the port operation including shipping agents and tug operators; each of them recognising the need for greater collaboration to address shared challenges.  During the week-long event, delegates took part in a number of collaborative workshops that focused on maximising the Port’s customer service provision, while ensuring the highest levels of safety and operational reliability. 

In order for the Port of Milford Haven to deliver a year-round, safe, efficient and integrated port service, participants agreed to support a number of actions including data exchange, resource allocation – covering both people and assets - and technological innovations.   

One of the key outcomes of the discussion was agreement for all organisations to work towards a set of principles, key to ensuring the long-term success of the Port:

• Partnership Working: Collaborating to challenge current thinking, fostering innovation and continuous improvement
• Maximising Safety: Operating to the highest safety standards whilst using an analytically-based, dynamic and responsive marine risk process
• Enhancing Reliability of Service: Developing a transparent, optimised and integrated port coordination and planning environment that maximises the reliability and availability of the port
• Sustainability: A pan-port, long-term commercial view that secures the future prosperity of each of the businesses operating within the Port of Milford Haven, their communities, and their environment.

Tom Sawyer, Chief Executive at the Port of Milford Haven, said: “As the UK’s leading energy port handling or processing around twenty percent of the UK’s energy needs it is critical to the resilience and security of UK energy that we provide a port service that is safe, reliable and efficient 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  

“Safely manoeuvring some of the world’s largest ships onto their berths within the Port of Milford Haven requires precision coordination of multiple resources.  During much of the year this happens seamlessly but we recognised that more winter resilience was needed and these workshops and the Port’s investments made this year in extra pilots, pilot boat crews and pilot boats will improve this. By working collaboratively with our customers and other service providers we are confident we can retain an excellent year-round reliable service.”