#associatedbritishports — Public Fediverse posts

UK logistics collaboration for nuclear plant http://dlvr.it/TV97pt #AssociatedBritishPorts #Infrastructure #Ipswich #Railfreight

UK logistics collaboration for nuclear plant http://dlvr.it/TV97ns #AssociatedBritishPorts #Infrastructure #Ipswich #Railfreight

NEW WDA: Swansea and Port Talbot ports boss to shape Wales’ development agency — as Tories warn there’s ‘no plan’

The man who chairs the company that owns Swansea and Port Talbot docks has been handed the job of shaping Wales’ new economic development agency.

Jonathan Lewis, chair of ports giant Associated British Ports, was named this week to lead the expert panel that will design the agency’s remit and operating model.

The agency is the Welsh Government’s answer to what it calls the most ambitious economic goal in Wales in two decades: halving the country’s productivity gap with the UK within 10 years.

It will focus on attracting inward investment, helping Welsh businesses scale up, and putting innovation at the centre of economic development.

Mr Lewis’s day job gives him a direct stake in the region’s economy — ABP owns five Welsh ports including Swansea and Port Talbot, both central to the Welsh Government’s offshore wind ambitions.

His career spans energy, engineering and technology, with previous chief executive roles at outsourcing firm Capita and engineering group AmecFosterWheeler, and years working alongside national development agencies in the United States and beyond.

Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy Adam Price said meeting the productivity challenge needed “a fundamental change in how we approach economic development in Wales”.

“The new agency will be agile, dynamic and built for the Wales of today,” he said, adding that innovation would be at its core.

Mr Lewis said improving Wales’ productivity was “core to realising our future prosperity as a nation”.

What the agency does for this corner of Wales was an immediate theme in the Senedd, where Plaid Cymru’s Elyn Stephens said Port Talbot “has all the ingredients to succeed” — citing the freeport, public investment and the steel transition — and pressed the First Minister on how the agency would ensure “the wealth generated in places like Port Talbot stays in Wales”.

Rhun ap Iorwerth said the agency’s job would be to bring “coherence” to economic development — including in Port Talbot, “which has faced real challenges but has so much potential too”.

The announcement also lands amid pressure for a bigger government presence in Swansea, where Plaid’s Gwyn Williams told the Senedd last week the city’s economy is “slipping further and further behind that of Cardiff” — urging the Senedd Commission to consider opening an office in the city, and voicing hopes that the Welsh Government’s Penllergaer office moves to the city centre.

The First Minister has himself said the old Welsh Development Agency — wound into the Welsh Government in 2006 — was “one of the best” of its kind, telling the Senedd “it was a problem to get rid of it” — a view with local resonance, given a revived WDA has been floated as key to Swansea’s city-centre offices deal and the decades-long frustration over the stalled Felindre site.

But the plans drew immediate fire from the Welsh Conservatives, whose shadow environment minister Andrew RT Davies said he “generally can’t get a sense that much work has been done on this particular project”.

Mr Davies pressed the minister to say when the agency would exist — 12 months, two years, or the end of the Senedd term. Mr Price replied: “I can’t give you a specific date, to be frank” — though he committed to a statutory body, legislation “fairly soon”, and an operational agency during this Senedd term.

Mr Davies said the Conservatives supported the principle of moving economic development out of government, but told the chamber “there’s too much blank space” — adding in a statement that the lack of a date was “a symptom of a manifesto that included lots of pledges, but no plan”.

He also questioned how the agency would work alongside Wales’ existing growth and city deals — which include the Swansea Bay City Deal — without duplicating spending.

The full membership of the advisory panel will be confirmed later this summer — against a backdrop of a widening jobs and wages gap between Wales and the rest of the UK, though Wales landed 75 foreign investment projects and 1,600 jobs last year even as UK-wide investment hit a decade low.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

SWANSEA: Council leader rules out suing new Welsh Government over city-centre offices deal — as a revived WDA could hold the key
How the new agency became tied up with Swansea’s biggest regeneration question.

FELINDRE: ‘A real let-down’ — two council leaders, years apart, share the same frustration over stalled flagship site
The WDA-era site that still hasn’t delivered, decades on.

INVESTMENT: UK foreign investment hits decade low — but Wales lands 75 projects and 1,600 jobs
How Wales is faring in the battle for inward investment.

King’s Lynn gets vacuum pipe handling http://dlvr.it/TTBTlB #abp #AssociatedBritishPorts #CargoHandlingEquipment #England

SWANSEA: Choirs, harmonies and a warm Welsh welcome as cruise visitors come ashore

Cruise passengers stepping off in Swansea this week were met with the kind of welcome only Wales can lay on — the sound of a male voice choir drifting across the quayside.

Around 400 visitors came ashore from two liners that called at the Port of Swansea within the space of a week, with both ships making their maiden visits to the city.

Windstar’s Star Legend was first to arrive, on 14 June, giving its mostly North American passengers a full day to explore Swansea Bay. Days later, on 18 June, Ponant’s Le Champlain glided into port — one of only two cruise calls scheduled for the city all year.

As passengers disembarked, they were greeted by the harmonies of the Phoenix (Male Voice) Choir of Wales, alongside Atsain, a traditional Welsh band — a quayside welcome arranged with the help of Associated British Ports.

From there, Visit Swansea Bay’s tourism team handed out maps and local tips to help the visitors make the most of their stay.

Many headed into the city and along the coast, taking in the area’s maritime heritage at its museums and galleries, following the Dylan Thomas trail, and sampling fresh coastal cuisine.

Others chose excursions further afield, including a scenic tour of the Gower National Landscape.

Andrew Williams, the council’s cabinet member for development, said the visits were a welcome boost.

“We are delighted to welcome the cruise ships and their passengers to Swansea Bay,” he said.

“Visits like these provide a fantastic boost to our local businesses and showcase our area to a new global audience. The warm welcome they receive lays the groundwork for the future, inspiring many to return for a longer stay.”

He said the recent arrivals had reinforced the growing appeal of Swansea Bay as a cruise destination, with momentum building since the city welcomed the MV Hamburg last year.

Ashley Curnow, divisional port manager at Associated British Ports, said both ships had been making their first calls at the port.

“These visits reinforce South Wales’ growing appeal as a cruise destination and Swansea’s position as the gateway to Gower,” he said.

“We look forward to building on this momentum and welcoming further cruise calls into Swansea.”

For the National Waterfront Museum, the visits were a chance to show off the city to a global audience.

Dr Nicole Deufel, head of the museum, said staff were thrilled to play a part in welcoming passengers to Swansea Bay, Mumbles and Gower.

“As the museum moves to telling the stories of Wales and the sea, this is a wonderful opportunity to showcase our destination on a global stage,” she said.

The two visits follow years of slow but steady growth in cruise calls to Welsh ports, with Swansea increasingly being pitched as a gateway to Gower and the wider coast.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Luxury cruise ship docks in Swansea — one of just two due all year
How rare a cruise call at the Port of Swansea really is.

Cruise passengers help boost city tourism business
The economic case for bringing cruise visitors to Swansea Bay.

More from the National Waterfront Museum
News from the maritime museum on Swansea’s waterfront.

SWANSEA: Luxury cruise ship docks in the city — one of just two due all year

Le Champlain, operated by the French luxury line Ponant, arrived in Swansea on Thursday as she nears the end of an 11-night cruise around the Celtic Sea and British Isles.

The 184-guest ship was guided into the docks by tug, and passers-by stopped along the waterfront to watch the unusual arrival.

A rare visitor

Swansea is chiefly a commercial cargo port, handling everything from steel and agribulks to components for the offshore wind industry, and it takes only the occasional cruise call at its Kings Dock berth.

According to the Cruise Wales calendar, just two cruise ships are scheduled to visit the port this season — Le Champlain, and Windstar Cruises’ Star Legend, which called on 14 June.

Most of Wales’s cruise traffic goes elsewhere, to ports such as Holyhead, Milford Haven and Fishguard.

Cruise tourism across Wales has been growing, however. The country recorded 84 cruise ship visits in 2025 — more than double the 41 logged in 2021.

And Swansea has welcomed passengers before: in May last year, hundreds of cruise visitors stepped ashore for a day sampling the best of South Wales.

A floating boutique hotel

Le Champlain is no ordinary ship. Built in 2018, she is the second of Ponant’s six “Explorer”-class expedition vessels — luxury yachts designed to slip into smaller, remoter ports that larger liners cannot reach.

She carries just 184 guests, looked after by around 110 crew, and her amenities lean firmly towards the indulgent: French fine dining with menus developed in partnership with the kitchens of acclaimed chef Alain Ducasse, a spa, an infinity pool and a fleet of Zodiac boats for shore landings.

Her most unusual feature sits below the waterline. The “Blue Eye” lounge — a Ponant signature — is an underwater bar with two whale-eye-shaped portholes, where hydrophones pipe the sounds of the sea through the room and sofas gently vibrate in time with the ocean.

It does not come cheap. Fares for Ponant’s voyages typically run well into the thousands of pounds per passenger.

A port with bigger maritime ambitions

The arrival is a reminder of the council’s hopes to see more passenger traffic through the city’s docks.

Swansea once had its own ferry link across the sea to Ireland, with the port serving as the terminal for the Swansea–Cork service until it ended more than a decade ago.

More recently, the council has set its sights on a new crossing closer to home. It has been pursuing plans for a zero-emission fast ferry across the Bristol Channel, linking Swansea with the South West of England.

The idea has drawn strong public support in consultation, though it has also met scepticism, with one councillor branding it a “fairy story”.

Rouen to Greenock

Le Champlain’s current voyage began in Rouen, in northern France, on 10 June, and has taken her guests through Cornwall’s Isles of Scilly, Bantry in Ireland, the Isle of Man, Liverpool and Holyhead.

After her day in Swansea she sails on for Belfast, the Scottish isle of Tobermory, and finally Greenock, near Glasgow, where the cruise concludes on 21 June.

For Swansea, it is a brief but glamorous visit — and, with only one other cruise call due this year, a rare chance to see a ship like her on the city’s doorstep.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Cruise passengers help boost city tourism business
Hundreds of visitors stepped ashore at Swansea last year for a day out in South Wales.

Swansea to South West England ferry consultation opens
Residents asked whether they would back a zero-emission fast ferry across the Bristol Channel.

Ferry plan gathers pace as 98% back Swansea crossing
Overwhelming public support for the proposed new Bristol Channel ferry link.

Ferry farce? Doubts grow over Swansea crossing
One councillor brands the much-talked-about ferry plan a “fairy story”.

https://www.europesays.com/britain/55491/ The National Wealth Fund provides £200m backing to UK ports #AssociatedBritishPorts #AssociatedBritishPorts(ABP) #BankOfAmerica #ContainerPortPerformanceIndex #CrossBorderTrade #EnergyTransition #Lloyds #logistics #NationalWealthFund #NatWest #PortInfrastructure #Ports #Shipping #SupplyChains #UK #UKPorts #UnitedKingdom

https://www.europesays.com/britain/35214/ Project set on becoming Britain’s largest energy storage hub eyes Port of Barrow as onshore base #abp #AssociatedBritishPorts(ABP) #Britain #EastIrishSea #EenergySecurity #EnergySecurity #EnergyStorage #EnergyTransition #EnergyPathways #MarramEnergyStorageHub #MESH #PortOfBarrow #UK

https://www.europesays.com/britain/35154/ EnergyPathways signs port deal to advance Britain’s largest energy storage project #AssociatedBritishPorts #Britain #CompressedAirEnergyStorage #EnergyStorage #EnergyTransition #EnergyPathwaysPLC #HydrogenStorage #MESH #OnshoreFacilities #WindEnergy

PORT TALBOT POWER PLAY: £64m wind hub plan promises 5,000 jobs in major shake-up

A £64 million plan to turn Port Talbot into a floating offshore wind hub has been unveiled — with ministers promising thousands of jobs and a major boost for South Wales.

The UK Government says the funding will help develop the port into a base for a new generation of wind farms in the Celtic Sea, capable of powering millions of homes.

But while the announcement is being hailed as a breakthrough, the reality is that Port Talbot has been edging towards this role for some time.

Previous studies have already explored how floating wind turbines could be launched from the town’s docks, while earlier reports have highlighted how ports across South Wales — including Swansea and Milford Haven — are competing for a slice of the emerging industry.

This latest funding is aimed at pushing Port Talbot to the front of that race.

The money will go to Associated British Ports (ABP) to carry out detailed design and engineering work needed to handle floating turbines — huge structures assembled onshore before being towed out to sea.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the project puts Wales “at the heart” of the UK’s clean energy push.

He added:

“With its deep waters and strong winds, we are supporting Wales to storm ahead in floating offshore wind — a pioneering industry that will support thousands of good jobs and unlock the next generation of clean, homegrown power.”

The Celtic Sea is seen as one of the best locations in Europe for floating wind, with the potential to generate at least 4.5GW of electricity — enough to power around 6.5 million homes.

For Port Talbot, the headline figure will be jobs, with up to 5,000 roles linked to the development if projects progress as expected.

But that depends on future investment decisions, and for now the funding is focused on planning rather than construction.

Henrik Pedersen, chief executive of ABP, said the agreement marked “real progress” towards making the port a key part of the industry.

He said:

“This development would drive industrial regeneration, support thousands of skilled jobs and ensure Wales captures the full economic benefit of this emerging sector.”

Ministers have also linked the investment to wider global tensions and rising energy costs.

The UK Government said recent conflict in the Middle East had exposed how vulnerable households and businesses remain to volatile fossil fuel markets beyond the UK’s control.

They argue that projects like floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea are key to “taking back control” of energy supply — while helping to bring down bills in the long term.

Funding for Port Talbot, they say, is part of a wider shift towards clean, homegrown power — while also bringing jobs and new industries to South Wales.

he Welsh Liberal Democrats have warned that Labour are missing a golden opportunity to create a local industrial supply chain. 

Welsh Liberal Democrat, David Chadwick MP sounded a note of caution however.

He said:

“Any job creation is a positive step for Port Talbot, but Labour need to be honest about what this actually contains.

“These turbines are set to be built using imported steel and only assembled locally, not manufactured. This means much of the real economic value will still go elsewhere.

“We should be using projects like this to back Welsh industry, strengthen our local supply chains, and create long-term skilled jobs here in Wales, not just host the final stage.”  

The announcement comes as Port Talbot continues to reshape its identity following major changes at the steelworks.

The UK Government has already backed a new electric arc furnace and committed funding to support workers and businesses through the transition.

Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens said the latest investment “heralds the next chapter” for the town.

She added:

“This is a significant moment for Port Talbot and a major step forward for the growing clean energy industry in Wales.”

There are also wider ambitions to turn the area into a clean energy hub, with the Celtic Freeport and offshore wind developments forming part of a bigger picture.

However, questions remain about how quickly those ambitions will translate into real-world change.

Despite the scale of the announcement, there is no confirmed timeline for construction, and final approvals are still needed before work can begin.

And while Port Talbot has been tipped before as a key player in offshore wind — including being linked to major Celtic Sea projects and infrastructure studies — large-scale developments have yet to materialise.

The project is also part of a wider and increasingly competitive race, with other ports in South Wales pushing hard to secure contracts linked to the booming offshore wind sector.

For now, ministers argue the investment is about more than just jobs — pointing to the need for greater energy security following global instability.

But for many locally, the key question will be simpler: when — and if — the promised benefits actually arrive.

After years of big regeneration pledges, there will be cautious optimism — but also a sense that the real test is still to come.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Port Talbot tipped for key role as third Celtic Sea wind farm confirmed
Earlier plans showed how the town could play a central role in major offshore wind projects off the Welsh coast.

Welsh Government highlights Port Talbot in offshore wind push
A national strategy identified Port Talbot as a key location for supporting the next generation of wind energy.

Ports battle for huge offshore wind contracts
Competition between South Wales ports has been heating up as firms eye lucrative construction deals.

Study launched into floating wind turbine deployment
Research into how turbines could be launched from Port Talbot highlights the scale of infrastructure needed.

Canadian pension funds prepare £10 billion cast off from Associated British Ports http://dlvr.it/TQs0kZ #AssociatedBritishPorts #Business

Logistics development starts an industrial revolution for South Wales http://dlvr.it/TPz5SK #AssociatedBritishPorts #Cardiff #Newport #Railfreight

Logistics development starts an industrial revolution for South Wales http://dlvr.it/TPz4rM #AssociatedBritishPorts #Cardiff #Newport #Railfreight

Welsh Government launches ports prospectus highlighting Swansea, Port Talbot and Milford Haven in offshore wind push

The Welsh Government today (Tuesday 7 October) launches its Ports Prospectus at the Future Energy Wales conference in Newport, setting out how the nation’s coastline and industrial heritage can underpin the UK’s clean energy revolution.

Economy, Energy and Planning Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Evans said offshore wind could create 29,000 jobs, generate £4.5bn for the economy and power more than four million homes across Wales by 2030. Capacity is forecast to exceed 20 gigawatts by 2045.

Swansea and Port Talbot

Associated British Ports (ABP) said its Swansea and Port Talbot sites were “uniquely placed” to support both fixed‑bottom and floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea. Ashley Curnow, ABP’s divisional port manager for Wales and the South West, said the ports’ proximity to development areas, large areas of developable land and strong transport links made them ideal to provide the infrastructure and supply chain capability needed.

Milford Haven and Celtic Freeport

At the Port of Milford Haven, chief executive Tom Sawyer said Pembroke Port offered a “prime gateway” to floating offshore wind, boosted by the investment incentives of the Celtic Freeport, which spans Port Talbot and Pembroke Dock. He said the port was ready to support the build‑out of floating offshore wind (FLOW) and anchor a world‑class supply chain in Wales.

Celtic Freeport chief executive Luciana Ciubotariu added:

“The Welsh Ports Prospectus rightly highlights the scale of opportunity for Wales in floating offshore wind, building on the momentum of The Crown Estate’s recent Celtic Sea leasing round. Celtic Freeport is advancing FLOW terminal capacity and supply chain opportunities at Pembroke Dock and Port Talbot.”

National context

The prospectus also highlights opportunities off north Wales, where more than 500 turbines have already been deployed from the Port of Mostyn.

Rebecca Evans said: “Wales stands at the heart of the clean energy transition – with a coastline that delivers natural deep‑water harbours, proximity to major wind lease zones, and an agile, ready‑to‑scale supply chain we represent one of Europe’s most strategic locations for offshore wind development.”

Next steps

The Welsh Government said its Freeports in south west and north Wales provide investors with tax incentives, streamlined customs processes and development‑ready sites, alongside investment in renewable energy skills.

The Ports Prospectus will now be used to showcase Wales’ offer to global investors as the Celtic Sea leasing round gathers pace.

Related Articles

More on Celtic Freeport and Wales’ offshore wind opportunity:

• Economy Minister congratulates Celtic Freeport consortium on winning bid
  Vaughan Gething hails Port Talbot and Milford Haven’s successful freeport bid, expected to create thousands of green jobs.
• Neath Port Talbot councillors approve next stages in 16,000‑job Celtic Freeport project
  Council signs off on governance and funding steps to progress the transformational freeport scheme.
• Crown Estate funds new offshore wind supply chain programme in South Wales
  £100k programme to boost SMEs in the Swansea Bay City Region reignites calls for devolution of the Crown Estate.
• Swansea, Port Talbot and Milford Haven ports in running for huge offshore wind contracts
  Welsh ports shortlisted as potential assembly hubs for floating wind turbines in the Celtic Sea.

#AssociatedBritishPorts #CelticFreeport #CelticSea #FutureEnergyWales #MilfordHaven #offshoreWind #PortOfMilfordHaven #RebeccaEvansMS #Swansea #WelshGovernment #WindPower #windTurbines