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

Swansea, Port Talbot and Milford Haven ports in running for huge offshore wind construction contracts

Plans for a new generation of floating wind farms off the coasts of Wales and South West England moved a step closer as the leasing round for three sites in the Celtic Sea entered its final stages.

The Crown Estate – which manages the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland –also revealed that, as part of the process, companies bidding to build the new wind farms shortlisted a range of potential locations in Wales and South West England for the assembly and deployment of the new turbines.

Research published last year by The Crown Estate showed these new wind farms could support the creation of more than 5,000 jobs and deliver a £1.4 billion boost to the economy, with further opportunities through the supply chain.

As part of their bid proposals, Bidders have set out which ports they intend to work with to support the delivery of projects if they are successful. This refers specifically to ‘integration ports’ where turbines will be mounted on large floating platforms before being towed out to sea. 

The Crown Estate say the development of ports to support the new wind farms are expected to lead to the creation of significant new opportunities for jobs and economic growth.

The turbines could be as much as 300 metres tall, around the same height as The Shard in London, and sit on a floating platform similar in size to a football pitch.

Bidders have put forward a range of ports at this stage which are in relative proximity to the Celtic Sea. These are Port of Milford Haven, Port of Swansea, Port Talbot, Port of Bristol, Port of Plymouth, Falmouth Port and the Port of Brest.

The Crown Estate say that at this stage, the information provided by Bidders indicates a strong potential for Port Talbot and/or Port of Bristol to play a key role in the delivery of Round 5 projects.

Gus Jaspert, Managing Director, Marine at The Crown Estate, said: “The advent of floating offshore wind offers a generational opportunity for the UK to be at the forefront of an exciting new global industry. Developing this new technology in the Celtic Sea will open up transformational opportunities for new jobs, investment and growth across Wales, South West England and beyond.

“With Government backing to secure the long-term success of the UK as a global leader in floating wind, we can lay the foundations for future generations to reap the rewards of a decarbonised, energy-secure and prosperous future.

“We look forward to continuing our work with governments and the industry to secure the investment and commitment needed as we move forward, for the benefit of coastal communities and the UK as a whole.”

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “The UK is a world leader when it comes to floating offshore wind, and by unlocking the untapped potential of the Celtic Sea we will reap the benefits of economic growth and thousands of jobs in Wales and the South West, delivering on our Plan for Change.

“Since taking office, we have approved the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm project, and we are backing the industry even further so this cutting-edge technology can continue to thrive off the UK coastline.

“More floating turbines in our waters means more clean, homegrown power that we control, delivering energy security for families and businesses.”

Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said: “Today’s announcement shows that Wales is ready to seize the golden opportunity of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea, and secure more than 5,000 jobs and billions of pounds of investment this has the potential to bring.

“Wales will play a key part in delivering clean power as part of our Plan for Change, boosting economic growth, lowering energy bills and putting more pounds in people’s pockets.”

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “The UK is open for business, and this leasing round will help unlock vital new investment in our world-leading floating offshore wind industry to create jobs and prosperity in our coastal communities.

“Backed by our Industrial Strategy, which will place the clean energy sector at the heart of our growth plans, we’re driving forward our missions to make the UK a clean energy superpower and secure economic growth – delivering on two of the foundations of our Plan for Change.”

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, said: “This milestone represents a significant opportunity for Wales. Floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea will not only advance our clean energy goals but create valuable jobs and investment across Wales’ coastal communities. Our ports are well positioned to support this growing industry and we’re committed to ensuring such developments deliver lasting economic benefits for Wales whilst continuing to strengthen our position as a renewable energy leader.”

RenewableUK’s Deputy Chief Executive Jane Cooper said: “We welcome this step forward towards the crucial final stages of this landmark leasing round which will kickstart the industrial development of floating offshore wind projects and supply chains at scale in the UK. Today’s announcement on the ports which could host new wind turbine assembly facilities will provide confidence for investors in port facilities around the country, including those in south Wales and the south west of England who are focussing on new floating windfarms in the Celtic Sea. 

 “By 2050, floating turbines could provide a third of the UK’s offshore wind capacity with 40 gigawatts fully operational – enough to power every home in the country. By then, our analysis shows that the UK’s floating wind industry will employ 97,000 people, contributing £47 billion to our economy by building and supplying projects here as well as exporting our cutting-edge technology worldwide. Maximising the capacity of floating wind to be delivered in future leasing rounds would enable the UK to make the most of these exciting opportunities.” 

Richard Ballantyne, Chief Executive of the British Ports Association, said: “Floating offshore wind will bring jobs and prosperity to UK shores, whilst moving us closer to net zero. Ports are critical to securing the social and economic benefits of the energy transition and we welcome this step forward in making floating wind a reality in UK waters. As an industry we will continue to work closely with Government, The Crown Estate and the renewable energy sector to deliver on our shared ambitions for offshore wind.”

(Lead image: Crown Estate)

#CrownEstate #MilfordHaven #offshoreWind #PortOfMilfordHaven #PortOfSwansea #PortTalbot #renewableEnergy #Swansea

Celtic Freeport officially launched

Within the freeport area businesses are offered significant UK Government and Welsh Government tax breaks and customs exemptions to encourage investment and growth. The Celtic Freeport is set to attract £8.4bn of private and public investment, deliver 11,500 new jobs and add £8.1bn of economic value (GVA) to the local economy. 

The Celtic Freeport opened for business in November 2024 and is supported by £26 million of committed UK Government investment. It has now been officially launched at an event in Cardiff, attended by the Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens, and Rebecca Evans, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning.

Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens said: “This Government has a Plan for Change focused on delivering economic growth and ensuring that the UK is a renewable energy superpower. This announcement is a significant step towards achieving those ambitions.

“The Celtic Freeport will create up to 11,500 well-paid, highly skilled jobs and could leverage up to £8.4bn in investment.

“The UK Government has committed £26 million to the freeport in addition to significant incentives from the UK Government and Welsh Government. I am very pleased that we now have two governments working in partnership to deliver for people of Wales.”

Rebecca Evans, Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning said:  “The official opening of the Celtic Freeport sends another clear signal to the world that the industrial heartlands of South Wales are a vital cog in the growth and future prosperity of the UK’s low-carbon economy. We are already seeing a real appetite across the region and beyond to make the most of the skills and job opportunities that this new industrial age will provide.    

 “The Welsh Government will be at Celtic’s side providing major tax reliefs to attract business investment, and the Freeport will be able to use future non-domestic rates revenues for vital infrastructure and skills projects which will benefit Port Talbot and Milford Haven for generations to come.” 

Following the launch event, Luciana Ciubotariu, CEO of Celtic Freeport, said: “The Celtic Freeport is taking significant strides forward with key milestones secured such as the planning consents for the LanzaTech’s sustainable aviation fuel production plants and RWE’s Pembroke Green Hydrogen plant, the launch of the Milford Haven CO₂ Project, H2 Energy and Trafigura’s West Wales Hydrogen project securing a hydrogen CfD, Haush establishing a green energy HQ and their green hydrogen plant coming forward at Pembroke Dock and the approval of the wind turbine development to expand Dragon Energy’s Renewables Park.

“These Celtic Freeport partner initiatives, coupled with investments in battery energy storage by RWE and port infrastructure at Port Talbot, are accelerating South Wales’ reindustrialisation and driving a decarbonised economy rich in evolving and new industries.”

The Celtic Freeport is one of 12 Freeports across Wales, England and Scotland. 

#CelticFreeport #MilfordHaven #PortOfMilfordHaven #PortTalbot