#Ports&Shipping - The Welsh Port of Milford Haven has welcomed Pembrokeshire County Council’s decision to approve a revision to the Milford Waterfront development’s outline planning consent.

The planning committee met yesterday (26th June) to discuss the application and voted unanimously to support the scheme, subject to agreeing a Section 106 Agreement.

The Port received a resolution to grant planning consent in 2015, however since then a number of amendments have been made following further feasibility studies and changes in market conditions. Among the main amendments are the retention of a listed building thanks to changes made to the entrance to the development, improved connectivity with the town and a leisure-led focus as opposed to retail.

During construction, approximately 100 jobs will be created on site with a further 36 in the supply chain, and over 600 job opportunities are set to be created once the development is fully operational.

Neil Jenkins, Development Director at the Port of Milford Haven, said “We’re delighted that the planning committee has granted a resolution for outline consent for the Milford Waterfront development. The estimated 400,000 additional visitors that will be attracted here on completion are expected to generate £9 million of expenditure for Milford Haven alone and it is a significant project for the whole of Pembrokeshire. This support means we can now progress with our plans on a phased basis to create a unique year-round visitor destination with a vibrant trading and living environment.”

For more information about Milford Waterfront please visit www.milfordwaterfront.co.uk

#Ports&Shipping - The south Wales Port of Milford Haven, Britain’s biggest energy port, has launched a survey to gather views on its roles and operations as a leading regional business.

The poll, which the Port says is critical to understanding issues faced by its many and diverse stakeholders, is a simple online questionnaire that takes no more than ten minutes to complete.

The Port of Milford Haven is a Trust Port with no shareholders, and its profits must be reinvested within the Port to ensure it remains a strong business at the heart of the local economy for future generations. As the Port’s Chief Executive, Alec Don, explained, a clear understanding of all stakeholder views is a key way in which the Port can ensure it remains accountable.

“The broad scale of our operations, from providing safe navigation for all river users, to supporting and developing strong and diverse businesses across our estates, means that what we do touches on the lives and livelihoods of many people and businesses both locally and regionally,” said Alec.

“It is our duty to listen to all views, be they about our own plans as a business or the numerous ways in which what we do impacts on others,” he added. “As importantly, it helps us build and improve relationships with local organisations, businesses and interest groups with a stake in what happens on and around this Waterway.”

A key finding from last year’s survey was that businesses and residents in Pembrokeshire welcomed the Port of Milford Haven’s role as a driver of the local economy. “Nearly all respondents set great store by a busy port’s ability to create opportunity for local business to emerge and grow,” said Alec. “We are working hard on projects such as Pembroke Dock Marine and Milford Waterfront to bring greater opportunities for local business. Engaging widely, during what will be exciting times, is very important for us.”

A link to the survey can be found at www.mhpa.co.uk

#CoastalNotes - The Welsh Port of Milford Haven and The National Museum of the Royal Navy have joined forces to promote and celebrate the Milford Haven Waterway’s rich naval and maritime heritage.

Together the two organisations hope to raise awareness and foster a greater appreciation of the important role the Milford Haven Waterway has played over the centuries. Recently they celebrated their new relationship together with a selection of key local interest groups and dignitaries who all have a common interest in raising the profile of the area’s naval and maritime background.

“This exciting new collaboration with such a prestigious organisation will strengthen our promotion of the fantastic heritage attractions we have along the Milford Haven Waterway”, said Clare Stowell, Property & Tourism Director at the Port of Milford Haven. Milford Haven Museum, The Sunderland Trust and West Wales Maritime Heritage Society are just a few examples of the fascinating places where people can learn about maritime heritage on the Haven and we hope that more visitors and locals will take the opportunity to visit them. Look out for special events at these locations throughout the year.”

Tim Ash, Director of Partnerships at The National Museum of the Royal Navy, said that “The Waterway’s history is a very significant chapter in our naval and maritime heritage. The national museum is very pleased to be working with colleagues, to link that heritage with our work elsewhere and to advise on new stories and activities that might be created”.

#CruiseLiners - A cruiseship that is due to Dublin Port tomorrow is at the time of writing entering the deepwater south Wales port of Milford Haven this afternoon. 

The German cruiseship Albatros will become the first caller in Milford Haven this year. The port is expecting a busy cruise season with a further two callers scheduled this month bringing over 1,000 passengers to the area, and an additional six calls planned between July and September.

Albatros is notable for the bright turquoise funnel rising above the white ship. The cruiseship embarked passengers in Bremerhaven, Germany for a cruise around Britain and arrives at Milford Haven this morning and is to anchore at Milford Shelf (just outside Milford Marina) until 8pm.

The next port of call as alluded is Dublin Port. Afloat adds that the elegant first-generation cruiseship operated by Pheonix Reisen has been allocated a berth at Ocean Pier. The 28,000 gross tonnage cruiseship has called to the capital before and other Irish Sea ports having entered service in 1973. 

Returning to the team at Milford Waterfront, including port staff, local businesses and entertainers will be on the quayside to extend a warm Welsh welcome as visitors come ashore.

On Sunday, ‘Silver Cloud’ will call at Pembroke Port (the ferryport is also located in the Haven). Shortly after that, on 20th May, ‘MV Seabourn Quest’ will call into Milford Haven. This is a luxury cruiseship offering award-winning dining experiences and high end décor. The call willl be part of a 15-day tour of the British Isles and Iceland.

For passengers choosing to stay in Milford Haven, there is an expanding range of things to do. From a visit to Milford Museum, a bite to eat at one of many cafes and restaurents in Milford Waterfront (see related development story) or a spot of retail therapy along the promenade and in the town centre.

#Ports&Shipping - The south Wales Port of Milford Haven (related story) has submitted a revised master plan to Pembrokeshire County Council for its multi-million pound Milford Waterfront development.

The Port received a resolution to grant planning consent in 2015 and since then work has been ongoing to finalise the details for the five phases of development. A significant milestone has been achieved with regards to the location of the new access following approval from Welsh Government, enabling the listed building currently occupied by a vets practice to be retained.

The previous plans were centred largely around a retail development but as a result of market changes the development will now be leisure-led and the food retail store has been replaced with a large indoor leisure facility, offering an interactive digitally-led experience for all ages which will be open all year round.

A second upmarket hotel has been added in line with the desire to create a leisure and tourist destination and a high quality restaurant on stilts is envisaged for the north end of the marina, which can be accessed from the marina or from the quayside. The dry dock will no longer be in-filled, but instead used for private berthing alongside new residential accommodation overlooking the marina and Haven.

Opposite the entrance to Milford Waterfront the Quay Stores building will be redeveloped, bringing a listed building back into use. The link between the town’s train station and Havens Head Retail Park will also be landscaped to create a welcoming experience for visiting rail passengers and safe access to the marina.

Neil Jenkins, Development Director at the Port of Milford Haven, said “We have worked hard on fine-tuning the plans over the past couple of years to ensure they are in line with market trends and are confident that we’re now in a position to deliver a fantastic development in a unique waterfront setting which will provide huge economic benefits to the Pembrokeshire and Welsh economies.”

He added “Work has already started on site for a new Costa Coffee Drive-Thru at Milford Waterfront, a new visitor centre has been opened within the museum and later this year we’ll be launching a new holiday let overlooking the Haven as well as four Floatel Cabins in the marina with terraces overlooking the water. It’s an exciting time for the area and we look forward to receiving feedback from the local authority.”

The Milford Waterfront development is set to create over 700 jobs during the construction and operational phases and result in an additional £9 million in visitor spend.

The planning application can be viewed on Pembrokeshire County Council’s website at www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk

For more details about Milford Waterfront visit www.milfordwaterfront.co.uk

#Ports&Shipping - The Port of Milford Haven in south Wales has published its 2017 Annual Report and Accounts.

The report highlights how strategic long term investments have supported the growth of alternate business streams. It also demonstrates the role of diversification in stabilising financial performance during a period of extreme volatility in a core operation.

The Port recorded a profit before tax of £2.6m and a turnover of £22.4m. Cargo throughput was slightly lower than the previous year at 32.1m tonnes. The £3m fall in profit was due mostly to the ongoing volatility in the Liquefied Natural Gas industry which saw record low shipments in 2017, and in part to an additional £1m pension service charge due to changes in long term interest rates.

These numbers mask positive progress elsewhere in the business. A major investment was completed last year which saw the acquisition of Havens Head Retail Park. The retail park will complement the Port’s extensive property portfolio and become a key part of the Milford Waterfront development.

At Milford Waterfront, the Port is creating a desirable place to live, work and play. It will bring together innovative leisure experiences, smart living and vibrant retail spaces to create close to 600 new jobs in Milford Haven. The first construction element is now underway.

Energy remains the Port’s core business stream. The Port has been a key force in developing doorstep opportunities for the marine renewables sector and progress achieved by device developers over the last year has been welcomed. The collaboration between the Port, developers and Pembrokeshire’s high-skill supply chain will continue to drive the industry towards commercialisation. The Port is working with project partners on delivering the Swansea Bay City Region Deal project, Pembroke Dock Marine. This saw the Port invest £650,000 in the early stage design and consenting process for the proposed changes to its port infrastructure. The value of the eventual infrastructure changes is not restricted to the marine renewables sector with clear value to other marine industries.

Trading performance at the deep water cargo handling site, Pembroke Port, saw growth during 2017. With activities such as heavy lift, animal feed and aggregates all contributing to this strong performance.

Activities across the Port during 2017 have aligned with its vision to Build the Haven’s Prosperity. Prosperity is greater than just increased financial wealth - it is about developing opportunities for employment, upskilling, and enhancing personal wellbeing. With extreme volatility in the energy markets, the Port’s diversification strategy has become a central component in delivering this long term vision.

The Port will continue to move forward with steady confidence and face challenges head-on but, with both Pembroke Dock Marine and Milford Waterfront now emerging as plans in delivery mode, the Port is focused on creating a new economic reality for the region.

The 2017 Annual Report and Financial Statements can be viewed online at www.mhpa.co.uk/annual-report

#UKpmSigns - UK and Welsh government ministers were in Swansea to witness Prime Minister Theresa May sign yesterday the Swansea Bay City Deal along with members of the Swansea Bay City Region Board.

The deal is the biggest ever investment for south west Wales – a total investment package of £241million. Cllr Jamie Adams of Pembrokeshire County Council joined fellow leaders from Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot councils to celebrate having secured the £1.3billion deal that will transform the economic landscape of the area, boost the local economy by £1.8billion, and generate almost 10,000 new jobs over the next 15 years.

Eleven major projects will now get underway, delivering world-class facilities in the fields of energy, smart manufacturing, innovation and life science, with major investment in the region’s digital infrastructure and workforce skills and talent underpinning each.

The total investment package is made up of £241million of UK and Welsh Government funding, £396million of other public sector money and £637million from the private sector.

The Swansea Bay City Region Board – including the four local authorities together with Abertawe Bro Morgannwg and Hywel Dda University Health Boards, Swansea University and the University of Wales Trinity St David’s, and private sector companies – worked under the Chairmanship of Sir Terry Matthews for over a year to develop and submit the City Deal proposal to the Welsh and UK Governments.

It culminated in a pitch to Alun Cairns, Secretary of State for Wales, and other UK Ministers and their advisors, following months of rigorous challenge and negotiation.

Pembrokeshire is involved in three key schemes as part of the City Deal.

Spearheaded by the Port of Milford Haven, Pembroke Dock Marine is a £76million project to establish a marine energy centre around the Milford Haven waterway.
The world class facility will be the centre for marine energy development, fabrication, testing and deployment in the town’s naval dockyard.

The other two schemes – which will be rolled out across the whole region – involves improving broadband and mobile continuity and creating a new industry based around innovative and sustainable energy generation.

Pembrokeshire County Council Leader, Cllr Jamie Adams, said: “This announcement is the culmination of several years hard work by the Leaders, Chief Executives and officers not only from the region’s local authorities but also those from universities, health boards and the private sector.

The Port of Milford Haven has partnered with Marine Energy Wales, ORE Catapult and Wave Hub and is working alongside Swansea University and Pembrokeshire College. Together they are poised to drive innovation and herald the commercialisation of wave and tidal stream technology in Wales.

It will make a vital contribution to the Welsh economy; increasing productivity, export potential and skilled employment opportunities for today and for future generations.”

#PortProfits – The Chief Executive of the Port of Milford Haven has praised staff for delivering strong performance in tough trading conditions at the UK’s biggest energy port.

The south Wales port  has published its accounts for 2015, showing the Pembrokeshire port recorded a profit before tax of £4.4m. The port experienced net growth in cargo volumes, up by over 10% on 2014 levels, at 37.8 million tonnes.

Valero remained consistently busy and the Port benefited from a continued increase in volumes of LNG. The storage terminals at SemLogistics and Puma Energy also saw reasonable levels of activity.

Chief Executive at the Port of Milford Haven, Alec Don, welcomed the results. “Not only has the port remained busy, it has also attracted new business to the area,” he said. “We have continued to invest in both services and facilities to ensure we can maintain the port’s status as the UK’s biggest gateway for seaborne energy products. Considerable praise must go to our staff. Their skill and dedication has kept the port running efficiently and effectively,” he added.

Investment in operations up-river at Pembroke Port also yielded results. The port remained South Wales’ largest and most successful ferry terminal. It also attracted a new contract to handle and ship out refuse-derived fuel to Sweden. The diversification strategy to attract manufacture and maintenance contracts for marine renewables took a leap forward at the end of 2015 with the deployment of Tidal Energy Limited’s prototype device, DeltaStream, constructed in the port.

The Port of Milford Haven also owns and operates Milford Dock and Marina, base of Wales’ largest fishing port. Planning approval for a wholesale redevelopment of the area was secured in 2015, paving the way for further investment and modernisation.

“Last year saw significant improvements both in the water, with new lock gates bringing significantly enhanced and shortened passage times into and out of the docks and marina, and by the water with new fish handling and processing facilities,” said Alec.

“Our strategy to invest in the growth of fish handling, processing and retail will also be a catalyst for further business activity here,” he added. “Across the docks we have laid the foundations for comprehensive development that will see new retail and visitor attractions built. In turn, this will generate jobs and encourage further inward investment.”

“We are investing for the future. However, this can only be achieved through close collaboration with partners and in a business environment that makes it easy to invest, operate and employ.”

#NewPilotCutters -The first of three 19m pilot boats built by Mainstay Marine Solutions, St. Brides, has been delivered to the Port of Milford Haven in south-west Wales.

The new craft was officially blessed last Thursday by Father Harri Williams of St Katherine’s and St Peter’s Church, before coming into full service.

The 48 tonne vessel is of a similar design to the ‘Picton’ pilot boat delivered to the Port in 2009. Designed by Camarc Design, these vessels have proven reliability of service over many years in the challenging sea conditions which can be found in and around the Port of Milford Haven.

Capable of reaching up to 14 knots with 12 persons on board, the crafts are designed to be used extensively in heavy weather and are likely to operate in swells up to 5m in wave height. They are able to withstand the impact of coming alongside large tankers in turbulent sea conditions and provide a safe platform when transferring pilots to and from ships visiting the various terminals along the Milford Haven Waterway. The boats are fully equipped with the latest safety and operational features and meet the highest standards of reliability and crew safety.

Alec Don, Chief Executive of the Port of Milford Haven, said: “This substantial investment of over £3.6 million in the complete renewal of our pilot boat fleet will provide the port with three identical, modern, state-of-the-art boats with full interchangeability of parts. These boats, together with our highly skilled and trained crews, constitute the backbone of our ability to provide a safe and reliable service to our customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We have been impressed with the professional design and fabrication service delivered by Mainstay Marine Solutions who have delivered exactly in line with the contract”.

Stewart Graves, Managing Director of Mainstay Marine Solutions, commented: “We pride ourselves on our reputation for quality so the positive feedback on the finish of the St Brides pilot boat has been particularly pleasing. Delivering three vessels in quick succession has been a welcome challenge and we are on track to deliver the remaining two vessels to the Port of Milford Haven on time, and to budget.”

The three new vessels will replace the Port’s current fleet of four, the ‘Skomer’ and ‘Picton’ which were delivered in 2007 and 2009 respectively in readiness for the arrival of LNG, the ‘Portunus’, and the Port’s oldest vessel, the ‘Hakin’, which has been operating on the Haven since the early 1980s.

‘St Brides’ was named following a public competition which attracted almost one hundred entries. A traditional marine naming ceremony will take place for all three vessels later this year.

#Dredging - A £1.5m dredging campaign at the Pembrokeshire Port of Milford Haven, to clear the shipping channels and berths has been completed.

The work is an essential part of ensuring the waters leading to and around the terminals on the river remain deep enough for some of the larger ships that use them.

Nearly 180,000 tonnes of fine silt and sand have been cleared from along berths and channels in the port over three months. The dredgers have had to work around several major storms over the period between December and March.
The work formed part of a joint campaign involving the Port of Milford Haven and a number of the other energy companies who operate terminals along the river.

“A campaign on this scale is carried out every ten years,” explained the Port of Milford Haven’s Harbourmaster, Bill Hirst. “It is vital to dredge in order to keep the UK’s biggest energy port open for business. It’s tempting to think a natural harbour such as Milford Haven is always easy to access for even the largest ships. However, the river is constantly depositing material on the seabed. We regularly need to clear out the channels so ships have plenty of room to manoeuver,” Bill continued.

The Port of Milford Haven carries out annual hydrographic surveys of the river bed to monitor build up of silt in the channels. “We have a legal duty to accurately state the depth of waters in the port,” said Bill. “With data going back several years we have a pretty clear idea how often we need to dredge to make sure those stated depths remain accurate.

Several dredging vessels were used to carry out the task. The largest was a 26,000 ton, 150m long ship the Bartolomeu Dias. In order to clear behind terminal jetties, the smaller vessel Mimar Sinan was deployed, equipped with a digging bucket capable of lifting more than 40 tonnes of material in one scoop.

The dredged material is taken to a licensed depositing ground 20 miles offshore.