The south Wales Port of Milford Haven has won the Port Sustainability Award at the British Ports Association’s Conference which was held recently in Aberdeen.

Recognising ports for their sustainability credentials, the award highlights the Port of Milford Haven’s commitment not only to environmental sustainability, but also its work to improve the sustainability of the communities surrounding the Port.

Among the examples given that demonstrated this were the Port’s collaboration with the Milford Haven Energy Kingdom project which delivered the world’s first smart hydrogen hybrid system in a commercial setting; a community engagement initiative which resulted in a music video performed by school pupils highlighting exciting opportunities for them in imminent renewable energy developments locally; the purchase of a fleet of electric vehicles and the Coastal Communities Adapting Together (CCAT) project.

At the start of the year, the Pembrokeshire port launched a dedicated Green Energy Fund that supports local charitable organisations and other not-for-profit organisations to improve their environmental sustainability.

A stand-out initiative established by the Port is the formation of Milford Haven Waterway Future Energy Cluster - a coalition of energy companies, renewable developers, green technology innovators and the local council. Together, the Cluster has set a low carbon vision for the Milford Haven Waterway to support UK Net Zero ambitions.

The Port also made a commitment in 2022 to the Real Living Wage. In addition, it introduced a ‘Community Benefits’ section to procurement procedures, asking all tenderers to outline how they will provide community benefits whilst working for the Port.

Chris Martin, Chairman, said: “We are unbelievably proud of all the work the team has put into ensuring sustainability is ingrained in everything we do. The Port is led by a team of local people who are fully immersed in the community and are passionate about making a positive difference. I am personally very proud of all the work they have accomplished in recent years and look forward to what the future may bring.”

The port's CEO Tom Sawyer added: “Winning this award is a great achievement for the whole team. When we introduced Sustainability as a core value, we were dedicating ourselves to working harder than we already were to promote this in the community. Sustainability isn’t just for the environment, it is for jobs, communities, and society. We are very proud to have been given this recognition by the British Ports Association.”