The Port of Milford Haven is a leading UK port handling over 30 million tonnes of cargo annually. That’s not all though; the bustling site in Pembrokeshire, South Wales provides expert solutions in marine renewables, freight and passenger ferry services, fisheries, leisure and retail. Commercial Director Steve Edwards and Tam Bardell, Energy Development Manager, described some of the most exciting enterprises the company is involved in. Report by Hannah Barnett.
Though the Port of Milford Haven was officially founded 65 years ago in 1958, the history of commerce and shipping in the Milford Haven waterway stretches back centuries. These days much of the focus at the port is dedicated to how it can contribute to a greener future. There are multiple sustainability initiatives on the go, set to benefit not only the port, but the wider Welsh community too.
Leading by example, the Milford Haven Waterway Future Energy Cluster wants to strengthen the UK’s energy independence. This is a local coalition of energy companies, renewable developers, green technology innovators, the council and the Port of Milford Haven. The initiative has set a lowcarbon vision for the area by backing a South Wales Celtic Freeport bid and a South Wales Floating Offshore Wind proposition. One of the aims of the cluster is to help increase the region’s renewable energy capacity by 10 GW by 2030.
Steve Edwards, Commercial Director for the Port of Milford Haven, explained the main objective of the cluster: “I thought it was important that we galvanised a collaborative energy vision for the Haven. There is vast potential for marine renewables to decarbonise not only the industrial sector across South Wales, but also the UK more generally. The launch of the cluster is a pivotal moment for us.”
Mr Edwards said he hopes the project will help the decarbonisation process of the region’s largest emitters through the South Wales Industrial Cluster. “You’ve got Tata Steel, Valero, RWE, all in South Wales. The port has been part of that industrial group from its early stages as well.”
Largest energy port
As Mr Edwards acknowledged, the Port of Milford Haven is known as the UK's largest energy port. This is partly because the port has certain strategic advantages such as the ability to handle vessels with draughts of up to 22 metres. It also has valuable proximity to Atlantic trade routes.
The port has transported LNG since 2009. Mr Edwards identified this as a ’significant milestone’ because the Port of Milford Haven now carries, on average, 20% of the UK’s LNG, serving the South Hook LNG and Dragon LNG companies.
To give a sense of the scale of activity, Mr Edwards added: “In 2020, Milford Haven transported around 65% of all the freight passing through Welsh ports – 33.5 million tonnes. That’s dominated by LNG and oil cargoes. And in 2019, pre-Covid, our twicedaily ferry service saw 327,000 passengers travel between Ireland and Milford Haven. We've already supported over 1,000 vessels into the Haven over the last nine months. I think these are extraordinary stats.”
Energy Kingdom Project
It is no surprise that as the UK’s largest energy port, the company was a significant player in the Milford Haven: Energy Kingdom Project, a £4.5 million initiative completed in 2022.
The project explored what a decarbonised local energy system could look like for the Milford Haven area and the potential of producing zero-carbon hydrogen alongside other renewables. Central to the project is a commitment to engage with the community and local industry, providing insight and opportunities for economic growth.
Tam Bardell is Energy Development Manager and played a key role in the project. He explained how it came about: “We are the UK's largest energy port and we have some very significant energy infrastruc ture here. We need to think about how it’s all going to be used to decarbonise and transition to a net-zero future in all energy vectors – heat, power and transport.
“The technology is already there to decarbonise; it's more about creating
market levers, investment and infrastructure to do so. That's what this project sets out to do: to explore how you create that seed demand for renewables and hydrogen, and how that will aid a larger scale transition to net-zero within the region. It's clearly established the vision to redefine the Port of Milford Haven as a hydrogen hub. It’s also identified local investment propositions to catalyse the market.
“As part of the project, we demonstrated the world's first smart hydrogen hybrid heating system. That's an air-source heat pump paired with a boiler and smart controls which can react to local conditions. We put a hydrogen boiler in and tested hydrogen combustion through the heating system. We believe we are the first in the world to do that with a hybrid system. We also put in a hydrogen-electrolyser and refueler right down in the front of Milford Waterfront, where we get a lot of footfall including school visits. So, it’s really in the public's eye there.”
Renewable marine energy
The port had this world-class marine engineering recognised, along with its potential for further innovation, when it was awarded over £28 million in funding from the Swansea Bay City Deal in June 2021.
The funding is to create a base for decarbonised energy production and marine renewables like offshore wind, wave and tidal, all as part of the Pembroke Dock Marine project. It also provided a substantial upgrade to the port infrastructure, with £13m invested directly by the Port of Milford Haven.
The deal has been ‘ground-breaking’
Mr Edwards said: “Having the LNG facility,
then this funding, not only secured our role in the energy system today, but started to lay the groundwork for us becoming a major marine energy hub.”
The Swansea Bay City programme is expected to generate £73.5 million a year for the regional economy, across all its nine recipients.
Celtic Sea Opportunities
With so much sustainable activity already ongoing, a recent pledge by the Crown Estate to deliver a new leasing opportunity for floating offshore windfarms in the Celtic Sea provided an ideal opportunity for Milford Haven.
“We are the closest UK port to the Celtic Sea,” Mr Edwards said. “By 2050, we hope to have put more than 1,000 wind turbines there. There are estimates that the supply chain value of that could be upwards of £80 billion.”
Mr Bardell added: “We are looking at the supply chains capability to support new and emerging industries around the Celtic Sea. We’re involved in project mapping the skills gaps here in the local community and thinking about how we can engage local people to move into the sector.”
Paving the way for a renewable future is evidently essential at the Port of Milford Haven. The company is conscious of its place in the wider community. In recognition of that, it recently won an award
for its sustainability from the British Ports Association.
Mr Edwards reflected on the wider significance of investing so much into sustainability: “We are at the beginning of introducing a brand-new sector of energy that can help deliver Wales' ambitious net-zero plans. Under the energy cluster that we’ve now formed, I think our vision is the most exciting opportunity facing not only the port of Pembrokeshire, but also Wales.”
