• Chair sees Celtic Freeport vision for two new green energy ports and a just transition to a cleaner and more secure energy mix during site visit to the latest major development at the UK’s number one energy port
  • Over 16,000 new jobs and up to £5.5 billion of investment is expected to be generated by the Celtic Freeport between development sites along the Milford Haven Waterway and at Neath Port Talbot.

Roger Maggs MBE, Chair of the Celtic Freeport bid consortium, visited the Port of Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire recently to see first-hand how a freeport would transform the Welsh economy by securing the benefits of the floating offshore wind (FLOW), hydrogen and sustainable fuels industries, for the people of Wales.  He was hosted by Rt Hon Simon Hart MP and Rt Hon Stephen Crabb MP along with representatives of the Celtic Freeport bid consortium.

Over 16,000 new jobs and up to £5.5 billion of new investment is expected to be generated by the Celtic Freeport.  It will create a wide range of opportunities across Wales by accelerating investment, encouraging innovation, securing our future energy needs and fast-tracking modern skills development for new green industries.  A notable example of how focussed investment has already created new opportunities across the region is the £60 million Pembroke Dock Marine project.  With construction of a mega-slipway, upgraded port infrastructure and additional workboat pontoons due to be completed towards the end of 2024, an increasing number of clean energy developers and support businesses are choosing to base themselves here, benefitting from being part of a renewables hub with easy access to the Celtic Sea.  Not only is this building a stronger economy, but it is also unlocking exciting new career opportunities across the region.

Roger Maggs MBE, Chair of the Celtic Freeport bid consortium bid, said: “Creating two green energy ports at Pembroke Dock and Port Talbot is central to the bid.  It was fantastic to see this foundation development underway, with so much market interest and political support to do more.  It was evident to me that the Celtic Freeport partners have a clear vision which will support Wales’ transition to Net Zero in a way that ensures the skills, jobs and economic benefits from new, green industries are retained in Wales.”

Rt Hon Simon Hart, MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, added: “The UK and Wales cannot decarbonise without the roll-out of FLOW.  Likewise, Wales cannot afford to miss this once-in-a-generation opportunity. By creating two green energy focused ports at Pembroke Dock and Port Talbot, Wales can secure first-mover advantage in order to maximise the many jobs from new supply chains in manufacturing, maintenance and operations associated with this new green industry.”  

Rt Hon Stephen Crabb, MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire, commented: “It was a pleasure to welcome Roger Maggs MBE, the Chair of the Celtic Freeport Consortium with Simon Hart MP to Pembroke Port to discuss the impact that the bid, should it be successful, will have on Pembrokeshire and South Wales.”

“This exciting opportunity for Pembrokeshire cannot be underestimated. It will secure new investment, create thousands of jobs, and help deliver a new green energy industry with far reaching benefits not only for our community, but all over Wales.”

“It is a catalyst for a new era of renewable energy production such as floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea and hydrogen production on the waterway. This bid is game changing for the area and that’s why I’m backing the vision to help deliver a sustainable future for the Haven.”

More information of the Celtic Freeport bid can be found here: www.celticfreeport.wales.

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Pictured (L-R): Cllr David Simpson, Leader, Pembrokeshire County Council; Tom Sawyer, CEO, Port of Milford Haven; Rt Hon Simon Hart, MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire; Rachel Moxey, Head of Economic Development and Regeneration, Pembrokeshire County Council; Roger Maggs MBE, Celtic Freeport bid Chair; Rt Hon Stephen Crabb, MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire; Anna Malloy, Stakeholder Manager, Port of Milford Haven; Steven Edwards, Commercial Director, Port of Milford Haven; Jason Hester, Senior Project Manager, Port of Milford Haven

Photo Caption: Chair of the Celtic Freeport bid consortium Roger Maggs MBE was taken on a tour of multiple sites across the Port of Milford Haven and heard how the Milford Haven Waterway could play a pivotal role in delivering Net Zero ambitions should the Celtic Freeport be successful.

Notes to Editor:

Celtic Freeport is an exciting project that will unlock the widest possible opportunities for Wales by accelerating innovation and encouraging significant investment, while fast-tracking modern skills for new green industries and national decarbonisation.

A bid consortium consisting of Associated British Ports (ABP), Neath Port Talbot Council, Pembrokeshire County Council and the Port of Milford Haven, supported by many other individuals and organisations, submitted a transformational bid for a freeport in south-west Wales to the Welsh and UK governments on 24 November 2022.

The Celtic Freeport covers two key seaports in south Wales – Milford Haven and Port Talbot – together with strategic industrial complexes and logistics centres, to create a green innovation and investment corridor.

A Celtic Freeport will accelerate significant inward investment in new manufacturing facilities to support the roll-out of floating offshore wind (FLOW) within the Celtic Sea, while providing the backbone for a cleaner future based on the hydrogen economy, sustainable fuels, carbon capture, cleaner steel and low-carbon logistics.

Roger Maggs MBE is the Chair of the Celtic Freeport. He has had a 27-year career at Alcan Aluminum, with several global senior postings, including three vice presidencies. In 1994, he co-founded Celtic House, a Canadian venture capital fund. Most recently, Maggs has been Chair of the Port Talbot Waterfront Enterprise Zone. Roger Maggs was born in Newport and grew up in Carmarthenshire.

Find out more about the Celtic Freeport here: www.celticfreeport.wales