£5m scheme for ports to be gateway to future
ASSOCIATED British Ports (ABP) has unveiled plans to bring forward more than 1,000 acres of land across its Uk-wide portfolio for new employment development targeting the manufacturing and renewable sectors.
ABP has identified 14 strategic sites for development, including ABP Business Park, Cardiff – 36 acres; Atlantic Side South Dock & West Way, Newport – two sites of 73 acres and 18 acres respectively; and Harbourside, Port Talbot – 85 acres.
It recently launched its plans for South Wales in its Future Ports: Wales Vision which outlines a decarbonised future with a focus on Port Talbot.
ABP said it recognises they will now need to play a pivotal role in Wales’s transition to a low carbon economy and is keen to seize the potential to create a floating offshore wind (FLOW) centre of excellence in the Celtic Sea. It said its
Port of Port Talbot is well positioned to do so as it benefits for the required deep waters. The port operator said that Port Talbot also has brownfield land ready for development, good rail connections, proximity to steel, marine and aggregates, and access to thousands of skilled workers.
The port is predominantly used for imports of coking coal, minerals and ores for Tata’s Port Talbot steelworks. ABP plans to work with the steel giant and others to make its vision a reality.
Chairman of the Tata Steel UK board, Sandip Biswas said: “We are excited to see ABP developing its vision for the future and look forward to working closely with ABP to realise these plans. It is only by working together in partnership that we can all develop a better, more sustainable world for the future.”