Momentum builds for Celtic Freeport bid at Milford Haven

Over 100 organisations and politicians including Manufacturing Wales and Tata Steel UK, have come together to back the transformational bid for a Celtic Freeport in Milford Haven and Neath Port Talbot.

Spanning 600 hectares of development land across both sites, the bid sets out a vision to deliver an accelerated pathway for Wales’ net zero economy. It is also expected to support over 16,000 new jobs and generate up to £5.5 billion of new investment.

The Celtic Freeport bid includes clean energy developments and innovation assets, fuel terminals, a power station, heavy, light and advanced engineering and the steel industry across south west Wales.

It is envisaged it will create a green investment corridor securing long-term commitments for major port infrastructure upgrades, skills development and innovation and also proposes an ambitious skills agenda through a dedicated green skills programmes harnessing the skills-base, industrial assets and education providers.

Since the bid was lodged on November 24, 2022, the support it has generated has been considerable.

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“The support we have received for the Celtic Freeport proposals has been phenomenal, both prior to submission and since the bid was submitted,” explains Roger Maggs, Chair of the Celtic Freeport consortium.

“There has been a real appetite from across a wide range of industry sectors, as well as from education and politicians at all levels, to ensure Wales and the UK takes full advantage of the massive opportunity that exists through the generation of floating offshore wind energy in the Celtic Sea.

“Achieving freeport status would give the entire region an enormous boost, whether that is in achieving our net zero targets, creating high-skilled jobs, attracting new investment, developing innovative technology, supporting future skills or putting our manufacturing sector on a path to a sustainable future.”