Industry leaders in the Port of Milford Haven have united to ensure improved efficiency and reliability for international energy users.

The collaboration, which aims to bolster the port's capability, was initiated at a recent workshop in Pembrokeshire.

The workshop was attended by key figures from the oil, gas, and shipping sectors, along with service providers integral to the port's operations, including tug operators and shipping agents.

Their aim was to improve service reliability for international energy customers and enhance the Port Authority's efficiency.

The week-long event included several workshops focused on maximising the port's customer service provision, while maintaining the highest levels of safety and operational reliability.

This led to the identification of several areas for improvement, including data exchange, resource allocation, and technological innovations.

A key outcome of the discussions was consensus on a set of principles to ensure the port's long-term success.

These include partnership working, maximising safety, enhancing reliability of service, and sustainability.

The principles will include collaborating to challenge current thinking, fostering innovation and continuous improvement and operating to the highest safety standards whilst using an analytically-based, dynamic and responsive marine risk process.

They will also include developing a transparent, optimised and integrated port coordination and planning environment that maximises the reliability and availability of the port and having a pan-port long-term commercial view to secure the future prosperity of the businesses in the Port of Milford Haven.

The principles will guide the port's future operations and ensure it remains a key player in the UK's energy sector.

Tom Sawyer, chief executive at the Port of Milford Haven, said: "As the UK's leading energy port handling or processing around 20 per cent of the UK's energy needs, it is critical to the resilience and security of UK energy that we provide a port service that is safe, reliable and efficient 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

"Safely manoeuvring some of the world’s largest ships onto their berths within the Port of Milford Haven requires precision coordination of multiple resources.

"During much of the year this happens seamlessly but we recognised that more winter resilience was needed and these workshops and the port’s investments made this year in extra pilots, pilot boat crews and pilot boats will improve this.

"By working collaboratively with our customers and other service providers we are confident we can retain an excellent year-round reliable service."