As featured in the Port's newsletter, OnBoard, Summer 2020.
Go-ahead for Pembroke Dock Marine paves the way for a marine energy revolution.
Pembrokeshire’s status as a globally important centre for marine renewable energy - offshore wind, wave and tidal - has been boosted, following the announcement that a landmark project has been given the green light.
Pembroke Dock Marine, a complex £60m initiative, will see Pembroke Port and the Waterway adapted to serve the fast-growing sector. The Port will provide a centre of excellence providing a home to fabricators, developers, researchers and operating and maintenance businesses looking to commercialise devices that can harness the enormous marine energy resources both off the Welsh coast and around the world. The industry is expected to unlock much of the energy required for the UK to reach net zero carbon emission targets by 2050.
The project required a blend of funding, including investment from the Port of Milford Haven and European Regional Development Fund. However the final tranche of £28m, provided through the Swansea Bay City Deal, was approved this summer.
What will Pembroke Dock Marine do?
Pembroke Dock Marine (PDM) will create terrestrial and marine assets combined with research, development and innovation support to establish a world-class centre for marine engineering with an immediate focus on low carbon energy.At the heart of this project is the certain knowledge that marine energy can provide significant and cost-effective electricity generation helping the UK and nations around the world achieve net zero carbon energy targets.
Pembrokeshire already has the energy industry supply chains, the infrastructure and the significant natural resources to make its case as a global leader in the sector.
Who are the partners?
There are four ‘pillars’ to the project, overseen by the four leading partners involved. The Port of Milford Haven will deliver infrastructure improvements News from the Port of Milford Haven’s businesses within Pembroke Port, including laydown and fabrication space and facilities to launch and recover devices. The £41.7m infrastructure project is being funded by the Port of Milford Haven, Swansea Bay City Deal and WEFO.
Marine Energy Wales will deliver marine energy test areas (META) which will comprise a range of pre-consented test sites in and around the Waterway where developers can test and deploy prototype devices. The £2.67m project is being supported by the European Regional Development Fund and the Swansea Bay City Deal.
ORE Catapult will develop a Marine Energy Engineering Centre of Excellence (MEECE) which will support innovation by linking researchers and experts at Wales’ leading universities to locally based technology developers. The £11m MEECE project is funded by the Swansea Bay City Deal and the European Regional Development Fund, as well as ORE Catapult and Swansea University.
Finally, the £5m Pembrokeshire Demonstration Zone project, managed by Wave Hub Ltd, will be a 90km2 offshore site for deployment of up to 100MW of wind and wave arrays where developers can finally prove devices prior to wider commercialisation. This project is also supported by the City Deal and European Regional Development Fund as well as the Welsh Government.
What have we been waiting for?
The project required a blend of funding, including investment from the Port of Milford Haven and European Regional Development Fund. However the final tranche of £28m, provided through the Swansea Bay City Deal, was approved this summer.
What does PDM mean for Pembrokeshire?
This is a big deal and vital for the future economic prospects of the county, delivering up to 1800 jobs in the next 15 years. “Pembroke Dock Marine creates the foundation on which to drive inward investment and innovation funding into Pembrokeshire. Bombora’s relocation to Pembroke Dock and the Milford Haven Energy Kingdom project are great examples that this already happening. We are looking forward to welcoming more businesses to the area as the project unfolds” said Andy Jones, CEO at the Port of Milford Haven.