Largest ferry to visit Fishguard as Stena Line commits to long-term upgrade

FISHGUARD Port is set for a major upgrade after ferry operator Stena Line announced a £20 million investment to replace the town’s ageing linkspan bridge.

The new infrastructure, described as “overdue” by the company, will provide increased flexibility and secure the long-term viability of the Pembrokeshire port, which serves the route to Rosslare in the Republic of Ireland.

Stena Line said it hopes construction on the new drawbridge-style linkspan will begin in 2026, with completion targeted for 2027. The company said the investment demonstrates a commitment to Fishguard for the next “30 to 40 years”.

Boost following Holyhead closure

Fishguard saw an unexpected increase in traffic in December 2024, after Storm Darragh damaged berthing terminals at Holyhead. The disruption meant freight traffic and ferries were redirected to Fishguard to relieve pressure on the Irish Sea route.

During this period, the Stena Adventurer — the largest ferry ever to visit the port — docked in Fishguard for the first time.

Ian Davies of Stena Line acknowledged that the new investment was long-awaited: “It’s overdue,” he said, but added that the upgraded linkspan would allow far more flexibility for vessels and scheduling in the years ahead.

Abandoned plans revived

A similar project to upgrade the port was cancelled in 2018, raising concerns locally about Fishguard’s future as a ferry terminal. At the time, tenders had already been invited for the build, but the scheme was scrapped unexpectedly.

The current single-lane linkspan, which dates back to the early 1970s, has been nearing the end of its working life for some time. Its replacement is expected to bring the port up to modern operational standards and support future vessel deployments.

Stena Line currently operates two roll-on roll-off ferry services per day between Fishguard and Rosslare.

The investment announcement has been welcomed by port users and the local community as a sign that the port will continue to play a key role in west Wales’ transport and economic infrastructure.

Qatari tankers could be blocked from reaching Wales if Gulf tension escalates

IRAN has voted to close the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to cut off LNG supplies to Milford Haven and raising the stakes in an already volatile Middle East crisis.

The vote, passed by Iran’s parliament on Sunday (June 22), comes in retaliation for recent US and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure. While the decision has not yet taken effect, and must still be approved by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, the symbolic move has sent shockwaves through global energy markets.

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow but vital shipping lane between Iran and Oman through which nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports flow. This includes the majority of Qatar’s LNG shipments—gas that arrives in Wales via Milford Haven, one of the UK’s most strategically important energy ports.

Senior Iranian military commanders have warned that retaliation is “already under way” and that the closure of the strait remains on the table as a military and economic weapon. General Esmail Kowsari of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard told Iranian media: “Closing Hormuz is under consideration… Our hands are wide open when it comes to punishing the enemy.”

A direct threat to Wales

Milford Haven’s two LNG terminals—South Hook and Dragon—receive regular shipments from Qatar’s Ras Laffan port. With Qatar entirely reliant on free access through Hormuz, any disruption, even temporary, could choke off Britain’s most reliable source of imported gas.

“This isn’t a theoretical risk,” a senior UK energy analyst told The Herald. “If the Strait closes, Qatar can’t deliver, and Milford Haven’s supply is directly impacted. It’s a sharp reminder that our energy security is still tied to global flashpoints.”

Shipping industry sources have reported increased GPS interference, spoofing signals, and navigation issues in the Gulf, raising concerns about potential Iranian sabotage or electronic warfare. Some LNG tankers have already begun rerouting or delaying travel through the area.

Economic impact already being felt

Global oil prices surged past $100 per barrel on Monday, while UK gas futures climbed sharply in early trading. Analysts warn that if the closure proceeds, prices could leap to $120 or more, with ripple effects across heating bills, manufacturing costs, and inflation.

“If Qatari tankers are forced to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, it would add two weeks to shipping times and increase insurance and fuel costs,” said energy security expert Dr Leila Marwood of King’s College London. “That cost ends up hitting British consumers directly—especially in winter.”

Milford Haven’s terminals are equipped with local storage capacity, and contingency plans are being reviewed to manage supply shortfalls. However, alternative sources such as US or African LNG come with longer delivery times and higher prices.

Strategic wake-up call

Milford Haven plays a vital role in Britain’s energy infrastructure, with capacity to handle over 30% of the country’s gas needs during peak periods. Any sustained disruption would place further strain on a system already navigating post-Brexit import pressures, North Sea production decline, and the global transition to renewable energy.

One local port expert told The Herald: “This isn’t just about Iran or Israel—it’s about what’s coming through our own port here in Pembrokeshire. If tankers stop arriving in the Haven, the knock-on effect will be felt across the UK.”

Although the Iranian vote is not yet legally binding, Western intelligence officials warn it reflects a dangerous shift in Tehran’s posture—and that military escalation in the Gulf could trigger action at short notice.

As diplomatic efforts intensify behind the scenes, Milford Haven remains in the spotlight. The port may be thousands of miles from the Strait of Hormuz, but its future—as well as the UK’s winter gas reserves—may soon be shaped by events in the Persian Gulf.

Jim Scott from Mathry describes stressful journey, adapted plans, and Egyptian fears over diplomatic fallout

A PEMBROKESHIRE campaigner who travelled to Egypt this month to join the Global March to Gaza has shared his personal account of a fraught and ultimately curtailed international effort to demonstrate solidarity with Palestinians trapped under siege.

Jim Scott, from Mathry near St Davids, was among a small group of UK and Welsh activists who travelled to Cairo with the hope of reaching the Rafah crossing—via Ismailia and the Sinai desert—to hold a peaceful humanitarian presence near Gaza’s border.

The march, which attracted thousands of participants from more than 54 countries, was intended as a symbolic act calling for the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. But on the ground, Scott says, the effort quickly became complicated by shifting instructions, heavy surveillance, and growing pressure from Egyptian authorities.

“A moral imperative”

“I spent a week wrestling with the decision,” Scott told The Herald. “It felt like a moral imperative. I didn’t know if I was going or not—then I started planning, and the act of planning became part of the commitment.”

He flew to Cairo in early June and connected with other participants via local and international chat groups. At least eight to ten people from Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, including members of CND Cymru, had joined the international delegation.

Scott said that the original plan—to take organised buses from Cairo to Al Arish and walk approximately 30 miles through the Sinai desert to Rafah—began to shift around June 13 as questions emerged about whether the Egyptian government would permit the action to proceed.

“The bus plan hadn’t disintegrated exactly—it had adapted,” he said. “There was a lot of uncertainty about whether we would be allowed to reach Rafah, so the guidance started to change.”

Changing plans and regional detours

On June 14, Scott and his travelling companion Jo Barrow—who works as a teacher in Iraq—opted to take an alternate route to Ismailia by heading north from Cairo via Zagazig, avoiding heavily monitored roads.

“We realised that taking the main highway would likely bring us into contact with checkpoints,” he said. “Our route wasn’t risk-free, but it was more discreet.”

As they travelled, group chats lit up with reports of growing interference. “From the 13th and 14th onwards, we started hearing that people were being stopped, some had their passports taken, and the situation was getting more difficult. There was fragmentation. People were getting stuck, some were being turned back.”

“No tourists permitted to remain”

After arriving in Ismailia, the pair received location instructions for a tourist resort rumoured to be able to accommodate 4,000 marchers. But confusion and logistical disarray followed.

“We reached Ismailia after dark and ended up being redirected from our accommodation,” Scott said. “We were getting two to three hours of sleep a night. The sense of being watched hadn’t stopped.”

The next day, while near the resort, Scott and Barrow were approached by police. Initially, the officers were courteous, but then one delivered a translated message using a phone:

“I am the Egyptian police. No tourists are permitted to remain in this area. You have to go back to Cairo immediately or you will be arrested.”

They complied and were instructed to book a hotel in Cairo to confirm their travel. The pair left Ismailia and returned to the capital, where the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense.

“By that point, UK organisers were reportedly being detained in cafés, and it was clear downtown Cairo was no longer safe,” Scott recalled. “We relocated south of the city. It was stressful—people felt they could be arrested at any moment. The surveillance was constant, and hotels were passing information to authorities.”

Egyptian fears over diplomatic fallout

Scott said conversations with Egyptian locals offered insight into the government’s motivations.

“The word on the street from Egyptian people was that the authorities were genuinely fearful for our safety. They felt that if Israel opened fire and foreign nationals were killed, it would trigger a huge diplomatic crisis—and devastate Egypt’s tourism industry, which is vital for the country.”

He said locals acknowledged that foreign protesters were being treated more gently than Egyptian citizens would have been. “One said to me: ‘They treat you like babies compared to how they treat us.’”

According to Reuters, over 400 activists were deported and dozens more detained. The march was officially cancelled on June 16.

Scott returned to the UK on June 20. Barrow returned to Iraq the next day.

“Far more than a performative action”

Despite the disruption, Scott believes the effort had a lasting impact.

“This was far more than a performative action,” he said. “We had no choice but to act and fill a void. When governments fail to uphold international law, ordinary people have to step in.”

In a letter to Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell and Eluned Morgan MS before departing, Scott wrote: “I feel I must act where you have not acted. The UK Government has failed to stop a genocide and has, in fact, been complicit by continuing to authorise arms sales and military cooperation with Israel.”

He welcomed Morgan’s later remarks acknowledging that Welsh citizens had travelled to Egypt for the march and said it was important to have that public recognition.

“For some people watching back home, it wasn’t just another protest. It was their loved ones out there. That helped build awareness in a new way.”