News
Buyer sought as tidal energy company goes into administration
A BUYER is being sought for an established Welsh-based tidal stream technology company which has entered administration.
Tidal Energy Ltd, which was set up in 2001, uses technology to harness the power of the sea’s tides to provide a sustainable source of renewable electricity. It operates out of offices in Cardiff and Pembroke Dock.
However, the sector has suffered from economic and political uncertainty in recent times, due to the withdrawal of previous government subsidy promises under the Contracts for Difference regime.
Joint administrators Steve Wade and David Hill – from business rescue and recovery specialist Begbies Traynor – were appointed on October 17.
The administrators have retained key staff to continue the company’s operations and specialist knowledge while a buyer is sought for the business and assets as a going concern.
Tidal Energy Ltd has developed tidal stream technology called “DeltaStream”, a full scale 400KW turbine that has been successfully tested at Wales’s first tidal energy site at Ramsey Sound, in Pembrokeshire, west Wales. The Ramsey Sound site is also owned and operated by the company.
Tidal Energy Ltd Director, Chris Williams, said the results of testing the technology made the company a strong commercial prospect. “The full turbine characteristics have been tested and verified, and we also possess a wealth of data and information that makes the whole operation, including the turbine and the Ramsey Sound site an attractive proposition to potential partners,” said Mr Williams.
“Unfortunately, market forces have meant we have struggled financially, but we are confident that we have the skillsets amongst our people and a tried and tested technology in place that makes us confident about our future prospects. We therefore strongly believe we can help the UK lead the world in the development and application of tidal technology.”
Administrator, Steve Wade, from Begbies Traynor, said the economic climate had had a “significant” impact on the company’s business.
“We hope, however, that by working closely with the board of directors and government agencies we can attract potential purchasers to emerge from a variety of different sources,” he said.
David Jones, Project Director, Marine Energy Pembrokeshire told The Herald: “At a time when this new sector is really gathering momentum in Wales it is disappointing to hear that a Welsh based company, who have played a key role in the sectors development has gone into administration. It highlights the challenges of being at the forefront of a nascent sector.
“In the short-term it is important to work with others to ensure that the skills and knowledge of the TEL team are not lost from the area and their experience can assist other companies who are locating in Pembrokeshire. We need to recognise that the Ramsey project delivered on the funded priorities, which were to develop a technology and site, deploy and grid connect a technology and monitor environmental interactions.
“The project has provided invaluable learning and has assisted local supply chain companies to diversify into a new sector. It is crucial that this experience assists us all moving forward.
“The project site, which is grid connected will be a potentially attractive development opportunity for a number of marine energy companies. Pembrokeshire and Wales with its abundant resource, €100 million of EU Structural Funding for marine energy, world class ports and supply chain capability will continue to attract and support this new important energy sector. Minesto, Marine Power Systems and Wave-tricity have all recently chosen Wales as a destination to develop their technologies and there is real progress being made on our two Demonstration Zones.
He continued: “Combined with the exciting opportunities of tidal range the marine energy sector will continue to play an important role in creating new sustainable low carbon jobs in Wales. The UK is leading the world in this new sector but like many other nascent industries it is inevitable that some technologies will not move beyond an R&D phase.”
Business
Thousands of homes in rural Wales gain from faster 4G boost
RURAL Wales is seeing a major upgrade in mobile connectivity, with faster 4G now live in several areas. Seven locations across North, South West, and West Wales are benefitting from new 4G mast upgrades funded by the UK Government’s Shared Rural Network (SRN), aimed at closing the digital gap between rural and urban areas.
The upgrades, which went live on Thursday (Nov 14), bring improved 4G coverage to communities including Bontddu, Llanelltyd, Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, Penmaenpool, Tabor, Snowdonia National Park, and Bontgoch. Local businesses, emergency services, and residents are expected to benefit from faster internet access, which supports daily communication, business opportunities, and economic growth.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Fast, reliable connectivity is essential for modern life and should be available from Cardiff to the remotest parts of Wales. Today’s upgrades bring us closer to making this a reality.”
SUPPORTING DIGITAL INCLUSION
As part of the rollout, Peter Kyle and Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant visited Ebbw Vale to discuss digital inclusion with charity and industry leaders. They met with representatives at BGfm, a digital inclusion hub in Blaenau Gwent, to learn about how connectivity impacts daily life in Welsh communities.
Telecoms Minister Bryant said: “We are working tirelessly to make sure rural communities aren’t left behind online.
“These upgrades mean businesses can now operate without connectivity limitations, 999 services are better equipped to respond, and residents and tourists can stay connected across the Welsh countryside.”
ADDRESSING CONNECTIVITY GAPS
An estimated 1.5 million homes across the UK remain without internet access, limiting people’s ability to access essential services such as banking and healthcare. In addition to the SRN upgrades, the Chancellor has allocated over £500 million in next year’s budget for digital infrastructure expansion, targeting these underserved areas.
Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens highlighted the importance of this investment, particularly for rural Wales, where fast, reliable internet can be transformative.
“Connectivity is critical for day-to-day life in rural areas – from supporting local businesses to ensuring emergency services are just a call away,” Stevens said.
The upgraded masts, previously limited to EE customers and emergency 999 calls, now serve a wider user base, bringing essential internet access to more people without requiring new infrastructure.
Ben Roome, CEO of Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, said: “With the activation of five new SRN sites, Wales is seeing the tangible benefits of the Shared Rural Network, bringing crucial connectivity to rural communities.”
GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT IN REMOTE WALES
The improvements come alongside a £170 million agreement with Openreach to provide gigabit-capable broadband to 70,000 remote Welsh properties, helping future-proof digital access in even the most isolated locations.
The latest upgrades mark another step in the Government’s mission to improve mobile coverage and close the connectivity gap across Wales, creating opportunities and supporting economic growth across rural communities.
News
Milford Haven man admits to downloading indecent images of children
A MILFORD HAVEN man has been sentenced after admitting to downloading over 1,000 indecent images and videos of children, including highly explicit content involving young children. Gareth MacDonald, now 23, appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images and videos across various devices.
The court heard that police visited MacDonald’s home, which was the scene of protests after his arrest, last year following intelligence suggesting that child abuse images had been accessed there.
Officers spoke with MacDonald’s mother at the door before entering to conduct a search.
During the operation, two mobile phones, a tablet, a laptop, and two hard drives were seized.
MacDonald initially spoke to one of the officers privately, admitting to downloading the images and saying, “It’s me.” Later, in formal interviews, he revealed that he had grown “bored with legal pornography” roughly a year earlier, knowing that what he was doing was illegal but continuing regardless.
Prosecutor Emily Bennett informed the court that MacDonald’s devices held 15 Category A images, the most severe classification, 26 Category B images, and 960 Category C images. Some content depicted children as young as nine, and the most serious material involved pre-teen children in distressing situations.
Bennett also noted that MacDonald had briefly joined an online group where members self-identified as paedophiles, although he left without sharing any material. Cleaning software was also found on his devices.
Defense counsel Dan Griffiths acknowledged that MacDonald’s actions had crossed the custodial threshold, but argued that there was “a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.” He highlighted MacDonald’s cooperation with police and his willingness to comply with rehabilitation programmes.
Judge Geraint Walters, presiding over the sentencing, addressed MacDonald, saying, “For some considerable time, you have accessed this kind of imagery, fully aware of the harm it represents.” He acknowledged that MacDonald largely isolated himself and stayed at home, factors he considered in the sentencing.
MacDonald was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, with a requirement to complete 20 rehabilitation activity days and participate in the Horizon programme. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same duration.
News
Welsh teenager jailed for creating 3D-printed gun at home
A TEENAGER who assembled parts for a viable semi-automatic firearm using a 3D printer has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison.
Owain Roberts, 19, purchased nuts, bolts, steel barrels, and metal rods online, constructing components of an FGC-9 gun with the aid of a 3D printer.
Detectives said that this case marks the first of its kind in Gwent, where Roberts admitted to manufacturing a firearm component. He appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday (Nov 14).
In April, firearms officers executed warrants at two Newport addresses connected to Roberts. Seized items included a 3D printer, two laptops, six plastic reels, and parts for an FGC-9 firearm.
PC Tom Meazey, from Gwent Police’s East Serious Organised Crime team, stated: “Illegally-held firearms can lead to tragic consequences and devastate innocent people’s lives. To own a firearm, including a printable one, is illegal in the UK without a valid firearms certificate. Roberts’s reckless actions in buying items capable of manufacturing a firearm placed people at direct risk.”
This rare and complex investigation involved support from the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Roberts received a prison sentence of four years and nine months.
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Steve De-Waine
October 24, 2016 at 3:40 pm
Apparently whats really happened is the unit has had the hydraulics fail and requires lifting back on to the shore for repair……..Which will cost ££££££ My opinion is that any Marine Energy project of Pembrokeshire will not work due to the logistical access for repair as Pembrokeshire is wide open to Atlantic weather systems and is swept with fierce tides, renewable energy is the way to go but not in the sea…..on the land where the environment and access can be controlled better….Bye bye millions of ££££££ which could of been spent more wisely !