News

Marine partners warmly welcome £60m deal for Pembrokeshire

Published

5 years ago

June 17, 2020

Photo credit: J Abbott

LAST week’s Swansea Bay City Deal announcement is welcomed by Pembroke Dock Marine’s partners, the Port of Milford Haven, Marine Energy Wales, ORE Catapult, and Wave Hub Limited, and is also supported by Pembrokeshire County Council. It secures £60m for Pembrokeshire with £28m from Swansea Bay City Deal and the remainder part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government and private sector investment.

The funding will be used to establish a world-class marine energy and engineering centre of excellence for the design, test, build and deployment of marine energy devices, as well as having application across other blue and green industries. From its home on the Milford Haven Waterway, Pembroke Dock Marine will bring together access to energy source, a high-skill supply chain and a new array of services and spaces that will help developers drive down the cost of marine sourced energy through maximised innovation and operational efficiency.

The four partners will each deliver a different project element. The Port of Milford Haven will deliver modernised port facilities to support the industrial growth. ORE Catapult will deliver a Marine Energy and Engineering Centre of Excellence (MEECE) to drive research and innovation, Marine Energy Wales will create pre-consented Marine Energy Test Areas (META) within the Waterway for testing component and scale devices, and Wave Hub Ltd will deliver the Pembrokeshire Demonstration Zone (PDZ) a consented and grid connected offshore test site.

Pembroke Dock Marine’s immediate focus will be to support the growth of the floating wind, wave and tidal technologies exploring opportunities off the Welsh coastline. With net zero targets in sight and the potential to drive a new export industry, Pembroke Dock Marine will add value to the UK economic and environmental goals. It will position the region to capture a significant share of this global market.

Jess Hooper, Marine Energy Programme Manager for Marine Energy Wales, said “META is well on its way to becoming Wales’ national test centre and will ultimately consist of a series of eight pre-consented, non-grid connected test areas in the Milford Haven Waterway. With Phase 1 test areas already providing a haven for marine energy, META enables marine renewable energy device developers to deploy, de-risk and develop from their components to their devices in a relatively sheltered yet still representative ocean environment. As part of the broader PDM project, META looks forward to contributing to the blue economy opportunities this exciting project brings to Pembrokeshire and the continued development of Pembrokeshire as a world class centre for marine energy.”

Dr Stephen Wyatt, Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult’s Research & Innovation Director, said “This approval is extremely welcome, enabling us to go full steam ahead with the work of our Marine Energy Engineering Centre of Excellence and establish our longer term presence in the region. We are now formally engaging with our academic partners – the universities of Swansea, Cardiff, Bangor and Cardiff Metropolitan. The breadth and depth of their research activity perfectly complements the industrial sector expertise and market knowledge of ORE Catapult. Working with Welsh innovators and supply chain companies, MEECE will demonstrate and validate new products, technologies and processes in marine energy, providing ongoing innovation support to reduce costs and risks as these products mature towards commercialisation, something which, drawing on the Catapult’s existing
expertise and those of our partners, MEECE is well-placed to provide.”

Steve Jermy, Executive Chair of Wave Hub Ltd said “This is a significant milestone in the
Pembrokeshire Demonstration Zone project, which will catalyse the establishment of a Welsh centre for low carbon, offshore, energy production. We are excited to be working with our partners to develop strategically enabling infrastructure to accelerate the development of Welsh offshore renewable energy, to support future energy generating technologies and generate green electricity from the sea. Moving forward, we are very much looking forward to welcoming new staff, based in Pembroke Dock, into the Wave Hub project development team.”

Andy Jones, Chief Executive at the Port of Milford Haven, said “This is a landmark decision for Pembrokeshire, made possible by the Swansea Bay City Region and the European Regional Development Fund. Alongside a significant investment by the Port, the Swansea Bay City Deal will support the modernisation of our port infrastructure to ensure developers can operate with maximum efficiency allowing them to drive down the cost of energy and help reach net zero targets.

We also recognise the value to other industries and the role this project will play in encouraging further collaborations and innovations within the region. We see this as a significant step forward and we look forward to working with developers as they explore the benefits of this new base. And, in turn, we welcome the positive impact this new and exciting industry will have on Pembrokeshire’s economy and employment opportunities.”

Cllr David Simpson, Leader of Pembrokeshire Council, said: “The impact of Covid-19 has further heightened the importance of Pembroke Dock Marine, so the project’s approval is very welcome news for Pembrokeshire’s residents and businesses. Worth £73.5 million a year, Pembroke Dock Marine will also make our economy more resilient in future by transforming Pembrokeshire and the City Region as a whole into a global example of best practice for zero carbon, marine energy innovation. This project will place Pembrokeshire and the City Region at the heart of a growing global industry, helping further raise the region’s profile as a place to do business and invest in.”

News

Citizen sought to join Pembrokeshire County Council’s Audit Committee

Published

2 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL is inviting applications for a Lay Member to join its Governance and Audit Committee, with the deadline for submissions extended to January 31.

The role of the Governance and Audit Committee is crucial in ensuring the council’s financial and operational integrity. Responsibilities include scrutinising the council’s financial affairs, assessing risk management, performance, and corporate governance, and making recommendations to improve these areas.

The successful applicant will need to demonstrate an understanding of the value of audit functions and a commitment to accountability, openness, fairness, and sound financial management in the public sector.

However, some restrictions apply. Individuals cannot be appointed if they are:

A member or officer of any local authority.
A former member or officer of a local authority within the last 12 months.
A spouse or civil partner of a member or officer of any local authority.

The appointment will be decided by a panel that includes an independent chairman, three council members, and a community council member. An allowance will be paid for attending committee meetings.

The council encourages applications from all sections of the community.

For more details and an application pack, contact Lydia Cheshire on 01437 775356 or email: [email protected].

The closing date for applications is 31 January 2025.

Crime

Carmarthenshire man sentenced for violent altercation ‘to protect girlfriend’

Published

2 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Court Reporter

A VIOLENT altercation in Carmarthenshire has led to serious charges for William Rees, 24, of St Clears, who appeared at Swansea Crown Court facing charges of affray and grievous bodily harm.

The incident occurred on Tuesday (May 7, 2024) in Nott Square, Carmarthen. Rees was accused of assaulting a woman, causing a skull fracture and a small bleed on the brain. According to his statement, the altercation began as a verbal dispute between the woman and his girlfriend. Rees explained: “I was out in Carmarthen with my girlfriend. We had a few drinks but I was aware of what I was doing. We were heading towards a taxi, but a girl started shouting. There was a verbal incident, and then she became aggressive towards my girlfriend. I had no intention to hurt the girl; I was just protecting my girlfriend.”

CCTV footage captured a brief but violent exchange, and Rees admitted his actions at the scene. He told police: “I like to apologise,” before being taken into custody.

Rees expressed shame after reviewing the footage, particularly over his actions during the incident, but maintained that he did not instigate the violence. He took full responsibility, reflecting that his actions were motivated by a desire to protect his partner.

The court heard that alcohol played a significant role in Rees’s behaviour. He acknowledged that his conduct was out of character and shared that he had since made substantial lifestyle changes. His defence barrister, Mr Wright, stated: “He has now stopped drinking. He had one drink at Christmas and has not drunk since then.”

Rees was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. While condemning the violent actions, His Honour Judge Huw Rees recognised the defendant’s acceptance of responsibility and efforts to turn his life around.

Crime

New Year’s Day arrests lead to drug dealing confessions

Published

2 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Madeline Knox

TWO men have confessed to drug dealing after being caught in possession of cocaine and cannabis on New Year’s Day 2023.

Alex John, 21, of Lon Y Prior, St Clears, and Joshua Jenkins, 30, of Station View, Tumble, faced a total of seven drug-related charges, spanning from mid-2022 to January 1, 2023.

The pair were arrested on Queen Street, Carmarthen, on New Year’s Day last year, where both were found with cocaine and accused of possessing the drug with intent to supply.

John also faced charges of possessing cannabis with intent to supply on the same date. In addition, he was charged with being concerned in the supply of both cocaine and cannabis from July 10, 2022, until his arrest. Jenkins faced similar charges, relating to the supply of cocaine and cannabis between September 2, 2022, and January 1, 2023.

The two men had previously entered guilty pleas to all charges on a basis, but these pleas were disputed by prosecutors. When the case returned to Swansea Crown Court on January 15, the court heard that neither basis of plea could be accepted by the Crown.

David Singh, representing John, informed the court that his client had withdrawn his basis of plea and now accepted the prosecution’s case in full. Regan Walters, acting for Jenkins, stated that contentious elements of his client’s basis of plea had been removed.

Prosecutor Brian Simpson highlighted the significant two-year delay in bringing the case to court, a matter noted by Judge Geraint Walters.

The judge adjourned sentencing to allow for pre-sentence reports to be prepared for both defendants. Addressing John and Jenkins, Judge Walters said: “These offences are always serious enough to warrant a custodial sentence, but the final decision will rest with the sentencing judge.”

Both men were re-admitted to bail and will return to court for sentencing on February 13.

The Herald will provide updates on this case as they emerge.