News
Campaign group CPRW welcome for Project Erebus windfarm
RURAL campaign group CPRW has welcomed the recent consent for Wales’ first floating windfarm, located just over 40km off the coast of Pembrokeshire.
The Welsh Government recently granted consent for Project Erebus, which will house seven next-generation 14 megawatt turbines on floating platforms, providing enough low carbon energy to power 93,000 homes.
Erebus is part of the first phase of a four-gigawatt renewable energy development in the Celtic Sea, enough power for 4m homes.
Future phases of the development could realise an additional 20 gigawatts of renewable energy, which will transform the way we power our homes and businesses.
Chair of Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales Pembrokeshire Branch, Mary Sinclair, has applauded the recent consent for the 100MW project Erebus.
She describes it as “a breakthrough for future renewable windpower generation on a vast scale to help combat climate change”.
Mrs Sinclair argues that this should reduce the need for huge land-based wind farms, and with power distributed by sub-sea cables, would also remove the need for industrialised pylon lines “striding across the countryside”.
“CPRW has always had a policy to support offshore wind,” said Mrs Sinclair, “but until now this technology has been slow to advance because it was easier and cheaper to develop rural sites”.
Referring to the recently-refused application for a nearby onshore windfarm, she added: “The recent refusal, after years of campaigning by CPRW and others, of the Rhoscrowther windfarm on the Angle Peninsula, also marks a realisation that our cherished and designated landscapes need no longer be threatened.”
Blue Gem Wind, the joint venture between TotalEnergies and Simply Blue Group, is currently on target to begin operating the 100MW Erebus project in 2026.
After consent was granted, First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “We are ambitious for the floating offshore wind sector in Wales – we believe it has the potential to deliver sustainable sources of energy into the future and it is also a once-in-a-generation opportunity to open up new markets for local suppliers and to create thousands of high-quality jobs in Wales.
“The Erebus project has the potential to show the world that Wales and the Celtic Sea can deliver renewable energy alongside the sustainable management of our marine resources.”
Welcoming the consents, Mike Scott, project managing director at Blue Gem Wind, said: “Erebus, which will be the first floating wind farm in Wales, will play a crucial role in advancing the deployment of what will become a globally important low carbon technology.”
News
Closure of Tata Steel’s coke ovens sparks political and union backlash
THE recent announcement by Tata Steel to close the coke ovens at its Port Talbot plant in South Wales has ignited a firestorm of political and industrial action, highlighting the deepening crisis within the British steel industry and the challenges facing the transition to green steel.
Jo Stevens MP, the Shadow Welsh Secretary, expressed her concerns over the impact of the closure on the Welsh steel industry and the workers affected. Stevens emphasized the need for assurances about the workers’ immediate future and pledged that a UK Labour government would invest in the steel industry to support the transition to green steel, harnessing the skills, talent, and ambition of Welsh steelworkers.
The closure, slated for Wednesday due to concerns over the ovens’ “operational stability,” has been criticized by regional Senedd Members for South Wales West, Tom Giffard MS, and Dr. Altaf Hussain MS. They accused the Labour Welsh Government of neglecting its support for the Tata Steelworks in Port Talbot, highlighting a lack of financial assistance since 2019 and calling for a change in response to the current developments.
Unite, the UK’s leading union, has been vocal in its opposition to Tata’s decision, describing it as a shock and a “result of years of betrayal.” The union criticized Tata for not disclosing the imminent risk of closure during recent consultations and announced a ballot for industrial action among 1,500 Tata workers. Unite insists there should be no job losses at Port Talbot or Llanwern and that a blast furnace should remain operational.
Peter Hughes, Unite’s regional secretary for Wales, called for Tata to halt its closure plans in anticipation of Labour’s promised £3 billion investment to rejuvenate the UK steel industry. He accused Tata of managing the decline of UK steel while accepting government subsidies, describing the company’s actions as “deliberate industrial vandalism.”
The closure has not only raised concerns about the future of steel production in the UK but also spotlighted the political and economic strategies required to ensure the industry’s survival and transition towards more sustainable practices. The unfolding situation underscores the need for a collaborative approach between the government, industry stakeholders, and the workforce to navigate the complex challenges ahead.
News
Firefighters tackle blaze at block of garages in Monkton
ONE person was injured as a result of a sunday afternoon garage fire in a block of garages in Monkton.
A spokesperson for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service told The Pembrokeshire Herald said: “At 1.31pm on March 17, Pembroke Dock and Milford Haven crews were called to extinguish a fire in an alight central garage and were forced to use two breathing apparatus and two hose reels.
“The firefighters reportedly left the scene at 3.02pm after continuing to dampen the fire and check for fire spread.
“The casualty was treated by ambulance service personnel also in attendance.”
The police confirmed that a garage fire had been dealt with by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and Welsh Ambulance Service attended.
News
Air ambulance called following incident at Aldi Pembroke Dock
THE WALES AIR AMBULANCE, along with the Welsh Ambulance Service and police were called on Monday morning to an incident at the Aldi supermarket car park in Pembroke Dock.
The Herald understands that the alarm was raised after a car hit a person in the car park after 9am.
We have been told that the incident involved a local taxi.
The emergency services have been asked for a comment.
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