News

Egnedol: ‘Proof will be in the pudding’

Published

10 years ago

March 8, 2016

A PUBLIC consultation was held by Egnedol on Thursday (Feb 18) in Milford Haven. The company promised to bring to the table an ambitious which it claimed would bring hundreds of millions of pounds into the Haven.

If Egnedol’s plans get the go ahead, the biomass plant at Blackbridge will be the biggest of its kind in the world. However, Egnedol has no track record of either building or running such a plant.

Mark Evans of Pembs TV conducted an exclusive interview with Egnedol’s director, Steve Whitehouse. The Herald pointed out that a far smaller plant in Newport is up and running and it has had numerous problems with health and safety breaches – even fire.

The Herald asked Mr Whitehouse, how Egnedol would succeed where others have failed.

Steve Whitehouse told us: “We’re using a very large South African company. They’re used to building biomass plants, and energy plants petro-chemical facilities around the world. It’s a large global company.

“We’re using them to provide us with a design, build, maintain, operate contract. So, they’ll be responsible for completing the details design of the plant, for building the plant, operating and maintaining it, using local people.

“They’ve just completed a large project in South Africa which we’ve checked the details of, so we’re quite confident. All we’re really doing is providing the facility, the cash and linking in with other technologies, so that they can come along and help us to operate this.

“So, it’s not our own staff actually, that’s going to be operating this facility. We’re going to be taking on local people who will be managed by a South African firm.”

The Herald also asked about the trees that are going to be used at the plant, which will be coming from plantations in Morocco and Greece. However, the website of the company says they’re still waiting for permission to plant in Greece and have no current plans to plant in Morocco.

When asked where the pellets will come from, Mr Whitehouse said: “We’ve got two options. They’re called option agreements – they’re legal agreements – with landowners in Greece and landowners in Morocco, so subject to getting permission and taking the project forward, we’ll be planting these plantations at that point.

“We’ll also be bringing in some wood from WDF, which 50% of our feed stock will come from that, which will be locally sourced, probably from Wales and other parts of the UK.”

When asked to explain about the emissions of the wood, as to whether or not they are chemically treated, Mr Whitehouse responded saying: “When we consume the wood, we consume it in a process called gasification, so the wood particles are heated up to a high temperature, which breaks down the molecules of the wood into smaller molecules, and we control that process so that we make methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen – things like that.

“Then that gas we’ve made is called a syngas – it’s a synthetic gas. We clean that, go through several cleaning processes, because, we have to get it to a very clean state in order to inject it into normal gas engines – big German gas engines.

“So, it has to be very very clean before it goes into that gas engine. So if you can imagine the gas engine is then consuming a clean gas, the emission from that goes from the engine, goes through a catalytic converter and goes through an oxidation process – the same as it would on a car, and then it goes up a stack.

“So, the actual emission is just a normal emission that you’d get from consuming gas. Just carbon dioxide, things like that.”

A statement by Gareth Chubb, Director of The Friends of the Earth was put to Mr Whitehouse. Mr Chubb had said that the people of Pembrokeshire won’t like being “guinea pigs” for an unproven technology with uncertain risks to human health, and said: “We’ve never seen a successful venture of this nature in the UK.”

When asked how he felt about those comments, he replied: “The technology choice is still under close review. We’ve chosen what we think is the best gasification technology that is currently available – it’s been through a very detailed due diligence process, with one of the largest insurance companies in the UK called Marsh, in London.

“All of their technical experts – which are world experts, they’re not just local UK experts – have looked at the process. Studies have been done by large UK and European consultancies; they’re all happy with the technology, and that’s why we can attract the funding.

“Marsh, actually, are happy to underwrite its process, underwrite its operation, time and all of those sorts of issues, so we’ve gone through a very rigorous due diligence process with the technology.”

Mr Whitehouse concluded: “You know, the proof will be in the pudding really, once we get funding and build it. That’s where the proof will be.”

The Herald spoke to Mayor of Milford Haven, Cllr Stephen Jospeh regarding Egnedol’s plans, to see what his thoughts were. He said: “It’s very difficult, but anything that can help the economy is good.

“We’ve got to look on the positive side. Of course, we’ve got to make sure it’s safe. There’s lots of different impressions, and I wouldn’t for a minute pretend I know who has conducted these studies, but I hope it works because the benefits are huge.

“We need to keep an eye on the environment and if it is how they say it is. However, just because it hasn’t worked for other people, doesn’t mean it won’t work for them.”

Crime

Train disruption after youths seen playing on tracks at Haverfordwest station

Published

2 hours ago

April 1, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Police attend after dangerous incident involving football on railway line

TRAINS were delayed at Haverfordwest railway station on Tuesday (Apr 1) after a group of youths were seen playing with a football near live tracks, prompting a police response.

Footage captured by a bystander shows several young people on the platform throwing and kicking a ball across the station. In one clip, a youth is seen kicking a football from Platform 2 towards Platform 1, but the ball overshoots and lands beyond a fence into the station car park.

More concerning footage shows the ball rolling onto the railway line, with one youth climbing down onto the tracks to retrieve it—an act that poses serious risk of injury or death due to live rails and the potential for oncoming trains.

The incident caused disruption to services, with two trains delayed by 25 minutes while the situation was dealt with.

Police attended the scene, although it is not yet clear whether any arrests were made. Officers have been approached for comment.

Railway safety rules strictly prohibit access to the tracks except by authorised personnel, and incidents such as this are treated seriously due to the potentially fatal consequences.

The Herald understands that such behaviour can also lead to significant disruption across the rail network, affecting passengers and services well beyond the immediate area.

Anyone with further information about the incident is urged to contact police.

Business

Haverfordwest producers showcased by Tesco in national Welsh food event

Published

3 hours ago

April 1, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Local firms highlighted as supermarket giant backs £27bn Welsh food sector

HAVERFORDWEST food producers were among those selected to take centre stage at a national showcase celebrating the very best of Welsh food and drink.

Supermarket giant Tesco hosted the St David’s Day event in partnership with the Welsh Government’s Food & Drink Wales initiative, bringing together leading suppliers from across the country.

Two Pembrokeshire-based businesses — Blas y Tir, part of Pembrokeshire Creameries, and Puffin Produce, both based in Haverfordwest — were among those chosen to represent Welsh produce on a national stage.The event, held to mark St David’s Day, showcased a wide range of products including dairy, baked goods, meats, curries and spirits, highlighting the breadth and quality of food produced across Wales.

Organisers said the showcase underlined the importance of supporting local suppliers, many of which are family-run businesses rooted in their communities and reliant on local agriculture.

The Welsh food and drink supply chain is estimated to be worth £27 billion, with companies like those in Pembrokeshire playing a key role in sustaining rural jobs and supporting farmers.

Visitors to the event were given the opportunity to meet producers and sample products, while a surprise performance from Welsh singers added a cultural element to the day’s celebrations.

Enfys Fox, relationship manager for local sourcing at Tesco Wales, said: “St David’s Day is a time to celebrate everything that makes Wales special, and our suppliers are at the very heart of that story.

“This event was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the incredible range, quality and heritage of Welsh produce available in our stores.

“We are incredibly proud to collaborate with the Welsh Government and work with so many dedicated Welsh suppliers, many of them family businesses with deep roots in their communities. By supporting them, we’re not only bringing great products to our customers, but also investing in local jobs and the wider Welsh economy.”

The Herald understands that products from Pembrokeshire suppliers featured at the event are widely stocked in Tesco stores across Wales, giving local shoppers direct access to locally sourced goods.

While the showcase celebrated success, it also highlighted the growing importance of ensuring Welsh producers continue to secure fair opportunities within major retail supply chains.

The event formed part of Tesco’s wider commitment to strengthening partnerships with Welsh suppliers and promoting locally sourced food throughout the year.

Health

Paramedic recruitment freeze confirmed in internal email to students

Published

3 hours ago

April 1, 2026

Tom Sinclair

‘No jobs in 2026–27’ as graduates told service has ‘more paramedics than required’

AN INTERNAL email sent to student paramedics has confirmed that no newly qualified paramedics will be recruited in Wales during the 2026–27 financial year, escalating concerns over workforce planning in the NHS.

The message, seen by The Herald, was sent to final-year students following a board meeting of the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust on March 26.

It confirms that the trust “does not require any NQPs” this year, stating the decision is based on affordability and workforce restructuring.

The development follows reporting by BBC Wales that students had already been advised to seek work overseas.

‘Simply not affordable’

In the email, the ambulance service states:
“Employing NQPs in 2026 is simply not affordable… No extra funding has been made available by Welsh Government or our commissioners.”

It adds that a review of workforce needs concluded:
“We currently have more paramedics than required and enough lead practitioners to fill any short to medium term vacancies.”

Students say they have also been told the service is aiming to reduce paramedic numbers, despite ongoing delays in ambulance response times across Wales.

Graduates left without roles

Around 70 students are expected to graduate this year from Swansea University and Wrexham University.

Training is heavily subsidised by Healthcare Education and Improvement Wales, with costs estimated by students at around £50,000 per person.

Despite this investment, graduates have now been told to consider employment outside Wales—or even overseas—to begin their careers.

Patient care concerns raised

Students have warned the decision could impact patient care if fewer fully qualified paramedics are deployed on the frontline.

They say being redirected into lower-grade roles means their full clinical training will not be used.

One student told The Herald: “We are ready to go straight into frontline care. Instead, we’re being told to look abroad. It doesn’t make sense.”

Government under pressure

A Welsh Government response seen by The Herald acknowledges the issue and says ministers are working with the ambulance service and universities to support affected graduates.

However, the internal email suggests the decision is already firm for the coming financial year.

The Herald has approached the Welsh Government and the Welsh Ambulance Service for further comment.