News

Wave–tricity launches sea trials

Published

7 years ago

March 24, 2017

A landmark occasion for Wave–tricity: Sir Steve Redgrave (left) alongside Simon Hart MP, Managing Director Matt Fairclough–Kay and CEO Simon Gillett

A DEVICE which is hoped to harness wave energy in a simple and robust way has undergone its first sea trials at Pembroke Dock.

Wave–tricity officially launched a two–year programme last Thursday (March 9) where it will look to continue its development of a commercially viable, wave energy converter device.

Product Ambassador and five– time Olympic gold medallist, Sir Steve Redgrave , was at the Wave– tricity head office in Pembroke Dock to celebrate the next phase of the project.

Sir Redgrave said: “It’s always interested me, after years and years of applying lots of power into the water and never really getting any benefit other than making a boat go quite quickly over still water […], that it can be turned around, to try and harness the power from the waves, so it’s something that’s close to my heart in some ways.”

While still in its research and development phase, the device, dubbed the ‘Ocean Wave Rower’ was described by Wave–tricity’s Managing Director as ‘simple, robust and versatile’.

A multi–million pound project, Wave–tricity secured £4m in EU funding via the Welsh Government in September last year.

The company is hopeful that their device will help to deliver power to ‘isolated communities, island nations and developing coastal nations’ that struggle to generate energy in a world dominated by high–cost oil and gas infrastructure.

Managing Director Matt Fairclough–Kay said: “Our particular wave energy converter is different to a lot of others that are out there in that we’re not chasing efficiency, what we’re chasing is robustness and reliability.

“We want something that’s easily maintainable, and hence can be used in much greater areas around the world.”

He added that the ‘Ocean Wave Rower’ will go beyond ‘just being a wave energy converter’, but also act as a device ‘that can provide disaster relief and go to the point of need’.

As well as energy, the Rower could also have the ability to provide clean water to disaster struck areas.

Explaining why Wave–tricity opted for Pembroke Dock as their operations base, the Director stated: “First of all, the environment. Milford Haven Waterways is an amazing test environment, because you’ve got very sheltered waters at the landward end and you’ve got very unpleasant waters at the seaward end.

“Alongside that, there’s a good supply chain here; Mainstay Marina Solutions have been very helpful in getting our device to sea up until this point, we’ve got tug companies here, we’ve got a good maritime supply base, like Dale Sailing across the waters, and many other companies.”

He added: “We need to see that sector growth and the cluster of renewable energy companies that are setting up here and causing that diversification, which is really important to the whole maritime sector.”

Also in attendance on Thursday and speaking of the need for renewable energy, Simon Hart MP said: “I think that obviously when everybody thinks of renewable energy, they think of onshore wind, they think of offshore wind, they think of solar, but they’re beginning to, I think, take wave energy as something which isn’t just a vague aspiration but is actually something that hopefully, in the reasonably foreseeable future, we should be able to master.”

With regard to the economic impact of projects such as Wave– tricity on Pembrokeshire, Mr Hart said: “It helps create new jobs, which is really important; obviously jobs in new sort of innovation are always good for the local economy.

“I think the other thing it does, it keeps the skills that we do have, in the area, so if the Milford Haven Waterway, Pembrokeshire, West Wales as a wider area, gets an international reputation as being somewhere at the forefront of renewable energy, that means we will keep a decent, substantial, well–paid skill set in the area.”

News

Council works to reduce empty properties in Carmarthenshire

Published

25 mins ago

May 16, 2024

Tom Sinclair

CARMARTHENSHIRE County Council is reducing the number of empty properties within the county through the introduction of the Empty Properties Framework.

Combining enforcement, the implementation of council tax premiums on empty properties and providing support to help owners bring empty properties back into use, the Empty Properties Framework aims to:

• Reduce the number of long-term empty homes across the county

• Increase the supply of affordable housing to meet demand

• Tackle issues relating to property nuisance, blight and the impact on communities

The following case study is an example of how Carmarthenshire County Council is supporting communities and owners to bring empty properties back into use.

An empty property was reported to the Council with loose rendering falling onto a neighbouring driveway and refuse/waste material in the garden. Investigations revealed that the property had been recorded as empty for seven years and was privately owned by a limited company.

The property was visited by the Council’s Empty Homes Officers and scored as high risk (Category A), requiring enforcement. The owners responded positively to the notice served and assisted with the Council’s formal inspection of the property, during which various category 1 (the most serious) hazards were identified.

As a result, statutory notices were served on the property. These notices provided varying timeframes for work to be carried out. In the event of non-compliance, the Council may choose to undertake works, recovering all costs from the owner.

The owner complied with the work which posed an imminent risk and then sold the property at public auction. The Improvement Notices remained with the property when sold. Upon purchase, the new owners immediately began work to improve the property and this is progressing well.

Cllr Linda Evans, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Homes said: “The introduction of the Empty Homes Framework aims to be bold in bringing about the improvement and occupation of empty homes, increasing the supply and use of housing to all.

Carmarthenshire County Council is committed to reducing the number of empty properties in the county, with various methods of support in place to assist owners of these properties to bring them back into use including financial assistance, subject to eligibility.”

From 1st April 2024, council tax premiums were also introduced on properties empty for more than 12 months to encourage owners to reflect on whether they could make better use of their property.

For more information on the support available to owners of empty properties visit the Council’s website – Carmarthenshire.gov.wales/housing

News

Free disability sports event heads to Pembroke Leisure Centre

Published

27 mins ago

May 16, 2024

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKE Leisure Centre will play host to a free disability sports and physical event later this month with lots of sports and activities to try.

The insport series, in partnership with Disability Sport Wales, Sport Pembrokeshire and Pembrokeshire Leisure is an inclusive sport and physical activity event.

It offers opportunities for disabled young people (ages 5 years+) and adults across Pembrokeshire and friends and family are welcome.

On offer to try are: boxing, boccia, swimming (on a separate first come first serve booking basis), football, wheelchair rugby, target shooting, adaptive bikes, cricket, golf, multisport, and more.

The event takes place Pembroke Leisure Centre, on Wednesday May 29^th between 10am-2pm.

Booking for the event and swim places is required.

For more information please contact: Jess West from Sport Pembrokeshire byemail [email protected] or by calling 07795305871.

News

Police attended Mount Estate following reports of man’s death

Published

38 mins ago

May 16, 2024

Tom Sinclair

EMERGENCY SERVICES were called to the Mount Estate in Milford Haven on Friday (May 10) following reports that a man had sadly died.

Police remained at the property whilst investigations were carried out.

A spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police told The Herald on Thursday: “We received a report of a sudden death of a man, at a property in The Mount, Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire shortly before 9am Friday.

“Officers attended, and sadly confirmed the man had died at the property.