News
En route to clean energy
EARLY risers saw a sight to behold in Pembroke Dock at 6 am last Sunday (July 12), as Bombora’s bright yellow mWave™ wave energy converter ‘cell module’ structure travelled the 2-mile journey from the fabrication workshop of Altrad Services to the assembly workshop at Mainstay Marine Solutions.
Onlookers could not be blamed for wondering what the giant yellow steel structure was. The first of its kind, full-scale ‘cell module’ is part of an innovative new marine energy solution being built and tested in Wales.
The cell module transported on Sunday is the first of four 15-meter-long, structures that form Bombora’s 75-meter-long, subsea mWave. The cell module is a key component of Bombora’s 1.5MW mWave Pembrokeshire Demonstration Project, which will be installed off the coast of Pembrokeshire in the first half of 2021.
The patented cell module presents a step-change from previous approaches to wave energy capture. Each cell module will be covered in a robust rubber membrane.
As waves pass over mWave, under-water pressure increases, causing the rubber membranes to compress in sequence, forcing air inside the membranes along a duct and through a turbine spinning a generator converting this rotation into electricity.
It is mWave’s large scale generating capacity that sets it apart as an exciting viable alternative to complement existing established forms of renewable energy in our global response to mitigate climate change.
The number of mWave cell modules can be increased to suit the site location and generate more energy.
Bombora’s first grid-connected project will have 20 cell modules and generate 3.0MW.
Bombora moved operations from Australia to Pembroke Dock in 2017 to be at the heart of Wales’ burgeoning marine energy industry. The company is now at the assembly phase of the 1.5MW mWave Pembrokeshire Project supported by a £10.3 million European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grant through the Welsh Government.
The 1.5MW mWave Pembrokeshire Project is a key milestone in Bombora’s global market expansion plans. Bombora plans to export the knowledge and know-how arising from the project at Pembroke Dock to support marine energy projects around the world.
According to an industry report, Wales has a wave and tidal stream export market potential of £76 billion and Bombora are strongly positioned to play a key part in delivering this ambition.
Community
New town map unveiled in Fishguard
A NEW town map has been installed in the heart of Fishguard to help residents and visitors discover more of what the area has to offer.
The map, created by Visit Fishguard & Goodwick’s in-house graphic designer, has been placed on the Abergwaun Hotel tunnel, near Offshore Surfwear’s new shop.
The group said it was “incredibly proud” of the finished result and thanked the building owner for allowing the map to be installed on the premises.
Visit Fishguard & Goodwick is now hoping to create a similar map for Goodwick and is asking for help from a centrally located building owner who may be willing to host it.
Anyone who can help, or knows of a suitable location, is being asked to get in touch with Visit Fishguard & Goodwick.
Community
Tenby Summer Spectacular cancelled amid council row over harbour access
Organisers say popular charity events cannot safely go ahead without clear powers to control crowds
TENBY ROUND TABLE has announced that this summer’s Tenby Summer Spectacular events have been cancelled until further notice amid a dispute with Pembrokeshire County Council over crowd control at the harbour.
The events, which were due to take place on Sunday, August 16 and Sunday, August 30, have been a major feature of Tenby’s summer calendar for decades, drawing large crowds to the harbour for entertainment, food, drink and fireworks.
In a statement, Tenby Round Table said the decision had been made “with enormous sadness” and claimed it had been forced on organisers because of unresolved issues over the safe management of pedestrian access.
The organisation said it needed the council’s Public Realm department to use statutory powers to temporarily restrict pedestrian access through the event area when capacity is reached.
Organisers said the matter had first been raised with the council in September 2025 and again formally in writing in May 2026.
They said volunteers had attended meetings, commissioned professional health and safety consultants and worked on Event Management Plans, but claimed the council had still not provided a clear answer.
Tenby Round Table said: “PCC’s Public Realm department has had nine months to answer one question on safe and controlled access to the harbour. It has not done so.”
The group also alleged that recent written responses from the council contained factual inaccuracies and misleading statements about the relevant legislation.
It added that the council’s legal advice was understood to be provisional and still under internal review.
The cancellation is currently described as provisional, with organisers giving the council a final deadline of June 25 to provide what they describe as a clear, accurate and legally grounded answer.
Tenby Round Table said that if this is provided, it will do everything possible to reinstate the events.
The group said the Summer Spectacular had raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for local charities, sports teams, community groups and worthy individuals since it began.
It said the cancellation would be a devastating blow to those who benefit from the funds raised.
The statement added that organisers are still working with Dyfed-Powys Police and other relevant authorities ahead of a council licensing committee meeting in July, which is expected to consider whether the event licence should be renewed, amended or withdrawn.
The Herald has asked Pembrokeshire County Council for comment.

Charity
Sea shanties and street food bring crowds to Cardigan RNLI festival
SUNSHINE, sea shanties and street food helped draw hundreds of visitors to Cardigan RNLI Lifeboat Station on Saturday (Jun 20).
The station’s Sea Shanty and Street Food Festival brought together families, supporters and visitors from across the region for a day of maritime music, food and community spirit.
Traditional sea shanty groups performed throughout the event, with songs echoing around the lifeboat station, while street food vendors served a range of refreshments.
The event also gave visitors the chance to learn more about the lifesaving work carried out by the RNLI and its volunteer crews.
Cardigan RNLI thanked the performers, food vendors, volunteers, sponsors and supporters who helped make the day a success.
Bruce Harris, Launch Authority and event organiser, said: “It was wonderful to see so many people come together to support the station, enjoy the entertainment, and celebrate our maritime heritage.
“The atmosphere throughout the day was fantastic, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who attended, performed, volunteered, and contributed to such a memorable event.”
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts.
The charity operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands.
Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved more than 146,700 lives.
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