Associated British Ports (ABP) has appointed Mott MacDonald to support the development of one of the UK’s largest port projects at Port Talbot.
With partner Royal HaskoningDHV, Mott MacDonald will be leading a series of reports on Port Talbot’s design, including the development of a detailed masterplan building on the previous ABP Wales Future Vision.
Alongside key environmental and consenting studies, these will look at how the port should be transformed to enable it to serve as a prime hub for the floating offshore wind industry, contribute to decarbonisation of industry in South Wales and play a major role in the socio-economic regeneration of the area.
The port is one of the only harbours in the UK capable of handling cape size vessels of up to 170,000 deadweight tonnage.
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According to ABP, approximately 6.6 million tonnes of cargo and over £760 million ($923 million) of trade pass through Port Talbot every year.
This nationally strategic port asset and the considerable areas of brownfield land on the port estate offer significant development opportunities.
ABP intends to prepare the port for prospects given by floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea, as well as the Celtic Freeport announced earlier this year by the UK and Welsh governments.
These include expanding Wales’ potential by speeding innovation and stimulating investment, as well as accelerating contemporary skills for new green sectors and national decarbonisation.
Mott MacDonald’s ports team will lead the project, drawing on multi-disciplinary skills from the company’s Cardiff office as well as specialty resources from throughout the company and its partner Royal HaskoningDHV.
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Ken Norbury, Mott MacDonald’s Managing Director of Transportation (UK and Europe), said: “We’re delighted to have been selected by ABP as its technical delivery partner for what is the biggest and most transformational port project in the UK right now.
“Locally, the project will help put Port Talbot at the heart of the UK’s green energy revolution and giving skilled local workers the tools to play a key part in that.”
Graeme Power-Hosking, Programme Lead for the Future Port Talbot Programme, stated: “ABP is delighted to have Mott MacDonald as part of the Future Port Talbot Programme team. ABP has ambitious plans for our port at Port Talbot and this is the first step in this process.
“We see Port Talbot delivering a central role in supporting new green renewable energy industries, including floating offshore wind, hydrogen and carbon capture and storage. This is a transformational programme with significant potential, and we are excited to being going on this journey together.”
