Celtic Freeport has approved £9.2 million ($12.2 million) of seed capital for two quayside projects in Pembrokeshire, Wales, to support fabrication, component handling and vessel operations for floating offshore wind (FLOW).
The freeport said on October 15 that £7.2 million would go to the first phase of Criterion Quay at the Port of Milford Haven's Pembroke Port. A further £2 million has been allocated to Ledwood's quayside upgrade at Pembroke Dock.
The Criterion Quay works will rehabilitate marine infrastructure, add berthing capacity and provide 1.7 hectares of space for laydown for floating offshore wind. Ledwood's project is intended to improve marine access and support FLOW component fabrication and handling.
Each award is conditional on grant conditions being agreed and funding arrangements being completed, with monitoring, assurance and clawback provisions among the requirements.
The two projects form part of an £18.4 million package covering four projects in Pembrokeshire and Neath Port Talbot, funded by the UK Government through the Freeport Programme in Wales. Associated British Ports' Talbot Wharf at Port Talbot will receive £5 million to help unlock 9.1 hectares for the FLOW supply chain.
Pembroke Port plans to develop Criterion Quay as a marshalling and operations and maintenance base for Celtic Sea floating wind developments. Its four phases have an indicative combined value of around £64 million.
Phase A includes remediation of 17,000 square metres of brownfield land and provision of berthing and laydown areas for vessels engaged in survey work, cable laying and installation.
Ledwood's Pembroke Dock site already has quayside load-out facilities for assemblies exceeding 1,000 tonnes.
Ocean Winds signed an agreement for lease for a potential 1.5 GW Celtic Sea floating wind site in March.