As part of a new series focused on the ambitions and opportunities of the Celtic Freeport bid in South Wales, Business News Wales spoke with Phil Jones, CEO of Business in Focus about the opportunities a freeport in South West Wales will have on SME’s across all regions of Wales.
About the Celtic Freeport Bid
Celtic Freeport is an exciting project that will unlock the widest possible opportunities for Wales by accelerating innovation and encouraging significant investment, while fast-tracking modern skills for new green industries and national decarbonisation.
With development sites throughout Neath Port Talbot and Pembrokeshire, the Celtic Freeport will:
- Support 16,000 new green jobs
- Generate £5.5bn of new investment
- Accelerate the roll-out of floating offshore wind and the hydrogen economy
Background
In September 2022, the Welsh and UK governments invited proposals for a freeport in Wales.
The closing date for bids was 24 November 2022, with the winning bid expected to be announced in early February.
The Celtic Freeport bid was lodged on behalf of a public-private consortium whose partners include Associated British Ports (ABP), Neath Port Talbot Council, Pembrokeshire County Council and the Port of Milford Haven.
