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Stena Line’s Big Decision that Could Now Transform Holyhead Port

17th August 2023
Stena Line has secured permission for huge changes to Wales's busiest port where MW Nieuw Statendam made an inaugural call to the port off Anglesey for a one-day visit to the region on Tuesday.
Stena Line has secured permission for huge changes to Wales's busiest port where MW Nieuw Statendam made an inaugural call to the port off Anglesey for a one-day visit to the region on Tuesday. Credit: northwaleslive/facebook

Stena Line's north Wales port of Holyhead is where a major decision has helped pave the way to transform the ferry port which has services to Dublin Port, and potentially create hundreds of jobs for the region.

Devised by the port’s owner, Stena Line Ports Ltd (SLPL), is The Holyhead Gateway scheme which would see 100,000 m2 of land reclaimed from the sea and in the construction of a new giant berth.

A potential £100m investment would support the Port of Holyhead operations and give support to the port’s other key business, the cruise industry (see related dedicated berth) and ambitions to supporting planned wind farm developments.

The scheme has the provisional backing of Ambition North Wales with a potential £35m allocated from the North Wales Growth Deal.

In order to push forward with the development, the port offshore of Anglesey needed to secure a Revision Order for Holyhead port. After four years of work this has now been granted by Welsh Government ministers.

The project would reclaim two intertidal/sub-tidal areas (known as the Salt Island Expansion and Pelham Patch Development) to enable the expansion of the port.

Commenting on the project Ian Davies, head of UK Port Authorities at Stena Line, said: “Stena Line welcomes the recent award by the Welsh Government of the Holyhead Harbour Revision Order.

For more on the scheme, NorthWalesLive reports.

Published in Stena Line
Jehan Ashmore

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Jehan Ashmore

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Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals. 

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About Stena Line

Stena Line is one of Europe's leading ferry companies with 37 vessels and 17 routes in Northern Europe operating 25,000 sailings each year. Stena Line is an important part of the European logistics network and develops new intermodal freight solutions by combining transport by rail, road and sea. Stena Line also plays an important role for tourism in Europe with its extensive passenger operations. The company is family-owned, was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Gothenburg. Stena Line has 4,300 employees and an annual turnover of 14 billion SEK.