Associated British Ports (ABP), the UK’s largest port operator, and Sarens, global leader in heavy lifting and engineering transport, have entered into a strategic collaboration that aims to explore solutions to deliver Floating Offshore Wind (FLOW) in the Celtic Sea.
The collaboration aims to drive the rollout of FLOW technology in the Celtic Sea by combining ABP’s port infrastructure in Port Talbot, with Sarens’ extensive global experience in providing heavy lifting and transport solutions for large-scale offshore and floating wind projects. With over 65 years of global experience, Sarens – a family-run business – has been instrumental in delivering offshore wind projects across key international markets, including the USA, Europe, Taiwan and South Korea. Sarens’ ability to provide complex engineering solutions has set them apart as a trusted partner for the most challenging offshore projects.
The collaboration focuses on exploring the necessary technical and logistical requirements for the deployment of FLOW at Port Talbot and marks a significant milestone for ABP’s Future Port Talbot programme, which is designed to transform the port into a major hub for FLOW and green energy development.
Andy Reay, Head of Offshore Wind at ABP, commented:
“We are delighted to be working with Sarens, a company with a proven track record in delivering heavy lifting solutions for major offshore wind projects globally. For over 30 years, ABP has been at the forefront of delivering for offshore wind customers, and one of the biggest clean energy opportunities for the UK is the development of Floating Offshore Wind (FLOW) in Wales.
“ABP is progressing plans to invest more than £500 million in new and repurposed infrastructure at Port Talbot to create a hub for FLOW, which has the potential to generate thousands of new, high-quality jobs and attract billions of pounds in inward investment.
“What ABP plans for Port Talbot represents another step towards our ambitions to be at the forefront of the UK’s net zero journey.”
Bev Bentley, Director of Strategic Global Projects at Sarens added:
“We are thrilled to collaborate with ABP on this innovative venture. Our global experience in offshore wind projects, combined with ABP’s infrastructure, will pave the way for a successful rollout of FLOW in the Celtic Sea. At Sarens, we are committed to driving the growth of renewable energy by providing cutting-edge lifting and transport solutions that are both sustainable and efficient. This collaboration reflects our ongoing dedication to playing a pivotal role in the global energy transition.”
This strategic collaboration underscores Sarens’ commitment to offshore wind projects globally, while positioning ABP and Port Talbot as key players in the growth of the FLOW industry.
ABP and Sarens look forward to working closely with the local supply chain to leverage local knowledge and skills in order to progress the collaboration.
For more information please contact:
Hannah Kitcher
Regional Communications Manager (ABP)
Mob: 07843 977827 Email: hannah.kitcher@abports.co.uk
Tim Morris
Head of Corporate Communications (ABP)
Mob: 07850 501903
Email: tim.morris@abports.co.uk
About Sarens
Sarens is the global leader and reference in crane rental services, heavy lifting, and engineered transport. With one of the world’s largest inventories of cranes, transporters, and specialty rigging equipment, Sarens provides innovative and tailored solutions to meet the complex challenges of heavy lifting and transport. The company has extensive expertise in the transportation, lifting, and installation of wind turbines, making it a trusted partner in the offshore wind sector. With over 100 offices across five continents and more than 5,000 employees worldwide, Sarens is well-positioned to support the growth of renewable energy projects globally. For more information, visit www.sarens.com
About ABP Wales
ABP’s five Ports in South Wales, Barry, Cardiff, Port Talbot, Newport and Swansea contribute £1.5 billion to the UK economy every year, supporting 21,800 jobs across the UK.
•ABP’s Port of Cardiff handles around 1.8 million tonnes of cargo each year.
•The Port of Newport’s steel terminal provides over 30,000sqm of modern, covered storage dedicated to steel import and export operations.
•Port Talbot supports steel production in South Wales and handles project and heavy lift cargoes, steels and other metals, building aggregates and cargoes to support the offshore energy sector.
•Swansea is the most westerly of ABP’s South Wales ports, with the capacity to handle vessels of up to 30,000dwt and offers berths and facilities for most types of cargo.
•More than 14,000sqm of warehousing and extensive open storage facilities are available at the Port of Barry.
About ABP (www.abports.co.uk)
ABP is the UK’s leading ports group. We proudly serve our customers and our communities in the pursuit of our ambitious missions which are ‘Keeping Britain Trading’ and ‘Enabling the Energy Transition’. These are underpinned by a strong commitment to safety, sustainability and our people.
Our network of 21 ports handles ~ one quarter of the UK’s seaborne trade, and ~ £157 billion of UK trade annually. Our ports include Immingham, the UK’s largest port by tonnage, and Southampton, the nation’s number one export port, handling £40 billion of UK exports each year. ABP is an essential partner for the Offshore Wind industry, providing Operations and Maintenance (O&M) for over 50% of the sector’s activity, as well as building infrastructure in facilities like Green Port Hull, a joint investment with SGRE, the largest Offshore Wind blade manufacturer, and LEEF (Lowestoft Eastern Energy Facility).
ABP is delivering on its green ambitions through decarbonising its operations, supporting customers in building more sustainable supply chains, and investing in infrastructure to realise future renewable energy generation. Since 2014, it has reduced its CO2 emissions by over 38%.
ABP’s vast freehold bank and ports are ready to support the drive towards achieving the nation’s target of net zero emissions by 2050.
The group’s other activities include:
ABP Property: Property division, with an unrivalled land bank spanning 21 multi-modal locations around the country, and 960 hectares of port-based development land.
ABPmer: Marine and hydrographic company, with 60 years of experience, providing specialist marine environmental research and consultancy services.
UK Dredging: Port maintenance and dredging service.
Beacon Marina Collection: The Beacon Marina Collection is made up of three marinas owned and operated by ABP: Ipswich, Lowestoft and Fleetwood.
Our ports are: Ayr, Barrow, Barry, Cardiff, Fleetwood, Garston, Goole, Grimsby, Hull, Immingham, Ipswich, King’s Lynn, Lowestoft, Newport, Plymouth, Port Talbot, Silloth, Southampton, Swansea, Teignmouth and Troon
