On Friday 1 March, Associated British Ports (ABP), was delighted to host Shadow Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, at the Port of Lowestoft where major infrastructure upgrades are cementing ABP’s role as a vital enabler of the energy transition.
Henrik Pedersen, ABP Chief Executive Officer, who welcomed Rachel to the port, briefed the Shadow Chancellor on ABP’s role in driving energy security and green growth, delivering levelling up in action often in the areas that need it most.
Henrik, said: “ABP has a proven track record of investment in its ports – around £750 million in the last five years. We have before us a very significant and highly ambitious pipeline of major projects. Infrastructure for the green energy transition is a big part of this pipeline, making ABP a key enabler of the UK’s net zero transformation. This includes plans in South Wales to invest over £500 million to repurpose the port of Port Talbot to host manufacturing, installation and supply chain activity for the Floating Offshore Wind (FLOW) sector and the Immingham Green Energy Terminal which should unlock billions of pounds on investment in green hydrogen, ammonia and carbon capture and storage infrastructure.”
Henrik continued: “Today we are pleased to have been able to showcase one such investment at Lowestoft to the Shadow Chancellor. The Lowestoft Eastern Energy Facility (LEEF) – which involves the construction of state-of-the-art port infrastructure suitable for O&M activities to support the offshore energy sector and will continue to see Lowestoft grow as a vital offshore energy hub for the region.”
ABP recognises that, in particular for very large projects, successful delivery requires a partnership approach between businesses and government at all levels. ABP has a strong working relationship with the local Government and we were pleased to be joined by Chris Bally, Chief Executive of East Suffolk Council on the tour. Further reflecting the importance of supply chain partnership today’s visit incorporated a tour of Scottish Power Renewables facilities in Lowestoft.
A further 500 technical O&M and construction jobs will be created by the construction of LEEF, on top of the jobs that have already been supported through the established O&M bases of ScottishPower Renewables (base for East Anglia ONE windfarm) and SSE Renewables (base for Greater Gabbard windfarm).
During the tour delegates, also including Jess Asato, Labour candidate for Lowestoft, visited LEEF, which is due to complete in the second half of 2024, and experienced a tour of ScottishPower Renewables’ O&M facility, which is based at the port.
Rachel Reeves said: “It’s fantastic to see the investment going into the area that is providing clean energy and good jobs for the future. ABP is a leading business that sits right at the heart of the green energy transition, and I look forward to working further with them and the wider ports sector to ensure we play our part in supporting their work that will deliver benefits for the whole of the UK.”
Steve Hodger, Principal Operations Manager at ScottishPower Renewables’ East Anglia ONE offshore windfarm said: “East Anglia is the beating heart of our offshore wind operations in the UK. Our multi-billion investment in the region is not only powering people’s lives with low-cost green electricity – it’s supported thousands of jobs, created supply chain growth and boosted the local economy. And there’s lots more to come, with another windfarm in construction and two others to follow. It was a pleasure to welcome the Shadow Chancellor to Lowestoft and highlight what we’re doing to create a cleaner, greener and more prosperous future for the region and across the UK.”
