The UK and Welsh Governments welcomed Ed Tomp as the newly appointed permanent Chair of the Celtic Freeport, marking the project’s transition from the development to the delivery phase.
Ed Tomp assumed his role on 1 December 2024 and will lead this vital re-industrialisation and regeneration project. The Celtic Freeport is set to attract £8.4bn of private and public investment, deliver 11,500 new jobs and add £8.1bn of economic value (GVA). This vision is underpinned by investment incentives for businesses setting up new operations in designated development zones – tax sites – in Neath Port Talbot and Pembrokeshire.
From 26 November 2024 until 30 September 2034, businesses investing in Celtic Freeport’s tax sites can access a suite of incentives. These include no Business Rates for the first five years, significant reductions in national insurance contributions and enhanced capital allowances including extended full capital expensing, to support their investment decisions.
The Celtic Freeport is a public-private consortium including Associated British Ports, Neath Port Talbot Council, Pembrokeshire County Council and the Port of Milford Haven, alongside renewables developers, energy companies, industrial complexes, innovation assets, academic institutions and education providers. The Celtic Freeport covers the ports of Milford Haven and Port Talbot and spans clean energy developments and innovation assets, fuel terminals, a power station and heavy engineering across South-West Wales.
Deputy Leader Cllr Paul Miller, cabinet member for Place, the Region and Climate Change, said: “The Celtic Freeport opening for business is tremendous news for our region.
“The scale of the opportunity ahead for the Milford Haven Waterway and for Pembrokeshire is enormous and we are determined to ensure we maximise the opportunity this coming energy revolution offers to grow the Pembrokeshire economy, to secure investment and to create and sustain good jobs.
“We want to ensure that the incentives from the Celtic Freeport benefits the people from the communities within the waterway and across Pembrokeshire. I am confident that it will play a significant role in driving inclusive economic prosperity across the county.
“Together, with our partners, we can start the work to create meaningful investment for the people of Pembrokeshire, which will be transformational for our communities and businesses.”
Ed Tomp, Chair of the Celtic Freeport, added: “This week marks an important moment as we move from the development to delivery phase. Boosted by a suite of investment incentives, Celtic Freeport’s development plan will march forward to support existing industry to decarbonise, while creating an ecosystem between Pembrokeshire and Neath Port Talbot where green industries like sustainable fuels, hydrogen and floating offshore wind can prosper.”
