ABP South Wales saw a strong growth in 2017 with its network of five ports handling 12.5 million tonnes of cargo due to a major investment in infrastructure and an ongoing commitment to delivering the highest standards of customer service. The cargo was managed at Newport, Cardiff, Barry, Port Talbot, and Swansea.

Several commodities have seen a constant growth year by year, including fertiliser to support the agriculture sector and aggregates for manufacturing, which both saw a 14% growth, as well as the animal feed which jumped to 54%. The export and import of scrap metal doubled in volume compared to 2016, registering a rise of 108%, while recyclables increased by 72%.

“Our ports in South Wales are vital strategic assets of national importance. Strong growth across our ports is not just success for ABP and our customers, it is success for the Welsh economy,” said Matthew Kennerley, Director at ABP South Wales. “Every year our ports contribute £1.4m to the economy and support 15,000 jobs. We are committed to continuing to invest to support our customers, enabling that contribution to grow. We’re excited about the growth that our investment promises to deliver in the year ahead.”

Throughout last year, ABP welcomed several new businesses to their ports, such as Swansea Dry Docks Ltd (SDL) that reopened its dry dock facilities on a long term lease following an extensive upgrade of facilities. This investment will provide a boost to the local economy due to its skilled employment and increased demand for specialist materials and services.

The port of Swansea also continued to support the renewable sector by handling wind turbine components for local projects. Another investment was the refurbishment of Green Park in Port Talbot, which will provide huge benefits to the River Afan in terms of improved water management and increased water security for TATA’s Port Talbot steel works.