“It’s our chance to lead”: Torsten welcomes floating wind update

Torsten wrote in the South Wales Evening Post to celebrate Swansea Port’s shortlisting as one of three Welsh ports in the running to support floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea. Read the full piece below.

Swansea is a city in transition - a city with a prosperous future, not just stories of a prosperous past. Everyone can see our city centre is being revitalised, with the opening of the arena and new offices, plus the reopening of historic landmarks like the Albert Hall and Palace Theatre. 

But it’s easy to forget another part of our local story: the changing role of the port. Once the centre of Swansea’s years as an industrial powerhouse, the quieter role the port has played in recent years doesn’t mean it lacks potential. Far from it. In fact, the future of Swansea’s economy could once again be shaped by what happens on our waterfront.

This week brought news that Swansea’s port has been shortlisted as a key site to support floating offshore wind farms in the Celtic Sea. This is a massive opportunity, not just for the city but for Swansea Bay (Port Talbot could be central too) and South Wales as a whole. 

The floating turbines that would be assembled and serviced from our ports aren’t just any old turbines. These are giant structures – almost three times the size of the Meridian Tower – that would be anchored far out to sea where the wind blows with enough power to generate clean energy for an estimated 4 million homes. 

Even though we wouldn’t be able to see the erected turbines from Swansea, their effect would be very visible. Because this is about the potential for new well-paid jobs, billions in investment, and the chance to secure our place at the forefront of the green industrial revolution. Securing a role in this project would breathe new life to our port and create new opportunities for the next generation to build long-term careers in the industries of the future right here. There are already great high-tech firms, like Marine Power Systems, based in Swansea.

There’s more than economics at stake. This is also about a vision, one in which Swansea is playing a leading role in the UK’s mission to achieve energy security. By generating clean, homegrown power we free ourselves from volatile fossil fuel markets, and from the ability of President Putin to use Europe’s reliance on Russian gas to affect energy bills for families and businesses across Britain. 

We’re not over the line yet. To get there, partnership is key. The UK and Welsh Governments have made a great start working hand-in-hand with local authorities, industry, and the communities who will power this transition. We need more of that good work to see South Wales over the line. As your MP, I will do everything I can to make sure Swansea harnesses the benefits of this green economy — so our children can grow up in a city that’s clean, prosperous, and proud of its role in building a better world.  

Floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea is more than a headline, it’s our chance to lead. Let’s seize it.