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ABP Property

Our property division brings together an unrivalled land bank spanning 21 multi-modal locations around the country, with 960 hectares of port-based development land.

ABPmer

Drawing on 60 years of experience, ABP Marine Environmental Research (ABPmer) provides specialist marine environmental research and consultancy services.

UK Dredging

UK Dredging (UKD) operates the largest British-owned dredging fleet and specialises in the provision of reliable and cost effective port maintenance dredging services.

Left to right: Paul Ager, Divisional Port Manager, ABP; Jess Asato, MP for Lowestoft; Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero, the Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP; Henrik Pedersen, Chief Executive Officer, ABP; Lucia Firman, ABP; Hannah Kitcher, ABP and Julian Walker, Chief Commercial Officer and Regional Director, ABP. Image credit: Anglia Picture Agency

Associated British Ports (ABP), the UK’s leading ports operator, was delighted today (23 January 2025) to welcome the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, The Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, to its Port of Lowestoft to officially open the newly completed Lowestoft Eastern Energy Facility (LEEF). This transformative £35 million project, which includes £2.3 million from the Town’s Fund, showcases state-of-the-art port infrastructure designed to meet the latest requirements of the offshore wind industry.

It is playing an important role in securing the UK’s most easterly town as a hub for supporting the region’s offshore energy industry, and cementing ABP’s role as a vital enabler of the energy transition.

The development features expanded quay space and deep-water berthing, each equipped with bunkering, water and electricity connectivity. These facilities are designed to support Operations & Maintenance (O&M) activities and construction support for the offshore energy industry and have been operational since September 2024.

Henrik Pedersen, ABP Chief Executive Officer, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Ed Miliband to officially open LEEF. This facility is a physical example of ABP’s commitment to enabling the energy transition. Ports are a crucial foundation, not just for delivering the energy transition, but also for realising investment and jobs for the UK. We look forward to working in partnership with industry to make it a success and deliver jobs, opportunity and prosperity for Lowestoft.”

Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero, said: “Our mission to become a clean energy superpower is about attracting investment into local communities, creating new jobs and delivering energy security for families and businesses.

“This private sector investment is a huge vote of confidence in our mission, supporting economic growth in the region and supporting a new era of clean electricity. 

“The Port of Lowestoft shows that this unstoppable clean energy transition is underway, delivering our Plan for Change to rebuild Britain as part of a decade of national renewal.”

During his visit, Ed Miliband boarded North Star’s Grampian Tweed, the latest addition to North Star’s fleet. The vessel, which arrived in Lowestoft on 14 January 2025, is a hybrid electric service operation vessel (SOV) and has been designed to support Equinor’s operations at the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm.

Michael Gordon, Commercial Director and CCO, North Star, said: “We were delighted to welcome Ed Miliband on board our state-of-the-art SOV today to discuss the importance vessels such as these in delivering energy independence for the UK and Europe in the coming decade. With North Star perfectly positioned to do this as a UK company expanding into Europe, we thank Ed Miliband and his wider team for taking the time to come on board to learn about our exciting business.”

The visit also included a tour of ScottishPower Renewables’ (SPR) control room for its East Anglia ONE offshore wind farm. SPR uses the Port of Lowestoft as its main Operations and Maintenance hub for East Anglia ONE.

Ross Ovens, ScottishPower Renewables’ Managing Director for Offshore said: “It’s fantastic to welcome the Energy Secretary to Lowestoft – the home and heart of ScottishPower’s offshore wind operations in the UK – and celebrate the town’s role as a clean energy powerhouse for the offshore wind industry. 

“The opening of LEEF significantly strengthens what Lowestoft can offer developers and supply chain alike to help bring clean energy projects like our East Anglia windfarms to life and deliver real and lasting benefits for local people and businesses. It’s a great addition to the region and I wish it every success.”

Jess Asato, MP for Lowestoft said: "Lowestoft is at the heart of the UK’s clean energy revolution, and the visit by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero further cements our town as a leader in offshore wind and the broader energy transition. With ScottishPower’s expansion and Associated British Ports’ £35 million investment in the fully operational Lowestoft Eastern Energy Facility, our town is attracting major businesses and creating thousands of high-quality, well-paid jobs in green energy.

“Labour is committed to ensuring that Lowestoft and the surrounding region benefit from these opportunities by investing in training and infrastructure, helping to revive our coastal community. This investment will provide young people with the skills and career opportunities they need to stay and thrive here, securing a brighter future for all. This is the beginning of a new chapter — one that will see Lowestoft play a pivotal role in turning the UK into a clean energy superpower and driving long-term prosperity."

The LEEF development is the latest step in ABP’s has a proven track record of investment in its ports – around £1 billion in the last five years. Looking forward, ABP has 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 in investment in green hydrogen, ammonia, and carbon capture and storage infrastructure.