Milford Haven and the shipping industry

Milford Haven is an international port, importing and exporting cargo worldwide. In 2010 the port of Milford Haven handled a staggering 42.7 million tonnes of cargo traffic, making it the fifth largest port in the UK. Located on the West coast of Wales, it is situated within the Pembroke coastal national park, and is the largest port in Wales. Milford Haven is one of the largest oil and gas ports in northern Europe, and it serves the two oil refineries of Valero and Murco, as well as the biggest petroleum tank farm in the UK. The port handles 25% of the UK’s petrol and diesel provisions, as well as 30% of the UK’s gas requirements.
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Inland transit from Milford Haven is straightforward. The main route out of the harbour is the A477, which quickly carries any cargo to the M4 motorway. Taking the M4, freight will find easy access to Swansea (63 miles), Cardiff (103 miles), and into England with Bristol (142 miles) being the first major destination. Transit can also be sought out of Milford Haven on the A4076 arterial road, taking cargo to Haverfordwest (8 miles), where transport can join the A40 travelling further North within Wales or East towards the border with England. Travelling North on the A40 takes cargo ultimately to Fishguard (23 miles) on the northern coast. Travelling West along the A40 will take cargo via Carmarthen (37 miles) and onto the Brecon Beacons (85 miles).

The town of Milford Haven was founded in 1790, but the port has been operating as such since the Middle Ages. Through history, the port of Milford Haven has be renowned for fishing and shipbuilding. With the way the trends of these too industries fluctuate, Milford Haven has seen many peaks and troughs throughout its existence. Now in modern times, with the reliability people put upon fuels, Milford Haven is once again thriving, and this trend looks set to continue. The port has the facilities to diversify and expand, and with its already solid volume of fuels traffic, Milford Haven could find itself becoming even bigger and better than its current fifth largest rating in the UK ports table.