Jones Bros lands £23.5m Anglesey tidal project contract

Work is set to begin this spring on constructing the onshore infrastructure for Morlais, which has the potential to provide enough renewable energy to power more than 180,000 homes when operational.

Appointing North Wales-based Jones Bros Civil Engineering for the £23.5m infrastructure build fits with the mission of social enterprise Menter Môn, the group behind the Morlais project.

“Securing benefits to the North Wales economy has been very important to us and is the main reason we were so keen to create something with strong local roots,” said Morlais director Gerallt Llywelyn Jones.

“This contract is just the beginning of course, it is an important milestone to ensuring we can build local supply chains and create job opportunities here on Anglesey and across the wider region.”

Jones Bros contracts director Eryl Roberts said the company was pleased to work on a scheme located on the company’s “own doorstep”.

“We are passionate about making an impact through renewables and our team has a strong track record in projects of this stature across the UK, so to bring those skills to Anglesey is something we are looking forward to,” Roberts said.

“As with all our projects, we will also provide opportunities to the local supply chain and apprentices, and we are excited to begin work on site to deliver this important scheme.”

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The Morlais tidal energy project will see energy-generating turbines deployed into around 35 sq km of seabed off the coast of Holy Island. It is hoped that construction on the offshore components of the scheme will begin in 2023.

Morlais has been in the works since 2013. It began to hit the home straight last year, when Morlais was approved for both its Marine Licence and Transport and Works Act Order application. The project has also received £31m from the European Regional Development fund through the Welsh Government to help with the first phase of construction.

WSP is the planning consultant on Morlais.

Additional funding for the scheme comes from the Isle of Anglesey County Council, North Wales Growth Deal, and The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.