Stena Line looks to redevelop former Anglesey Aluminium site

The Swedish port operator bought the 213-acre smelter near Holyhead after the previous owner Orthios went into administration this year.

Stena Line Ports, which has operated nearby Holyhead Port in Anglesey for 27 years, acquired the former Anglesey Aluminium site at Ynys Môn from administrator Begbies Traynor for an undisclosed sum. The deal was completed this month.

Stena Line’s investment is intended to facilitate a major expansion of its port operations in the area and the company is expected to draw up redevelopment plans over the coming months.

The vast swathe of land next to A55 in Holyhead was used for aluminium smelting for 38 years and was most recently owned by the Orthios group of companies, which operated a materials recycling facility there before collapsing in March.

The site, much of which has been remediated now, is allocated for industrial uses and lies within the local Enterprise Zone.

There are several buildings currently used for industrial and storage uses, including four former potline buildings totalling 95,000 sq ft and Orthios’ 115,000 sq ft waste processing and recycling centre building.

There are also ancillary facilities including two amenity offices, a café and welfare facilities, as well as 24-hour security. Most of the site is brownfield land and several buildings have been demolished.

Various planning permissions, waste licenses, and other consents exist to enable a range of businesses to operate the site, with the focus on biomass power energy generation, waste recycling and other renewable projects.

The site also includes a large jetty within Holyhead Port, which Stena Line Ports has now taken over, as well as 3km of railway track connected to the North Wales Main Line, a former smelting tower, and a 2.4km tunnel running under the port and connecting the berth with the main site.

In a statement announcing the acquisition this week, Stena Line said: “It is not yet known what the tunnel will be used for in the future, but it has the potential to move materials in an efficient and environmentally friendly way from the jetty to manufacturing locations within the new site.

“In addition, the site has a much sought-after high voltage electrical connection, which opens up other possible opportunities.”

Meanwhile Holyhead Port intends to market the deep-water berth to cruise line companies, the statement added.

Stena Line UK’s executive director Ian Hampton said: “This purchase is a significant investment for us and forms an important part of our long-term strategy for the future of Holyhead Port.

“Our plans for the site have the potential to be a significant boost for the regional economy and local jobs. Holyhead is the largest port we own and remains the second busiest RoRo [roll on, roll off] port in the UK, as well as the main route to Ireland.

“This deal has the potential to make it even bigger and ensure it plays an even more important role in bringing further investment and jobs to Holyhead. It is a sign of our commitment to the local region, the Welsh economy as a whole, and more importantly our many colleagues we employ there.”

Stena expects to release details of its development proposals in the coming months. The company owns three operating UK ports and is the main port authority for Holyhead and Fishguard in Wales and Loch Ryan Port in Scotland. It is a separate entity from Stena Line’s ferry operations.