Milford Haven was chosen for its skilled workforce

Members of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority have unanimously supported the first stage of an application for the development near Milford Haven.

Global oil company Exxon Mobil wants to construct its first liquid natural gas import facility at the former Esso refinery site creating 700 jobs during construction and a further 50 permanent posts.

Under the proposals, ships would unload liquefied gas at Milford Haven, where it would then be treated and pumped into the UK pipeline.

There is a lot of experience of handling hydro-carbons locally and a skilled workforce John Constable

Authority members approved the application on the grounds that the site was already designated for industrial use.

But a final decision will not be made until the site's safety is assessed and Pembrokeshire County Council discuss the application next week.

Large structures

Development control officer Catherine Milner told Wednesday's committee that phase one of the development included three large storage tanks, with phase two adding a further two tanks.

These were very large structures but their impact would be minimised by being set into the ground.

The site had not been used for industrial purposes for 20 years.

Exxon Mobile has been seeking a site for its first British LNG terminal since signing an agreement with Qatar Petroleum to supply gas from the Gulf to Britain.

Jetty

John Constable of the company's public affairs department welcomed the decision.

He said: "It is a site that has been used for this sort of use in the past.

"There is a jetty there which can be reused so obviously that makes it very attractive.

"There is a lot of experience of handling hydro-carbons locally and a skilled workforce.

"It is in the right location in terms of being one of the most attractive points of delivery into the UK from the Arabian Gulf."