The first vessel completed at the Harland and Wolff shipyards in Belfast for 20 years has been launched.
It is the first of 23 barges that had been ordered from waste company Cory and was launched in Belfast before being taken by sea to the new owner's site on the banks of the River Thames.
It and remaining 22 vessels to be delivered by Harland and Wolff will be used to transport recyclable and non-recyclable waste along the Thames from London in a move which is estimate to prevent 100,000 truck journeys each year.
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The barge is the first vessel made by Harland and Wolff to be launched at the Belfast yard since the MV Anvil Point in 2003, a roll on, roll off cargo ship which is still in operation.
Shipbuilding had tapered off at the yard which built the Titanic until it was rescued from administration by Infrastrata in 2020. The overall firm is now known as Harland and Wolff Group Holdings and also includes yards in north Deven and at Arnish and Methil in Scotland.
“It’s great to see the first vessel built in the yard since we acquired the yard in December 2019 completed and delivered,” he said. “This is the first of 23 barges to be successfully delivered and we look forward to continuing to work with Cory across both Belfast and Methil. This contract is enabling us to build up the necessary workforce and skills we will require when we start to deliver on the FSS contract, with high quality local employment and apprenticeships.”
Cory placed an initial order of 12 barges with Harland & Wolff on 1st June 2022 worth £8.5 million. Later Cory extended the contract by a further 11 barges, taking the contract total to £18.1 million.
The company reached financial close on its Riverside 2 Energy from Waste (EfW) facility at the end of 2022, which will divert around 650,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste from landfill. A bolstered fleet of tugs and barges will be essential to deliver the feedstock for the new facility.
“We are at an exciting period of growth, as construction of our new facility is now underway,” he said. “As well as investing in developing this vital piece of UK infrastructure, we want to ensure that our supply chain supports UK industries such as shipbuilding so Harland & Wolff was a natural partner for us.
“We are delighted to have received this first barge, which will be deployed into our fleet on the Thames in the coming weeks.”
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