Displaying items by tag: Harland & Wolff, Belfast

14th December 2016

Belfast's Harland & Wolff Banks on ‘Holy Grail’ of Decommissioning

Afloat adds that controversy arose as the public where at the scene of cargo from MSC Napoli (62,000grt) that washed ashore at Branscombe Beach, Devon UK. The 4,419 TEU containership during a storm suffered structural damage and was deliberately run aground at nearby Lyme Bay almost a decade ago on 20 January 2007. The 275m (900ft) vessel was one of the largest to be decommissioned at Harland & Wolff having been dismantled at their dry dock.

#Decommissioning - For many UK ports writes EnergyVoice, developing the facilities needed for large-scale decommissioning projects is a quest they are just embarking on.

But for the Belfast based Harland and Wolff (H&W) shipyard, the asset it describes as the Holy Grail of ship decommissioning has been in place for many years.

The yard that built the Titanic has one of the biggest dry docks in the world, at 556metres in length and 93metres wide, about the same area as seven Wembley football pitches.

David McVeigh, general manager, sales marketing and business development, said the dock is an important feather in Belfast’s cap.

Its thick, high walls are a physical barrier between the surrounding environment and oils and other contaminants that could accidentally spill. It keeps H&W in line with the 1992 Basel Convention on the transfer and disposal of hazardous waste materials.

Ports with piers or slipways may have well thought out safeguards against spills, but from an environmental viewpoint, they cannot offer the same level of assurance on decommissioning.

H&W also has a waste management licence for ship and offshore unit recycling, not to mention the two giant yellow cranes, Samson and Goliath.

Mr McVeigh said H&W’s offering means it should appeal to those who take their environmental responsibilities seriously. He said: “Our facilities are huge. We have big quaysides and one of the biggest dry docks in the world.

It means we can offer environmentally credible solutions. “Some customers would place the economics above the environmental impact. We’ll still see vessels going outside EU to places that are not as concerned about environmental issues as we are. If someone is looking for a cheap solution they’re not going to come to us, but if someone values the environment, we are well suited to deliver.”

Mr McVeigh said that while decommissioning is not a big earner for H&W, the yard will be “ready to go” when the market kicks into gear.

To date, perhaps the biggest decommissioning job H&W has handled was that of the MSC Napoli container ship (see Belfast coverage photo), which was beached in Lyme Bay in the English Channel in 2007. The job could quite easily serve as a dress rehearsal for the decommissioning of a floating production, storage and offloading vessel in the coming decades.

Dismantling topsides could be part of the mix, too. Mr McVeigh said H&W had carried out a dock appraisal to demonstrate that Allseas’ mammoth Pioneering Spirit, which will remove Shell’s Brent Delta platform in summer 2017, could work within the harbour’s existing facilities.

For more and also manufacturing installation project click here.

Published in Belfast Lough

Tagged under

First Time in 32 Years HMS Caroline Departs Belfast Dock

WW1 Battle of Jutland veteran light cruiser, HMS Caroline under tow from current location in Alexandra Dock to Harland & Wolff, Belfast, for a scheduled dry-docking involving a hull inspection and repair.

#HMScaroline - For the first time in 32 years, HMS Caroline departed from its moorings in Belfast Harbour.

The Belfast Telegraph reports that the last remaining vessel from the World War One Battle of Jutland gently eased from its Alexandra Dock home yesterday (Friday) morning.

The 3,700-ton veteran light cruiser, sailed to Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries’ Belfast Dock for a scheduled hull inspection and repair.

Work is expected to last until Christmas before the ship then returns to its dock.

HMS Caroline serves as a monument to the 10,000 Irishmen who lost their lives at sea between 1914 and 1918.

Following a £15m restoration project, it opened to the public in June as a floating five-star museum and has already attracted more than 16,000 paying visitors.

For more on this rare towage operation, the newspaper features more photos click here.

Published in Historic Boats

Tagged under

Ireland & La Solitaire du Figaro

The Solitaire du Figaro, was originally called the course de l’Aurore until 1980, was created in 1970 by Jean-Louis Guillemard and Jean-Michel Barrault.

Half a decade later, the race has created some of France's top offshore sailors, and it celebrated its 50th anniversary with a new boat equipped with foils and almost 50 skippers Including novices, aficionados and six former winners.

The solo multi-stage offshore sailing race is one of the most cherished races in French sailing and one that has had Irish interest stretching back over 20 years due to the number of Irish stopovers, usually the only foreign leg of the French race.

What Irish ports have hosted The Solitaire du Figaro?

The race has previously called to Ireland to the following ports; Dingle, Kinsale, Crosshaven, Howth and Dun Laoghaire.

What Irish sailors have raced The Solitaire du Figaro?

So far there have been seven Irish skippers to participate in La Solitaire du Figaro.

In 1997, County Kerry's Damian Foxall first tackled the Figaro from Ireland. His win in the Rookie division in DHL gave him the budget to compete again the following year with Barlo Plastics where he won the final leg of the race from Gijon to Concarneau. That same year a second Irish sailor Marcus Hutchinson sailing Bergamotte completed the course in 26th place and third Rookie.

In 2000, Hutchinson of Howth Yacht Club completed the course again with IMPACT, again finishing in the twenties.

In 2006, Paul O’Riain became the third Irish skipper to complete the course.

In 2013, Royal Cork's David Kenefick raised the bar by becoming a top rookie sailor in the race.

In 2018, for the first time, Ireland had two Irish boats in the offshore race thanks to Tom Dolan and Joan Mulloy who joined the rookie ranks and kept the Irish tricolour flying high in France. Mulloy became the first Irish female to take on the race.

Tom Dolan in Smurfit Kappa competed for his third year in 2020 after a 25th place finish in 2019. Dolan sailed a remarkably consistent series in 2020 and took fifth overall, the best finish by a non-French skipper since 1997 when Switzerland’s Dominique Wavre finished runner up. Dolan wins the VIVI Trophy.

Dolan finished 10th on the first stage, 11th on the second and seventh into Saint Nazaire at the end of the third stage. Stage four was abandoned due to lack of wind.

Also in 2020, Dun Laoghaire’s Kenneth Rumball became the eleventh Irish sailor to sail the Figaro.

At A Glance – Figaro Race

It starts in June or July from a French port.
The race is split into four stages varying from year to year, from the length of the French coast and making up a total of around 1,500 to 2,000 nautical miles (1,700 to 2,300 mi; 2,800 to 3,700 km) on average.
Over the years the race has lasted between 10 and 13 days at sea.
The competitor is alone in the boat, participation is mixed.
Since 1990, all boats are of one design.