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British MP Nusrat Ghani has visited Harland & Wolff's Belfast site to see first hand the work being completed.
The iconic shipyard welcomed the Minister of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to the site, providing a tour and meeting with Group CEO, John Wood.
The Minister observed the ongoing work as part of the two contracts awarded by Cory for the fabrication of 23 barges which, combined, are worth over £18 million. This is the first ship build contract win for Harland & Wolff since its Belfast yard was acquired in 2019, now, the company anticipate further such contract wins as it actively targets major fabrication programmes such as Fleet Solid Support warships.
The visit showcased the recent investment and improvements that Harland & Wolff has made to both the site and its workforce, this has included the installation of a state-of-the-art welding robot which cuts manual welding times by 60%, as well as a site-wide workforce ramp up which has brought long-term employment to Belfast and beyond resulting in over 200 employees by the end of 2022.
The company has also recently partnered with Power NI to see the site supplied by local, renewable energy sources, saving over 826 tonnes of CO2 per year.
Nusrat Ghani, Minister of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy commented: "Shipbuilding is a core part of our industrial heritage, and the cutting-edge high-tech work underway at Harland & Wolff is proof it is key to our future too. Our world-leading shipwrights create high-skill jobs and boost the economy right across the UK, and we're determined to support them through our refreshed National Shipbuilding Strategy."
John Wood, Group CEO of Harland & Wolff added: "It has been a great pleasure to welcome Minister Ghani to site today and to share with her the Harland & Wolff story and future Group-wide growth opportunities. Under the iconic backdrop of our two gantry cranes, Samson and Goliath, we hope this visit has brought the Harland & Wolff vision to life."
