The first of 23 barges has been delivered to the River Thames-based recycling and waste management firm Cory Group by Belfast-based Harland & Wolff. It is the first vessel to be built at and launched from the Northern Ireland shipyard in 20 years, the last being MV Anvil Point in 2003.
The barge will join Cory’s fleet of tugs and barges, which deal with 785,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste a year. Eighty-nine per cent of that waste is taken to the company’s riverside waste transfer stations and transported by waterway, which Cory claims removes around 100,000 truck journeys from the UK capital’s roads each year. Cory is the largest commercial operator on the River Thames.
Last summer, Cory ordered 12 barges from the Northern Irish shipyard, worth a total of £8.5 million (€9.8 million). The order was then increased by a further 11 vessels, taking the value up to £18.1 million (€20.8 million).
“We are at an exciting period of growth, as construction of our new facility is now under way,” said Cory director of logistics Fran Comerford-Cole. “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.”
Harland and Wolff’s shipyard is one of Europe’s largest heavy engineering facilities, with deep water access, two large drydocks and fabrication halls.
In February 2021 H&W bought two Scottish yards on the east and west coasts, now known as Harland & Wolff Methil and Harland & Wolff Arnish.
