Harland & Wolff has completed the first barge at its yard in Methil, Fife, since 1856.

The barge, which has been made for waste management and recycling business Cory, will launch from Methil and be taken by sea to Cory's lighterage site on the banks of the River Thames. It will join Cory's existing fleet of tugs and barges which are used to transport recyclable and non-recyclable waste via a series of river-based transfer stations across London. Cory is one of the largest commercial operators on the Thames, and its use of the river to transport waste removes around 100,000 truck journeys from London’s roads each year.

The project has kept 115 people in active work at the Methil facility and enabled further employment, bringing the workforce up to around 150 people. Around 15 year one and year two apprentices have been able to work on this project, providing them with essential shipbuilding experience at this crucial early stage of their careers.

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Cory placed an initial order of 11 barges with Harland & Wolff on 01 June 2022 worth £8.5 million. Subsequently, Cory entered into a second contract for a further 12 barges, taking the contract total to £18.1 million. The barges will play a vital role in Cory's growth plans. The company reached financial close on its Riverside 2 Energy from Waste (EfW) facility at the end of 2022, which will divert c.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.

The contract with Cory has enabled the resurgence of shipbuilding skills at Harland & Wolff's Methil site since the Santiago was completed in 1856. In Belfast, the contract has allowed Harland & Wolff's shipyard to demonstrate its world-class shipbuilding skills, recommission its vast fabrication halls and pass these crucial skills and techniques on to the next generation of shipyard workers, ahead of its ramp up following the execution of the manufacture subcontract for the three vessel Fleet Solid Support (FSS) Programme.