Overhaul for Belfast cranes ahead of major contract
It is part of an investment of almost £100m as Harland & Wolff's Spanish owners prepare it for a major defence contract.
Belfast's iconic yellow cranes, Samson and Goliath, are set to undergo a £3 million refurbishment by the Harland and Wolff shipyard. This investment is part of a larger, nearly £100 million capital injection by the shipyard's Spanish owners, preparing the Belfast facility for a significant defense contract.
The Harland and Wolff yard serves as the integration and final assembly hub for three Royal Navy support vessels, a project known as the Fleet Solid Support (FSS) programme. The prominent cranes, a defining feature of the east Belfast skyline, will receive comprehensive engine overhauls and replacements of other critical components.
Harland and Wolff has been under the ownership of Navantia, Spain's state-owned shipbuilder, since January 2025. Carlos Lopez Carregado, General Manager at Harland & Wolff, emphasized that the refurbishment would treat the cranes "with utmost respect." He further stated, "We know that the city is proud of them, and this major mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and fabric maintenance project will restore them to their absolute best." Carregado added, "We will be replacing parts, updating technology and testing them to see that they can lift at full capacity."
Navantia has already made considerable investments in Belfast, including expanding the fabrication hall and installing new plasma cutting equipment. Progress on the FSS project is already underway at other Navantia facilities in Spain and Devon. The ships are being constructed in modular blocks, which will then be transported to Belfast via barge for final assembly. The blocks for the first vessel, RFA Resurgent, are anticipated to arrive in Belfast in early 2027.
Previous headlines related to the shipyard include: "UK warship to be largely built in Spain as H&W yard 'not ready'," "Harland & Wolff in administration as part of rescue deal," and "Harland & Wolff saved by deal with Spanish firm."