Shipyard cranes to be overhauled ahead of major contract

The Harland and Wolff shipyard is to spend £3m refurbishing its famous yellow cranes, Samson and Goliath.

It is part of an investment of almost £100m as the Belfast yard’s Spanish owners prepare it for a major defence contract.

The yard is the integration and final assembly site for three Royal Navy support ships in what is known as the Fleet Solid Support (FSS) programme.

The cranes, which dominate the east Belfast skyline, will have their engines overhauled and other key components replaced.

Harland and Wolff has been owned by Navantia, Spain’s state-owned shipbuilder, since January 2025.

Carlos Lopez Carregado, General Manager at Harland & Wolff, said the overhaul would treat the cranes “with utmost respect”.

“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,” he added.

“We will be replacing parts, updating technology and testing them to see that they can lift at full capacity.”

Navantia has already made substantial investments in Belfast, including an expansion to the fabrication hall and installing plasma cutting equipment.

Work on the FSS project is well underway at other Navantia sites in Spain and Devon.

The ships are being constructed in blocks which will be taken to Belfast by barge for final assembly.

Blocks for the first ship, RFA Resurgent, are due to arrive in Belfast in early 2027.