Nuclear imperative gives boost to Arnish

Last week, Harland & Wolff Arnish, part of the Infrastrata group which has revived the yard over the past year, completed the first phase of an order for Super Duplex Shells which they have been fabricating for the Hinkley project.

The work has been sub-contracted to Arnish by Global Energy Group at Nigg and there are hopes that this relationship will continue to develop with expectations that GEG will benefit from both the UK civil nuclear programme and also major offshore wind projects.

While new nuclear stations continue to be vetoed by the Scottish Government, the energy crisis has accelerated plans for up to eight new plants in the rest of the UK to reduce dependence on oil and gas, creating major ongoing opportunities for the Scottish supply chain.

Steve Chisholm, Global Energy’s director of innovation and operations, commented: “Great work by Albert Allan's team at Arnish, a key part of our wider nuclear supply chain which stretches from the Western Isles, across Europe and to the Far East”.

A former Arnish engineer in the 1980s, Jimmy Ferguson, who recently became business development manager with Harland & Wolff, added: “Well done team Arnish. Great to see the Scottish yards working together (H&W +GEG) to ensure a successful delivery. This is a great example of collaboration between members of the supply chain”.

The Hinkley-related work is part of a diverse range of contracts that Arnish has attracted over the past year. The yard has fulfilled its early target to have more than 70 employees at this stage of its development though recruitment has proved challenging in a competitive labour market.

They have also fulfilled a commitment to take on local apprentices with six so far and another nine expected to join next month.

The GMB and Unite trade unions have secured recognition both at Arnish and Methil on the basis of high levels of membership at both yards which were part of the BiFab group until it went into liquidation early last year.

BiFab had failed to secure sufficient work from the offshore wind industry. However, Arnish has continued to work on one legacy contract which was awarded to Harland & Wolff by Saipem, the Italian company who are main contractors for Neart na Gaoithe wind farm , now owned by EDF, in the Firth of Forth.

It is understood that further orders in different sectors are in the pipeline. In general, workers at the yard have been encouraged by the intensive efforts to secure work both for Arnish in its own right and also as part of the wider Harland & Wolff Group .

The group takes its name from the historic Belfast shipyard that was the first to be taken out of mothballs by Infrastrata. They also acquired the former Appledore shipyard in Devon giving the group a strategic network of facilities around the UK coast, close to areas in which offshore wind developments are expected to occur.