Ship-building jobs boost for Goat Island

Coastal Workboats, currently based in Devon, have secured a 10-year lease from the Stornoway Port Authority for the marine engineering workshop at Goat Island, which was completed last year and was part of a wider £12 million re-development of the site and the Newton Basin.

It is thought that this is the first time in 100 years that a company solely dedicated to boat-building will be operating from Stornoway and construction on the pioneering new vessel will be the company’s first venture on the island.

The all-electric E-LUV, from an order placed by Dutch firm Damen, will be suitable for use as a small ferry or for the aquaculture industry and comes after the award of a £6.2 million grant from the UK Government. It will cost £9 million in all. Once completed in 2025, it is to be trialled on Shetland’s Papa Stour to West Burrafirth route

Coastal Workboats will use state-of-the-art 3D CAD design to allow greater efficiency in the fabrication process and other advanced technologies. They have also pledged to work with local colleges and training centres. They are expected on site by the end of the year.

Alex Macleod, Chief Executive at Stornoway Port Authority Chief Executive, said: “We are excited to embark on this journey with Coastal Workboats. This partnership reaffirms our commitment to fostering innovation and growth within the marine industry.

“The facility at Goat Island is world-class, with overhead cranes specifically designed for vessel construction and we are thrilled to support Coastal Workboats as they undertake these ambitious projects.”

He added: “This agreement also marks the return of a dedicated shipbuilder in Stornoway for the first time in 100 years, and we are proud to have played our part in bringing this industry back to the island.”

Construction of the marine engineering workshop at Goat Island was made a reality with funding contributions from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, the Scottish Government's Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and Stornoway Port Authority.

Coastal Workboats director Brian Pogson said: “As a family-run company, we’ve taken pride in building Coastal Workboats on a foundation of community; actively engaging with a local workforce and supplier network throughout each chapter of our work.

“We’re therefore thrilled to continue this family and friends ethos with our move to Stornoway – investing in, learning from and growing with a fantastic community with a national reputation.”

The project is supported by partner National Shipbuilding Office, with NSO CEO RAdm Rex Cox saying: “The National Shipbuilding Office is very pleased to see the opening of Coastal Workboats’ brand new manufacturing facility in Stornoway Port.

"The NSO are hugely supportive of Coastal Workboats’ expansion of their manufacturing capability, which should allow them to capitalise on the current opportunities in the workboat sector. Shipbuilding brings significant benefits to a local area; this new facility will bring c.25 new highly skilled and well-paid jobs and will have a positive impact on the local economy and community.”

Damen Shipyards UK Sales Manager Mike Besijn added: “Damen support Coastal Workboats in their move to Stornoway. This first-class boat building facility is close to many of our joint customers in the inter-island ferries and the aquaculture industries.”

He said the initial order was the “perfect first step”.

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