Harland & Wolff is back targeting cruise repair jobs having been rescued by InfraStrata plc, which acquired the shipyard in December 2019.

The shipyard’s main facilities in Belfast host two of the largest docks in Europe at 556 meters and 335 meters respectively, along with numerous fully serviced quayside berths, according to a statement from the yard.

Since the acquisition, the company said it had signed numerous contracts and had undertaken numerous ferry drydock projects. 

John Wood, CEO, commented: “We are delighted to be re-establishing the Harland & Wolff brand within the cruise sector. Our two facilities in Belfast are now fully open for business. A key sector that we are actively pursuing is that of cruise vessels which we believe will make optimum use of our expansive facilities. During the acquisition, we were delighted to have reached a labour agreement that enabled us to retain the highly skilled and experienced workforce. We have continued to build on that capability and capacity by welcoming more team members into the business and attracting a globally-recognised and motivated leadership team.”

The re-opening of the yard has been split into two phases, in order to de-risk the operations and to ensure a smooth return to a business as usual scenario, according to a statement.

“We are pleased to have completed the reactivation and are now proceeding at pace towards fully realising our strategic goals, whilst receiving a large amount of positive feedback from our new clients,” said Wood. “The UK is in a prime location as a turnaround port and is only a short passage away from the cruising grounds of the Mediterranean. It is a key element of our strategy to focus on the cruise industry and returning the yard back to the days when it was a market leader in this sector.”