Harland & Wolff Cranes Undergo £3.1 Million Refurbishment
Samson and Goliath prepare for increased workload with engine overhauls and structural repairs ahead of Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship block arrivals.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Carla Rooney
Belfast's iconic Harland & Wolff cranes, Samson and Goliath, are undergoing a £3.1 million refurbishment.
The modernization project demands overhauling engines, replacing catenary cables, and executing structural and electrical repairs on the colossal cranes.
Each crane boasts an 840-tonne lifting capacity, a critical asset for Harland & Wolff Belfast's ongoing projects.
Harland & Wolff Belfast currently constructs three fleet solid support ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Carlos Lopez Carregado confirmed the city's pride in the cranes, stating this extensive maintenance project will restore them to their absolute best.
This extensive maintenance project will restore them to their absolute best.
Carregado further explained that parts will be replaced, technology updated, and the cranes tested to ensure they can lift at full capacity.
The cranes are sophisticated pieces of machinery capable of carrying enormous weight, Carregado confirmed.
They will require all their strength to lift blocks for the fleet solid support vessels and for future ships anticipated for construction in Belfast, Carregado added.
Recapitalization efforts aim to prepare the yard for upcoming naval and commercial shipbuilding projects.
The shipyard is part of an almost £100 million investment by its Spanish owners, Navantia, which acquired Harland and Wolff in January 2025.
Navantia has invested in Belfast, expanding the fabrication hall and installing plasma cutting equipment.
Work on the Fleet Solid Support (FSS) programme is underway at Navantia sites in Spain and Devon.
Blocks for the first ship, RFA Resurgent, are expected to arrive in Belfast in early 2027.
Goliath, built in 1969 and standing 96 metres high, is being worked on first, followed by Samson, installed in 1974 and measuring 106 metres high.
Carregado anticipates Samson and Goliath will swing into action soon, noting they are about to be at their busiest for many years.
They are about to be at their busiest for many years.