The latest news from across the industry that ‘got us talking’
Welcome to our weekly news round-up! Take a look at ‘what’s got us talking’, a collection of topical industry news from both our marine and industrial sectors.
Sail cargo ship will launch in 2023
French shipbuilder Piriou has just signed a contract with TOWT for the design studies and the construction of an 81 metre sailing cargo ship.
After the design studies phase, the ship construction will take 18 months, with the launch planned for Summer 2023.
The ship will be designed and built with wind as the principal power source, with a sail rigging spread over two masts. In addition to its wind propulsion, the ship also has a hybrid power mode.
Vincent Faujour, Chairman of the Piriou group commented “Piriou is proving that the shipyard is at the forefront of innovation regarding the progress of sailing technologies and the decarbonization of maritime transport”.
Mining & Quarrying Sector business investment up 42% in Q3 2021
Quarterly business investment reaches £1 billion for first time since final quarter of 2019
Business investment by mining and quarrying companies grew from £712 million in the third quarter of 2020 to just over £1 billion in the third quarter of 2021. It is the first time business investment has reached a billion in a quarter since the final quarter of 2019.
It represents a quarterly 13.1% improvement on the second quarter of 2021, although the sector still lags a long way off its all-time high of £3.9 billion in the third quarter of 2014.
Mark Tighe, chief executive officer of business tax relief consultancy Catax, commented: “This big annual improvement in business investment suggests the start of a possible bounce back from the slump of 2020.”
HMS Victory receives £35m renovation funding
A £35m conservation project to renovate Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory has been announced, on the 100th anniversary of the warship being brought into dry dock.
The new £35m project will see rotting planks removed from the hull and replaced with oak, while the vessel will be fully re-rigged. Repairs will also be done to the ship’s structural framework. The work is expected to take 10-15 years.
Hitachi ZW180-7 wheel loaders puts customers in control
Hitachi has unveiled the ZW180-7, a smaller next-generation model from its Stage V-compliant wheel loader range.
With industry-leading safety features and unrivalled comfort in the cab, operators feel in complete control of their workspace. Owners benefit from the new model’s exceptional efficiency and maximum uptime, as this gives them greater control over their profit as well as their fleet, thanks to remote monitoring tools and services provided by Hitachi.
£1 million made available to support Welsh fishing industry
Wales’ fishing community is being invited to submit applications to a £1m fund to help mitigate the ongoing impact Covid is having on the industry and adapt to the rapidly changing market conditions for seafood products.
The funding will support investments in the small scale coastal fleet and aquaculture, together with improvements to the marketing and processing of fishery and aquaculture products.
The EMFF application window opens today. Guidance is available for those interesting in applying and a Project Outline Form should be submitted to Rural Payments Wales as soon as possible.
Details of the EMFF programme and scheme guidance can be found on the Welsh Government website: European Maritime and Fisheries Fund | Sub-topic | GOV.WALES
