Cummins Darlington: 50 Years of Engine Production
UK-based Cummins Darlington is celebrating its 50th anniversary during 2015. Since opening, around 1.5 million engines have been built in the factory for customers worldwide, providing power for vessels as well as land vehicles. Work began in 1963 on the £8.5 million plant with engine production commencing in 1965, having more than 400 employees’ onsite. The production line assembled Cummins range of Small Vee V6 and V8 engines, named VAL and VALE. With cubic capacities of 5.7 and 8.3 liters, they had a capability of up to 111 kW, suitable for a range of boats at the time.
CTruk Delivers First Colchester-built Workboat
CTruk Boats formally handed over the first new craft built at its River Colne production facility in Colchester when the latest MPC22 offshore wind farm service vessel (WFSV) was officially named by owner CWind at the Seawork show in Southampton. Utilizing the CTruk flexible pod system that allows the vessel’s payload to be reconfigured in a matter of hours, the MPC22 is based on a proven workboat design. CWind Artimus, named by Jemma Eaton, Commercial Director of CWind, is the first of the two latest boats being built by CTruk for CWind…
Shipbuilder CTruk Awarded Round 6 RGF Grant
Essex-based shipbuilder CTruk received a £1 million ($1.5 million) grant for the construction of an Advanced Composite Technology Centre from the UK Government's Regional Growth Fund, the office of Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced today. The funding from the successful Round 6 bid will catalyze £7.3 million ($11.2 million) in private investment for the facility, which will allow the company to build workboats for offshore wind farm operations, CTruk announced in a press release.
CTruk Unveils Expansion Plans
CTruk held an informal launch event at its new Colne Estuary site on The Hythe, East Colchester yesterday, sharing its plans for expansion to guests and staff. The company will use the old Fieldgates site on Haven Road to build the larger vessels required for offshore wind farm projects further out to sea and will move some production activity over in January 2015. CTruk’s current facility in Brightlingsea lacks the space and waterside access needed to build and launch larger craft.
CTruk Sets Plans for Expansion
CTruk signed the lease on a 6,400m² site on the Colne Estuary, a few miles upriver from its current Brightlingsea base. The company plans to use the Fieldgates site in Haven Road, The Hythe, East Colchester to build the larger vessels required for offshore wind farm projects further out to sea. CTruk is pressing on with refurbishment of the existing building on Fieldgates to move some production activity over early next year. However, the company has further plans to build a new production facility, offices and training center on the currently derelict site.
U.K.: Massive Offshore Wind Farm Opens
Greater Gabbard wind farm, which is reportedly the second largest offshore wind farm in the world, costing £1.3 billion and generating enough clean electricity to power over half a million homes, was officially opened off the coast of Suffolk by the Energy and Business Minister Michael Fallon. Greater Gabbard has 140 turbines and will double in size once the Galloper wind farm extension is completed in 2017. Offshore wind has the potential to provide enough clean power for 11 million homes in the U.K. by the end of this decade, creating 30,000 jobs and contributing £7 billion to the economy.
Offshore Wind Industry To Get Huge UK Investment
Government and business publish a long-term strategy that will strengthen the UK’s position in the offshore wind industry. The multi-million pound investment has the potential to unlock £7 billion in the economy by 2020. The UK currently has more offshore wind power than the rest of the world combined. The offshore wind industrial strategy aims to grow UK supply chain manufacturing so that more of the work and jobs can be done here. Investments by the government will include £20 million from the Regional Growth Fund to improve the UK wind industry’s supply chain…
CMA CGM Increases Global Trade to Liverpool
CMA CGM has backed Peel Ports’ £300m Liverpool2 development by doubling the frequency of its feeder service to the port. CMA CGM now offers twice-weekly calls in Liverpool from its hub in Le Havre, France and a new weekly call at Greenock, Scotland and Cork, Ireland. Weekly calls to Dublin and Belfast were already established. The company’s expansion into Liverpool will take advantage of Peel Ports’ established Green Highway Network, a shuttle service which carries freight 44 miles inland using the Manchester Ship Canal.
Dredging Begins at Port of Liverpool
Work on Liverpool2, a new terminal at the Port of LIverpool, has begun. More than one million cubic meters of material will now be moved by dredgers to clear a deep-water channel at the Port of Liverpool (United Kingdom), operated by Peel Ports. The dredging work – funded by a £35 million U.K. Government Regional Growth Fund grant – will create a 16.5-meter deep berthing pocket to secure access to the developing Liverpool2 project. This funding was awarded to the Mersey Docks and Harbor Company by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne last month (May 2013).
