Harland & Wolff, the shipyard and energy infrastructure group with over 160 years of maritime and offshore engineering pedigree, is delighted to announce that its subsidiary, Harland & Wolff (Appledore) has signed a framework agreement with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) for the haul-out, repairs, maintenance, refurbishment and associated works for the RNLI’s fleet of lifeboats.

Under the terms of this framework agreement, the Group’s Appledore shipyard will be responsible for the repairs, maintenance and other works programmes defined by RNLI for its fleet of lifeboats and other vessels. This agreement will span multiple years and each docking will be priced as a bespoke agreement based on the scope of works required to be performed on each vessel that comes into Appledore.

The RNLI currently has a fleet of 431 lifeboats and 238 lifeboat stations that will require repairs and maintenance on a regular basis in order to keep them active and ready for deployment. Appledore will be working in conjunction with RNLI’s internal team to perform defined works programmes on vessels that come into the yard. Whilst the size of each individual programme is not expected to be significant, given the size of a fleet, Harland & Wolff expects meaningful cumulative volumes and revenues on an annual basis.

Through acquisitions, Harland & Wolff set out a strategy of creating a local presence around major ship repair and fabrication hubs in the UK with a view to creating a consistent and long-term client base at each of its facilities.

John, Wood, Group CEO of Harland & Wolff, commented:

“I am delighted that Appledore has signed this framework agreement with the RNLI. The RNLI is a much-respected institution and we are privileged to be hosting its vessels at Appledore. 

Our capacity, capability and proximity to the RNLI’s main centres of activity has been crucial to the award of this contract. This, once again, demonstrates that our strategy to be geographically diverse in order to attract local business is sound and bearing fruit.

I look forward to a long-standing and growing relationship with the RNLI in the months and years ahead and will be looking at opportunities to support them, not only from Appledore, but also from all our sites across the UK.”