// BBC BUSINESS NEWS — FINANZA
Overhaul for Belfast cranes ahead of major contract
The shipyard is to spend £3m refurbishing its famous yellow cranes, Samson and Goliath
The Harland and Wolff shipyard is to spend £3m refurbishing its famous yellow cranes, Samson and Goliath.
It is part of an investment of almost £100m as the Belfast yard's Spanish owners prepare it for a major defence contract.
The yard is the integration and final assembly site for three Royal Navy support ships in what is known as the Fleet Solid Support (FSS) programme.
The cranes, which dominate the east Belfast skyline, will have their engines overhauled and other key components replaced.
Harland and Wolff has been owned by Navantia, Spain's state-owned shipbuilder, since January 2025.
Carlos Lopez Carregado, General Manager at Harland & Wolff, said the overhaul would treat the cranes "with utmost respect".
"We know that the city is proud of them, and this major mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and fabric maintenance project will restore them to their absolute best," he added.
"We will be replacing parts, updating technology and testing them to see that they can lift at full capacity."
Navantia has already made substantial investments in Belfast, including an expansion to the fabrication hall and installing plasma cutting equipment.