Harland and Wolff: New owner completes deal to buy Belfast shipyard

The shipyard was sold to the London-based firm in October. The completion of the sale followed a £3.3m payment to the administrators BDO.

Harland and Wolff went into administration in August, putting 120 jobs at risk, after its Norwegian parent company collapsed.

Infrastrata plc plans to use the shipyard which built the Titanic for fabrication work in its underground natural gas storage project in Islandmagee near Larne.

John Wood, interim chairman and chief executive officer, said: “Harland and Wolff is once again open for business. This is an important day for InfraStrata, the Harland & Wolff workforce and the region as a whole.

“I would like to take this moment to welcome our new employees to the business and thank those who helped us get to this point.

“I am confident that, together, we can now secure and deliver meaningful projects which reaffirm Harland & Wolff’s international reputation as a quality manufacturer of maritime and energy infrastructure.”

A spokesman for BDO Northern Ireland said: “This has been an intense and challenging process. From the outset we have been cognisant of the need to ensure the continuity of the brand name, especially given its importance to Northern Ireland. We are delighted that InfraStrata has confirmed the Harland & Wolff name will live on.”