EDINBURGH, Nov 1 (Reuters) - British engineering and defence firm Babcock International said on Thursday it was closing its Appledore shipyard in Devon, a "difficult" decision after orders ran out. Babcock said it hoped to offer all 199 employees at Appledore positions at other Babcock facilities, such as nearby Devonport, which is a British Navy dockyard. The southwest … [Read more...]
Queen Elizabeth Makes Millions from U.K.’s Offshore Wind Farms
By Anna Hirtenstein (Bloomberg) -- Leasing the seabed to offshore wind developers was the most profitable business last year for The Crown Estate Ltd., the company that generates income for Queen Elizabeth II. Earnings from the clean-energy technology in 2017 jumped 32 percent from the previous year to 37 million pounds ($49 million), according to a statement. The gain … [Read more...]
Felixstowe’s New IT System Is Blamed For Significant Delays
by Alexander Whiteman (TheLoadstar) The UK’s major container gateway of Felixstowe is expected to continue experiencing severe congestion after the troubled implementation of a new IT system. An advisory issued by MSC said all carriers calling at the port were still experiencing “significant delays”. “MSC expects these delays to continue, which will affect vessel arrival … [Read more...]
New Royal Navy Base Opens In Bahrain
by John Konrad (gCaptain) The United Kingdom opened a permanent naval base in Bahrain on Thursday. The ceremony formally opening the UK Naval Support Facility was attended by Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Britain’s Prince Andrew. The Naval Support Facility will play a central role in the UK’s ability to operate in the region, and will be the hub of … [Read more...]
Shell Gives North Sea Shot in Arm With Field Redevelopment
By Kelly Gilblom (Bloomberg) -- Royal Dutch Shell Plc made one of its biggest commitments to the North Sea in 30 years, with plans to redevelop the Penguins oil and gas field. The Anglo-Dutch oil major will build a floating production, storage and offloading vessel -- its first new manned installation in almost three decades -- to take output from eight wells it plans to … [Read more...]