The securing of new business is good news for the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast.
New business worth £50 million will keep operations afloat for the medium term at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast.
The order from British Petroleum for two new supertankers has given the company a welcome boost.
In recent years the Belfast shipyard returned to building smaller vessels. This was largely influenced by Japanese dominance of the shipbuilding market and a general slowdown in the industry internationally.
Potential redundancies and closure of the company have been discussed , but the new orders mean Harland & Wolff is now in a better position financially. A review of the shipyard's performance and future by the British government is due soon.
Deputy managing director Douglas Cooper believes that this order will provide continuity of employment for the next two years and has confidence in the organisation.
We can raise productivity to the standards required.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 20 June 1980. The reporter is Dennis Murray.
