UK lighthouse gets an LED technology upgrade

This upgrade included refurbishing the solar and power system that support the new main and standby 15 nautical mile LED lights which safeguard mariners in the event of a single failure.

“Working at a station like Mumbles is deceptively complicated and demanded a lot from our various teams,” said Commodore Rob Dorey, director of operations at Trinity House.

“Thankfully we were able to bring together all of our in-house knowledge, experience and understanding of service operations towards a successful conclusion.”

Logistical challenge

Mumbles is an island several hundred metres off-shore with one of the UK’s largest tidal ranges, with no proper boat landing and a rocky foreshore.

The project involved two days of busy helicopter operations which delivered numerous loads of equipment and materials, including five cabins, 6,000 litres of fuel and 12,000 litres of water. These deliveries enabled the site to be established and facilities to be built allowing staff to stay on station.

Logistical challenges during the works made full use of Trinity House’s diverse teams including a project team to plan and prepare for the works in the first phase and field operations technicians to carry out the installation in phase two.

The crews of THV Galatea and contract support vessel MV Mair provided transport and helicopter operations respectively, with support from the Swansea and St Just helicopter teams to handle the ‘G-GLAA’ helicopter used by all three General Lighthouse Authorities.

The Grade II Listed Mumbles Lighthouse was built in 1794 to guide vessels along the coast and into Swansea Bay past the hazards of the Mixon Shoal half a mile to the south.

By Anne-Marie Causer