Slipway upgrades add to Thames infrastructure

The significant investment in the slipways is the first stage of the redevelopment of the site, since Cory acquired it in 2018. Each of the two slipways is capable of receiving ships up to a weight of 400 tonnes, a length of 60 metres and up to a width of 18 metres depending on the type of vessel.

The upgraded slipways can be booked by marine operators for ship repairs, surveys and refurbishments. through Cory. They will also be used for upgrades and maintenance of Cory’s fleet of tugs and barges, which are used to transport around 1 million tonnes of residual waste and aggregate up and down the River Thames each year.

The project was completed in partnership with Teignmouth Maritime Services (TMS) Ltd., which replaced the existing, deteriorating steel on the slipways with new British steel, as well as repairing the existing pile caps. North Sea Winches also designed, manufactured, and installed new winches to replace the ones previously in place. This included three new winches, a 20tonne main slipway winch and a pair of five tonne downhaul winches with accompanying pulley and guide ropes.

The upgrades signal Cory’s continued commitment to investing in river-based infrastructure given its position as a long-term operator on the River Thames, going back over one hundred years. Cory has also recently announced a multi-million-pound contract with Newcastle-based A&P Tyne, part of the A&P Group, for the delivery of twenty-one new barges over a seven-year period.

Peter Stenner, Managing Director of Teignmouth Maritime Services Ltd said, “TMS were pleased to work on this slipway replacement for Cory. The effort and considerations that were made for all parties involved throughout the project, especially through the tricky Covid-19 lockdown period, were excellent and as a result we were delighted to be able to complete the job ten days early.”

Rob Gretton, Managing Director at North Sea Winches said, “North Sea Winches are pleased to have worked alongside Cory Riverside to supply and install their new slipway winch system”.

By Jake Frith