Following the closure of Swan Hunter in 2006. May 2007 saw the start of the dismantling of Swan Hunters Shipyard Wallsend. Some of the equipment is destined for a shipyard in India while the remaining pieces of equipment and hammerhead cranes are being scrapped.
Workmen have been dismantling the yard piece by piece and soon the yard will be completely flat.
In January 2008, Jaap Kroese sold all the yard’s equipment to a Teesside-based company called Fairfield Industries, which in turn sold it all to an Indian shipbuilder, Bharati Shipyard, who were willing to buy the whole lot. In January 2008 the hangars at Swans were sold off along with the green 60t hammerhead crane that came from Clydeside.
Jaap Kroese said: “he expects the place to be completely flattened by May 2009.”
July 17 2006, 260 people lost their jobs when the last ship to be built on the Tyne was towed away from Swan Hunter to be finished on the River Clyde. The Ministry of Defence took the decision to sever its contract with Swan Hunter over the 16,500-tonne Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel the Lyme Bay when Swan’s were late in completing the work.
Though Swan Hunter continues as a company, the event marked the end of the 150-year shipbuilding history on the Tyne.
Click image above to access Swan Hunter Project.
All images and text on this site are copyrighted to MAdie Photography
Sale of Swan Hunter
