Lewis fabrication yard secures Black Sea contract

A fabrication yard in the Western Isles has secured its first contract since being taken over by a new owner.

Workers at Arnish on Lewis will build four steel suction piles - anchors for an offshore energy project in the Black Sea.

The work is expected to last four and half months.

The yard's owner said it had bid for several more contracts and it expected work to "flow through" the yard in the coming months.

Harland and Wolff Group Holdings plc, formerly known as InfraStrata plc, took over Arnish and the former BifFab yard in Methil, Fife, in February.

BiFab was placed in administration in December last year after the company failed to win contracts to build platforms for offshore wind turbines.

The Scottish government had put £37m into BiFab in equity and loans, and had offered a further £15m loan facility in a bid to save jobs.

The new contract for Arnish involves manufacturing two 20m (66ft) long cylinder-shaped piles and two piles at 12m (39ft) in length.