Major refurb for giant Harland & Wolff cranes

Refurbishment work has started on the iconic giant yellow gantry cranes in the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

RMS Titanic, the most famous ocean liner of all time, was built at the H&W yard, along with its sister ships and well over a thousand more.

The £3.1 million (US$4.2 million) crane work is part of a nearly £100 million ($136 million) total investment in the 81 acre (33 hectare) shipyard site in advance of it carrying out a big new shipbuilding contract for the UK armed forces.

Samson and Goliath will rise again following £3.1 million (US$4.2 million) refurbishment. Photo: H&W / Navantia UK

H&W and its four other yards were acquired by Spanish-owned Navantia UK in 2025. It won a defence contract to build ships worth £1.6 billion (US$2 billion) for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary as part of the Fleet Solid Support (FSS) programme.

The first ship is RFA Resurgent and construction is already under way at other Navantia yards.

Samson and Goliath

Known as Samson and Goliath, the famous yellow cranes are a Belfast landmark. Built in 1974, Samson is the larger of the twin travelling gantry cranes. It lifts 900 tonnes and stands 106 metres tall with a lifting height of 80 metres.

Goliath was the first of the pair, completed in 1969 and standing 96 metres tall. It lifts 840 tonnes and has a lifting height of 70 metres.

Commenting on the cranes Carlos Lopez Carregado, Harland & Wolff general manager, said, “Samson and Goliath are symbols of Belfast. We know that the city is proud of them, and this 1,000-mile service will restore them to their absolute best. They are about to be at their busiest for many years.”

With a distance between the legs of 140 metres, both cranes span the H&W yard’s main dock which is 556 metres long, 93 metres wide and more than 8 metres deep. It is also served by a Henson crane lifting 60 tonnes to a radius of 25 metres and a Stothert & Pitt which lifts 9 tonnes to a radius of 40 metres.

The refurbishment is being carried out in-house by Navantia UK. It includes mechanical, electrical and hydraulic work, parts replacement, upgrading and repairs. The engines on both cranes will be overhauled and the catenary cables supplying power to each crane will be replaced. Goliath is scheduled to be back in action towards the end of 2026 with Samson following in early 2027, just before the projected arrival of the first blocks making up the first of the new vessels.

Samson, the larger of the two cranes, lifts 900 tonnes. Photo: H&W / Navantia UK