Birkenhead shipyard Cammell Laird wins £2m contract to produce two dolphins for Tranmere Oil Terminal, weighing a combined 75 tonnes. Tony McDonough reports

Cammell Laird has won a £2m contract to build two mooring dolphins in the River Mersey.

Stanlow Terminals, a division of Stanlow Oil Refinery operator Essar Oil UK, has awarded the contract to Cammell Laird for work at the Tranmere Oil Terminal which is next door to the Birkenhead shipyard.

A mooring dolphin is a standalone structure that assists on mooring and securing a ship to a terminal or other secure structure via a rope. Cammell Laird will build two of these for Stanlow Terminals and they will weigh a combined 75 tonnes.

Around 200 supertankers carrying crude oil berth at Tranmere Oil Terminal every year. Once unloaded the oil is carried via an underground pipe to Stanlow, several miles up the river, to be refined. A terminal for green ammonia is also being built at Tranmere.

Cammell Laird fabricated a single mooring dolphin for the terminal 2022. Stanlow Terminals was pleased with the work and this has led to the latest deal.

These dolphins will form a vital component of the Tranmere mooring configuration and will float at 3 metres in height (2 meters below the water level) and 7.5 meters in width.

They will provide stability for tankers during berthing, allowing them to move seamlessly with the ebb and flow of the tide.

On its website, Stanlow Terminals said: “For us, what truly sets this collaboration apart is not only the technical expertise brought by Cammell Laird, but also our joint commitment to the local community and workforce development.

“Cammell Laird has recently taken on almost 150 apprentices across various disciplines, ranging from shop fabrication and engineering to human resources.

“With our continued commitment to employing apprentices, what’s exciting is that a portion of Cammell Laird’s apprentices will be actively involved in supporting the marine mooring dolphin project.

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“This dual commitment to project excellence and fostering the next generation of industry professionals reflects a truly forward-thinking approach to the future of our industry.

“Our hope is that this partnership with Cammell Laird will demonstrate how working closely with local businesses can lead to not only technological innovation, but also the ongoing cultivation of a skilled workforce for the future and a buoyant local economy.”