Funding secured for all-electric workboat being built in Lewis

Family-run company, Coastal Workboats Scotland Ltd (CWLS) has made significant progress since the beginning of the year, following the signing of a new 10-year lease agreement with Stornoway Port Authority for their marine engineering workshop.  

The firm relocated their fabrication business to Stornoway and has been actively recruiting to expand its local team and has secured equipment for the workshops. Work has started to build a range of workboats for customers including Dutch shipbuilder, Damen. 

The firm will be constructing an electric workboat, funded by £6.2m investment from the UK Government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition fund, designed to help maritime industries eliminate carbon emissions and increase efficiency. Electric boats already exist, but so far they have only been used for leisure. CWSL’s project will be the first to demonstrate commercial potential.

CWSL began operating from their workshop on Goat Island at the start of this year. Since the company’s establishment at the facility, 11 local people have been employed. The company expects to create around 25 jobs in total within the local marine manufacturing sector.  

The workshop was constructed in 2021 on land reclaimed from the sea as part of the Newton Marina development led by the Stornoway Port Authority. The workshop was made a reality as a result of funding from HIE, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, the Scottish Government's Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) and Stornoway Port Authority. 

With HIE’s funding, Coastal Workboats has purchased robotic welding equipment that will be used to build the innovative electric workboat and other commercial workboats at the new premises in Stornoway. The equipment will increase the efficiency of welding operations and staff will be trained by the manufacturer.  

Kathleen Stewart, area team leader for HIE's Innse Gall team, said: “Innovation is the key driver behind business growth, which is why we are very pleased to provide this support. Not only is this project helping to create well-paid jobs in Stornoway, it also helps with the wider efforts to attract and retain working age people in the area. It will make a significant contribution to the marine sectors’ transition to net zero and we look forward to working with the business as it develops” 

Coastal Workboats director Brian Pogson said:

“Coastal Workboats has always had a focus on quality, innovation and community. The introduction of cobots to our workflow offers a unique opportunity to progress all three of these areas. We’re proud to have such a great staff team, many of whom have been with us on this journey since nearly the beginning. As the name suggests, cobots introduce an incredible support role to the team - easing strain, increasing efficiency and safeguarding the workforce. In turn, the capability and capacity of our cobots allows our team to ensure our high levels of quality are maintained. HIE’s support has allowed us to push the boundaries of what the next chapter of UK shipbuilding looks like, from right here in Stornoway."
 

Maoineachadh air fhaotainn do bhàta-obrach dealain ga togail ann an Leòdhas

Tha gnothachas togail bhàtaichean a tha air pròiseact a ghabhail os làimh gus a’ chiad bhàta-obrach coimearsalta uile-dhealanach de a seòrsa san RA a thogail, air £166,547 fhaotainn bho Iomairt na Gàidhealtachd ’s nan Eilean (HIE) airson uidheamachd ùr-ghnàthach a cheannach gus an gnothachas a chuideachadh gu fàs.

Companaidh air a ruith le teaghlach, tha Coastal Workboats Alba Earranta (CWLS) air adhartas cudromach a dhèanamh bho thoiseach na bliadhna, a’ leantainn air aonta 10-bliadhna le Ùghdarras Port Steòrnabhaigh às leth am bùth-obrach innleadaireachd mara.

Ghluais a’ chompanaidh an gnothachas saothrachaidh a Steòrnabhagh agus tha iad air a bhith gnìomhach a’ trusadh on uair sin gus an sgioba ionadail a leudachadh agus uidheamachd fhaotainn do am bùithtean-obrach. Tha obair air tòiseachadh air raon de bhàtaichean-obrach a thogail do luchd-ceannach, a’ gabhail a-steach an luingear Duitseach, Damen. 

Bidh am buidheann a’ togail bàta-obrach dealain, maoinichte le inbheisteadh de £6.2m bho mhaoin Farpais Taisbeanaidh Muir Glan Riaghaltas na RA, air a dealbhadh gus gnìomhachasan muireil a chuideachadh le cùr às do sgaoilidhean càrboin agus èifeachdas a mheudachadh. Tha bàtaichean dealain ann mar-thà ach gu ruige seo chan eil iad air an cleachdadh ach airson chur-seachadan. Bidh pròiseact CWSL mar a’ chiad phròiseact a bhios a’ taisbeanadh comas coimearsalta.  

Thòisich CWSL ag obrachadh bho am bùth-obrach air Eilean nan Gobhar aig toiseach na bliadhna. On a chaidh a’ chompanaidh a stèidheachadh aig a’ ghoireas seo, tha 11 neach air cosnadh fhaotainn. Tha a’ chompanaidh a’ sùileachadh ri mu 25 obair gu h-iomlan a chruthachadh taobh a-staigh na roinne saothrachaidh mara ionadail.  

Thogadh a’ bhùth-obrach ann an 2021 air talamh a chaidh ath-dhleasadh bhon mhuir mar phàirt de leasachadh Marina Newton, air a stiùireadh le Ùghdarras Port Steòrnabhaigh. Thugadh a’ bhùth-obrach gu buil mar thoradh air maoineachadh bho HIE, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Maoin Tabhartais Chalpa Ath-ùrachaidh Riaghaltas na h-Alba (RCGF) agus Ùghdarras Port Steòrnabhaigh. 

Le maoineachadh bho HIE, tha Coastal Workboats air uidheamachd tàthaidh ròbotach a cheannach a thèid a chleachdadh gus am bàta-obrach dealain ùr-ghnàthach a thogail còmhla ri bàtaichean-obrach coimearsalta eile aig an làraich ùir ann an Steòrnabhagh. Meudaichidh an uidheamachd èifeachdas nan obraichean tàthaidh agus gheibh an luchd-obrach trèanadh bhon t-saothraiche.

Thuirt Kathleen Stewart, stiùiriche na sgioba sgìreil do sgioba Innse Gall aig HIE: “Tha ùr-ghnàthachas mar am prìomh stiùiriche air cùlaibh fàs gnothachais, agus sin an t-adhbhar gu bheil sinn glè thoilichte an taic seo a thoirt seachad. Chan e a-mhàin gu bheil am pròiseact seo a’ cuideachadh le obraichean air an deagh phàigheadh, a chruthachadh ann an Steòrnabhagh, ach gu bheil e a’ cuideachadh leis na h-oidhirpean nas fharsainge air daoine de dh’aois obrach a thàladh agus a ghleidheadh san sgìre. Bidh e na thabhartas cudromach do dh’eadar-ghluasad na roinne mara gu càrbon neodrach agus tha sinn a’ coimhead air adhart ri bhith ag obair leis a’ ghnothachas mar a bhios e a’ fàs.” 
 
Thuirt Brian Pogson, stiùiriche Coastal Workboats:

“Tha Coastal Workboats air a bhith a-riamh a’ cuimseachadh air càileachd, ùr-ghnàthachas agus coimhearsnachd. Tha toirt a-steach air còbotan do ar sruth-obrach a’ tabhann cothrom air leth air na trì roinnean sin uile adhartachadh. Tha sinn moiteil gu bheil a leithid de sgioba obrach againn, mòran dhiubh a tha air a bhith air an t-slighe seo bho fhaisg air an fhìor thoiseach. Mar a tha an t-ainm a’ taisbeanadh, tha còbotan a' toirt a-steach taic do-chreidsinneach don sgioba – a’ lasachadh uallach, meudachadh èifeachdas agus dìon na sgioba-obrach. Mar thoradh air sin, tha comasachd agus brìgh ar còbotan a’ ceadachadh don sgioba againn dèanamh cinnteach gu bheil ìrean àrda de chàileachd air an cumail suas. Tha taic bho HIE air cothrom a thoirt dhuinn na crìochan de choltas na h-ath chaibideil de thogail-shoithichean na RA a phutadh a-mach, dìreach bhon seo ann an Steòrnabhagh.”