Liverpool is currently amid a new shipbreaking industry with R.J. MacIsaac Ltd being awarded a tender worth almost $11 million. The fund was allocated to tow and scrap the retired naval vessel Iroquois at Port Mersey Commercial Park.
The company has previously been involved in the process of recycling two other former naval vessels – the Algonquin and the Protecteur. That contract was awarded last November, worth $39 million.
Queens Region Mayor Christopher Clarke said, “What might have been just a two-year employment opportunity, it looks as now it’s going to turn into an industry down at Port Mersey. It’s excellent news. I know the last time that Mr.MacIsaac was here and I was chatting to him, he was talking to me in terms of ten year plans and 20 year plans. Well, this seems to give some substance to that line of thinking that yes, there’s going to be an opportunity to have the ship recycling as an industry on our shore.”
The Iroquois is the sister ship to the Algonquin. It was retired in 2015 after 43 years of service. It was considered to be Canada’s flagship destroyer when it was built. The contract awarded stipulates that the ship must be completely recycled within 18 months.
The Protecteur reached Liverpool in April while after a two-month tow through the Panama Canal the Algonquin arrived in early June this year.
R.J. MacIsaac is in the procedure of disassembling Protecteur while the Algonquin is deemed to be next in line to be scrapped.
Mayor Clarke expressed that the award is extremely good news for Queens, “I know there lot more vessels in Canada. I know there are something like six to 800 vessels waiting to be recycled”.
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Source: The Advance
