Heyn Engineering has recently been honoured with the job of testing the original crane which rests in the Pump House at Titanic’s Dock in the Titanic Quarter on behalf of Titanic Distillers. Titanic Distillers produces a premium Irish whiskey that is sought after worldwide and reflects the growing popularity of Irish whiskey today.

With work starting to recommission the iconic Pump House building as Belfast’s first distillery in over 100 years, our engineering team has been privileged to load test the original crane, which remains in working order above the original pumps and hydraulic accumulator.

The crane, which was originally erected by Andrew Barclay Sons & Co in Kilmarnock, sits above the Gwynnes pumps. It originally had a safe working load of 7 tonnes and was last used many years ago. The pumps housed there are an impressive feat of engineering and could empty 21 million gallons of water from Titanic’s Dock in only 100 minutes.

Heyn’s rigging team was asked to load test the crane to certify it for use under LOLER regulations (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999). Our team is LEEA certified and regularly load tests a wide variety of lifting equipment, including cranes, davits, and man-riding equipment.

During the test, the team used the crane to lift one of the pumps and move it up and down the length of the Pump House. By doing so, they were able to recertify the crane to a safe working load of 3.5 tonnes.

The plan is to use the crane in the new distillery to create a visual blend of the original equipment with the new machinery being installed for whiskey distilling.

“The service from Heyn Engineering’s team has been second to none. They have been an ideal partner, being located so close to our location at the Pump House in the Titanic Quarter, and it is great to build a bond with the company going forward. Heyn’s traditional rigging skills are a perfect fit for our philosophy in building the perfect distillery.”

Peter Lavery, Managing Director at Titanic Distillers

Heyn Handling Solutions wishes Peter and the Titanic Distillers team every success with their venture to bring the Pump House back into operation as the new Titanic distillery and with the redevelopment of the area to celebrate its historical significance.

Engineering