On June 23rd, Walcon Marine was among those celebrating the opening of the RNLI’s brand-new Tower Lifeboat Station in the heart of London by HRH the Duke of Kent. The project was a major logistical challenge for Walcon, involving the fabrication and installation of two new 20-metre aluminium bridges, plus additional works.

The new bridges were delivered to Tilbury and then taken up the Thames by barge to the site in the heart of London, in front of Somerset House. The old bridges were then lifted out and new ones lowered into position.

The on-site assembly and installation works took four weeks to complete whilst the station was fully operational throughout. The works were overseen by infrastructure specialist Herbosch-Kiere NV.

Walcon also built and installed a ramp for disabled and stretcher access that connects the platform to the Embankment towpath behind. The ramp was a bespoke project involving detailed design plus high precision manufacturing to ensure fast and smooth passages for injured persons being taken ashore on stretchers.  

The Tower Lifeboat Station is the charity’s busiest and in June it reached the milestone of 10,000 callouts, the first station ever to do so. In 2022 alone, the station had its busiest year with the crew being launched 734 times. Such intensive use requires facilities and equipment built to the highest standards.

Walcon’s managing director, James Walters, commented: “It was a complex project, working alongside a number of contractors and stakeholders, and a logistical challenge. However, we are very pleased with the outcome and are confident our contribution ensures that the facility will be safe and easy for crews to board and for injured people to be taken ashore for many years to come.”