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Teesside firm scraps pride of the French navy

A TEESIDE company which is scrapping a French warship is hoping to invest £10m in a bid to secure its future and create new jobs.

Billingham based Able UK is currently dismantling the Clemenceau aircraft carrier at its Seaton Port site near Hartlepool.

The dismantling of the so-called “ghost ship” is due to end next month and the company is planning to build dry dock gates at the site.

The vessel was once regarded as the pride of the French navy weighing 30,000 tonnes.

The company’s group development manager, Neil Etherington, said: “We are reviewing our plans for future development - clearly, with one of the largest dry dock facilities in the world, the site has significant potential for a wide range of uses including decommissioning of ships and oil and gas platforms.

“We are undertaking a study into the potential construction of new dry dock gates.

“This would provide increased flexibility and open up new market opportunities.”

In June 2008 Able UK made a successful bid for the contract to dismantle the ship.

This sparked protests from environmentalists concerned about the hundreds of tonnes of asbestos on board.

But after a High Court appeal the company won the right to carry out the work.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .