COAL ships will return to the Tyne after a shipyard secured a major refurbishment contract.
A&P is bringing the bulk collier, the 22,447-tonne Lord Hinton, owned by power firm Eon, to its Hebburn-based yard for repair work.
Stewart Boak, managing director of A&P Tyne, said: “In recent years, these vessels have been repaired in Poland.
It is pleasing to see one of them return to the Tyne.”
Eon said a major factor in A&P winning the contract was its commitment to safety and its environmental record.
The 155-metre long Lord Hinton used to be a regular visitor to the region, ferrying coal from the Tyne-Tees coal terminal to power stations on the Medway and Thames.
The collier now picks up its cargo from coal exchanges on the Continent and takes it to Kingsnorth power station, in Kent.
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