Norsepower, the global market leader in wind propulsion, in collaboration with Stena Line, announce the arrival to Northern Ireland of Stena Connecta, the latest purpose-built RoRo freight vessel commissioned by Stena Line for the Irish Sea. The vessel is equipped with two 28m x 4m Norsepower Rotor Sails™, supporting reduced fuel consumption and lower CO₂ emissions on the Belfast–Heysham route.

January 20th 2026, Helsinki, Finland – Stena Connecta arrived at Belfast Harbour ahead of its planned commercial start on 23 January 2026. The vessel follows sister ship Stena Futura, which entered service on the same route in October 2025 and is also prepared for future rotor sail installation. Together, the two ‘New Max’ RoRo vessels will increase freight capacity on the Belfast–Heysham route by approximately 40%.

Following an £8m investment over five years, The University of Manchester is set to lead an innovative centre funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and UKRI as part of its strategic focus on building a green future. The Centre for Joined Up Sustainability Transformations (JUST) will accelerate the understanding of a just transition by coordinating research into action at all levels of society.

Industrial shredder specialist UNTHA UK has announced a quartet of appointments as the growing business continues to evolve.

Bolstering the sales team is Dale Liptrott, who joins the North Yorkshire headquartered firm as an experienced sales consultant. With a decade of notable experience, most recently selling capital equipment at CPL UK, Dale excels in meeting new customers, building strong relationships, and recognising business opportunities. 

At UNTHA, Dale will leverage his expertise to identify potential clients, nurture long-term partnerships, and enhance the overall sales strategy, ensuring the firm’s continued success in a competitive market.

International engineering firm Arup is one of a handful of suppliers recently awarded a place on the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO’s) new Global Development Delivery Framework – known as the GDD, focusing on major climate change and nature projects with official development assistance (ODA)-eligible countries.