Beckett Rankine have been appointed to assist with the design of the ship impact protection system for the south tower of TfL’s London Cable Car. Although the south tower is located close to the bank of the Thames it is in sufficient water depth at high tide for an errant ship to contact the tower; so an impact protection boom is proposed similar to the protection system we designed for the London Eye. We are engaged to review the project’s Quantitative Risk Assessment for ship impact, advise on the necessary energy absorbing capacity and assist with the development of the concept design of the protection system. Buildability issues are a critical consideration in the design as the project programme is demanding with the cable car due for completion prior to the 2012 Olympics.