SHE carried the first Concorde supersonic airliner to its final resting place and helped rescue a lifeboat.

Now superbarge Terra Marique has returned to her native city to help the local economy and take the strain from Newport's overburdened roads.

The 250 foot long, 55-foot wide semi-submersible Terra Marique which takes her name from Newport's coat-of-arms is owned by Robert Wynn and Sons, the scarlet heavy-haul road vehicles of which were once world-renowned.

Following the rescue of an RNLI lifeboat from rocks off Northern Ireland the Terra Marique has returned to home waters and is now ferrying boiler modules and other pieces of super-heavy equipment across the Usk for installation in the new Severn Power station.

"She has already been involved in some high-profile work including taking the first Concorde, Alpha Alpha from London along the Thames and north to an aviation museum in Scotland" Wynn's spokesman Mr Tim West said.

"It was a magnificent and poignant sight as the Concorde was taken past Big Ben and got Newport's name in the international news.

"More recently she was called into help when the Katie Hannan lifeboat went aground.

"After an initial attempt to pull the Katie Hannan off the rocks was foiled by heavy seas the Terra Marique was called in together with Wynn's engineers and within the hour the lifeboat was in the barge's flooded hold.

"We were delighted upon that occasion to be able to rescue the rescuers."

Robert Wynn and Sons was established in Newport in 1863 with a horsedrawn haulage business which throughout the early and middle years of the last century grew to become one of the largest and most celebrated names in the heavy haulage business.

Although road operations have now ceased the family business has moved into heavy maritime lifting.

The Severn natural gas fired power station is being built for the German-owner Siemens company for its Danish owners.

The total cost of building is expected to be £400 million and it is expected to be producing power by the end of next year.

Managing director Mr Peter Wynn said "The Severn Power station project underlines the versatility of the Terra Marique.

"She is able to navigate the River Usk with ease and deliver directly to the power station site.

"The alternative would have been complex road movements at great inconvenience to businesses and drivers in and around Newport."