In their latest article, Navy Lookout, considers the potential upgrade projects at Devonport to accommodate Royal Navy warships into the next few decades.

Devonport is fundamental the operation of the RN and is the largest naval support facility in Western Europe. The site can be divided into two main parts, the Naval Base which is owned by the UK Ministry of Defence and supports active vessels of the Surface Flotilla and ships undergoing Operational Sea Training. The base also includes HMS Drake, home to about 3,000 personnel and has Single Living Accommodation for 1,800 sailors and marines.

The Dockyard, the main focus of the article, is a separate entity, owned and operated by Babcock International Group as a centre of deep maintenance and upkeep for surface ships, submarines and amphibious vessels as well as providing Fleet Time Engineering Support.

The ‘One Devonport’ blueprint was published in 2021 and outlines proposed changes that may take place over a long period, equipping the base until the 2050s. The biggest element of the development work is the £750M Submarine Waterfront Infrastructure (SWIF) project which is now underway.

What is still less certain is exactly how frigate and other major warship support will be conducted although there are a few options that are under consideration, subject to costs and feasibility.

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Scotland has become the central hub for constructing all major surface ships of the Royal Navy, highlighted during a ministerial visit that emphasised the vital role of apprentices in advancing British shipbuilding.

The Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge MP, toured facilities in Govan and Rosyth, observing the construction of HMS Cardiff, HMS Glasgow, HMS Venturer, and HMS Active.

During his visits, Cartlidge met with workers and over 180 apprentices, witnessing the progression of the Type 26 frigates in Govan and Scotstoun, and inspecting the Type 31 frigates at Rosyth.

Babcock International Group, under CEO David Lockwood, is set to recruit over 500 apprentices during the construction phase, with more than 180 apprentices and 3,500 employees already working at their Scottish sites. Additionally, Babcock has invested £35 million in the new digitally enabled Venturer Building at Rosyth, designed to enhance productivity by allowing parallel construction of two Type 31 frigates.

BAE Systems is also making significant investments, with 600 apprentices and graduates employed in Glasgow, and plans to recruit nearly 2,700 more across the UK by 2024. The construction of a new £12 million Applied Shipbuilding Academy at their Scotstoun shipyard is part of a broader £300 million investment aimed at enhancing skills and adopting new technologies.

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With the UK government also rumoured to be actively sounding out foreign investors to bolster the battered and beleaguered Ferguson Marine shipyard on the Clyde, Scottish Wellbeing Economy Secretary Màiri McAllan MSP has told MSPs they will “leave no stone unturned” to secure the future of the shipyard.

She responded to calls for the Port Glasgow yard to be awarded the contract for seven smaller CalMac Ferries Limited ferries by stating she would do all she could to secure an order book for the firm, but restated that such direct awards were only permitted in strictly limited circumstances.

Ms McAllan said she expected to receive a revised business plan from The Scottish Government-owned yard by the end of this month after its previous request for £25 million of investment was rejected by her predecessor Neil Gray last year.

She said the plan would have to be “deliverable, makes economic sense and meets our legal requirements on subsidy control”.

Ms McAllan said she was “impressed by the passion and commitment shown by the trade unions in making the case for future investment”.

She said she had met union leaders last week when she assured them that “ministers will leave no stone unturned when it comes to securing a future for the yard and shipbuilding on the Clyde.

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Staying in Scotland, The Scottish Parliament members recently toured Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Limited, a shipyard grappling with the twin challenges of delayed ferry projects and the uncertainty of securing future contracts. This visit spotlighted the shipyard’s pivotal role in local industry and the significant hurdles it faces in a competitive global market. The shipyard, nationalized in 2019, is at a crossroads, with its future heavily reliant on the The Scottish Government‘s decision on direct award contracts for building seven new ferries.

The Scottish Government’s stance on whether to permit direct award contracts for the construction of seven new ferries is a beacon of hope for Ferguson Marine’s survival. Direct awards could circumvent the lengthy and competitive tender process, providing the shipyard with a much-needed lifeline. This approach underscores the broader debate on the importance of supporting local industries versus the quest for cost-effective solutions in the global market. The shipyard’s struggles also illuminate the potential impacts of government procurement policies on the sustainability of local shipbuilding industries.

The saga of Ferguson Marine serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities inherent in modern shipbuilding and the pivotal role of government support in ensuring industry viability. As stakeholders await a resolution, the future of Scottish shipbuilding hangs in the balance, with implications that extend far beyond the confines of Ferguson Marine.

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GOVAN Drydock Limited has secured change of use planning consent that will allow for the full reopening Drydock Number 1, which was previously designated derelict.

Now operational as a ship repair and maintenance facility, it secured a contract earlier this year to project manage and undertake the first phase of major restoration and repair work on the TS Queen Mary.

Peter Breslin, MD of Govan Drydock Limited, said, “Securing planning consent will allow us to continue the regeneration work on Govan Drydock, which has been derelict for the past 36 years. It is great news for the Govan area of Glasgow and will bring future job opportunities.

“It will also enable us to continue the repair and restoration work we have been undertaking over the past six months on the TS Queen Mary.”

The organisation added that the reopening of the Drydock Number 1 marks a ‘key’ component of the wider mixed-use proposals, led by New City Vision, which would see the seamless integration of community and industry, with the derelict site transformed into a vibrant neighbourhood with new residential housing and a hub for community projects interwoven with the historic landmark.

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Previous suggestions had put the cost of the project at €200m but that has now been increased.

The Irish Government has increased the budget for a new naval ship, which will be the largest in the State’s history, to €300m.

Last week the Journal reported that the Department of Defence was set to release documents associated with the tender process for the new Multi-Role Vessel (MRV) which will allow the Irish Naval Service respond to large-scale humanitarian crises.

Those documents have now been released on a European Union portal.

Multiple security sources said that the increase in budget would mean a more capable ship than first envisaged.

The release reveals that the ship would be an “auxiliary hospital, cargo, tanker and roll-on-roll off vessel”. This means that it will be able to carry vehicles which will be able to drive off a ramp while it is deployed.

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Operator, the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group (ISSG) has has signed landmark contracts with French shipbuilding group, PIRIOU, which will secure the long-term future of passenger travel and freight supplies to and from the islands off Cornwall, England.

The ISSG which is the primary provider of passenger and freight transport to the Isles of Scilly, signed the contracts for two new ships (a passenger ferry and cargoship) to be delivered in 2026, in which the operator highlight will make journeys faster, more comfortable, and environmentally sustainable, whilst improving on reliability.

The Steamship Group, which operates passenger and cargo links between Penzance and St Mary’s, as well as an airline with flights to the islands year round, has signed contracts for a new 600-seat passenger vessel, Scillonian IV, and a freight vessel.

Brittany-based Piriou has been developing designs for the two vessels since its appointment as preferred ship builder in September 2023, work which will continue over the coming months, with construction to begin in spring 2024.

The new passenger ship will provide improved comfort, reliability and speed, whilst the new freight vessel will significantly improve cargo capacity.

The new vessels will be delivered using finance provided by long-term partner to ISSG, Lombard (part of NatWest Group). The solution puts in place modern vessels that will future-proof transport to and from the Isles of Scilly, providing economic certainty for the islands and securing a lifeline link for the community on Scilly.

Now that contracts are signed and finance is in place, final preparations will be made over the coming months to ensure works start on schedule in the spring. Both vessels will be built by Piriou in Vietnam, before being transported to Concarneau, Brittany for commissioning. The Group’s existing passenger vessel, Scillonian III, which is currently undergoing her annual schedule of maintenance, has been a workhorse for the islands since 1977 and will continue to serve the route during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

The new vessels will feature a range of new technologies, helping to improve resilience, comfort and reliability. The new passenger vessel will carry up to 600 people (a 24% increase on current levels) whilst reducing journey times.

It will feature roll and pitch reduction systems, thereby enhancing passenger comfort, and is designed utilising modern propulsion technologies that improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact. The vessel is also designed to integrate further enhancements as technology develops.

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The purchase of the Irish Navy’s biggest ship in its history which will respond to humanitarian crises is set to move a step forward as information documents are to be issued across an EU platform.

The project has been in planning in the Department of Defence for many years but stepped up a gear with the recent Commission on the Defence Forces.

Sources have said the ship is anticipated to have a helicopter landing area on board as well as other possible facilities such as a roll-on-roll-off facility for vehicles like the Defence Forces armoured personnel carriers.

The project will cost an estimated €200m however it is understood that the exact cost will not be decided on until the completion of the tender process.
Sources, with a knowledge of the planning process, said that officials had spoken to several shipbuilding firms across Europe and wider afield either formally or informally.

It is understood that a number of those firms are likely to make their interest in construction known. With a potential date of completion hoped for 2025.

A source also stated that there will likely be an effort to award the build of the ship to a European firm with a dockyard in Poland the most likely location if the State opts for one of the EU companies.

It is understood that British ship builder, Babcock International Group which previously built a number of patrol ships for the Irish Naval Service would be a potential builder. Their offering would likely be their Arrowhead MRV.

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One of the ferries being built in Turkey to serve the Scottish islands will be delivered this year, possibly before the first of the pair under construction at Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Limited on the Clyde.

The Turkish vessel will be launched at the CEMRE SHIPYARD in Yalova on 16 March, two years after a four-ferry contract was awarded.

It will then undergo fit-out before arriving in Scotland in October ready for trials. It will operate on the Islay and Jura routes and will be be named MV Isle of Islay.

MV Glen Sannox, originally due in 2018, remains on course to be delivered by Ferguson Marine later this year although its completion date has continually slipped. MV Glen Rosa is not likely to be in service until the spring of next year.

The final cost of the two Ferguson ships is expected to be more than £300 million, compared with an initial contract award of £97 million.
However, the vessels being built in Turkey are on time and on budget.

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The Academy will comprise of a Modern Trade Hall and a Flexible Learning Hub. The Academy will support the development of the entire workforce, from apprentices to senior leaders, and forms part of the Company’s ongoing commitment to develop future talent.

It will accelerate the modernisation of Glasgow’s historic shipbuilding industry, upskilling the existing workforce whilst attracting new talent to secure its future for generations to come.

A historic industrial building will be retrofitted to become the Modern Trade Hall, with areas dedicated to each shipbuilding trade, ship-realistic mock up environments and research & technology facilities. Immediately adjacent will be a Flexible Learning Hub, containing more than 30 classrooms, a STEM innovation lab and office facilities.

On completion in the second half of 2024, the Shipbuilding Academy will provide bespoke training for almost 4,500 employees, including nearly 700 apprentices.

These new facilities will also enable a substantial expansion of the successful early careers programmes at BAE Systems, doubling the intake in Glasgow to more than 200 new apprentices each year.

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