The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded a contract worth £20.5 million to Northrop Grumman UK Ltd for the in-service support of navigation and radar systems across the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) carriers and other naval platforms.

The contract, announced via a transparency notice, covers the Integrated Navigation and Bridge Systems (INBS) of the QEC aircraft carriers, as well as the VM250 Radar, Astute Ships Inertial Navigation System, and MK39 Gyroscope used across multiple naval platforms.

The awarded contract includes a wide range of support services aimed at maintaining the operational effectiveness of these critical systems. According to the notice:

“The Contract will include in service core support of the INBS Equipment and Legacy equipment.”

“The in-service support includes safety management, spares provision, systems repairs, a range of supplementary support tasks and technical support.”

The contract is classified as a Single Source Qualifying Defence Contract and was awarded to Northrop Grumman UK Ltd, based in New Malden. The contract supports the Royal Navy’s flagship carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, by maintaining the crucial navigation and radar systems that enable effective maritime operations.

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Babcock International Group and the UK’s Submarine Delivery Agency have agreed a contract worth an estimated £560m to deliver the deep maintenance and life extension programme of the Vanguard-class boat.

The nuclear submarine arrived in Plymouth in June, 2023 to prepare for the programme that will enable her to continue operational patrols into the 2030s. Work on HMS Victorious is already underway.

HMS Victorious is the second Vanguard-class submarine to undergo a life extension package at Babcock’s Devonport facility. Through the maintenance work on HMS Victorious, over 1,000 jobs will be sustained in the south west. Alongside this, Babcock is continuing to build its workforce through its Plymouth-based Babcock Skills Academy, which includes a focus on submarine support and the critical nuclear skills required to perform deep submarine maintenance.

The Vanguard fleet will be replaced by the Dreadnought-class submarines from the early 2030s.

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The Fisheries Industry Science Partnerships (FISP) scheme – which is part of the £100m UK Seafood Fund – brings together industry and researchers to deliver pioneering projects which promote the sustainable management of the UK’s fisheries and help equip the fishing industry for the future.

So far over £4 million has been made available by the UK government to fund projects under the scheme. From this week, a new funding round for the FISP is opening, with increased awards of up to £1 million for two-year projects and new eligible funding areas, allowing for a wider variety of more ambitious projects to receive support. The UK Seafood Fund will also be extended from 2024 until 31 March 2025 to help longer-term projects to succeed by giving them more time to use the investment.

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The UK Ministry of Defence has once again confirmed that the Fleet Solid Support ships will, for the most part, be British built.

Jeremy Quin, Minister for Defence Procurement, said:
“For the purposes of procurement the Fleet Solid Support ships are considered to be warships. This has significance in the procurement route we choose to adopt, and we are not pursuing an international competition. This does not preclude international bidders from participating if they can meet the UK’s national security requirements, for example through a close partnership with UK companies.”

The Ministry of Defence also said previously:
“A competition to build three Fleet Solid Support warships – which will launch in Spring 2021 – will help revitalise British shipbuilding by requiring a significant proportion of the build and assembly work to be carried out in the UK. International companies will be invited to work in collaboration with UK firms to feed in their skills and expertise, but the successful manufacturing team must be led by a British company. This will have a huge impact on the local economies across the UK where shipbuilding is a prominent feature.”

So, what does this mean? Well, it seems foreign companies are expected to be involved in the project, perhaps with some small level of building work done overseas, and their modules will be shipped to the UK to be integrated with the ships.

The Ministry of Defence last year issued a ‘Request for Information’ to industry looking for British shipyards to participate in the Fleet Solid Support Ship programme. 

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Earlier this year National Maritime shared our plans with the Port of Dover to deliver a Blue Space Advanced Port, Energy & Logistics Centres (APELC) to support its ambition to become the world’s first high volume ‘Green Shipping Corridor’ and help deliver on the UK government’s ambition for clean maritime growth as part of the Department for Transport (DfT), United Kingdom (DfT), flagship Maritime 2050 strategy, the Clean Maritime Plan and the Clydebank Declaration announced in Glasgow at COP26.

So, it great to hear the Port announce its intent to become the world’s first high volume ‘Green Shipping Corridor’.

Yes, this will be a significant challenge but one that can be achieved and indeed, the answer may not be electric, but it will be green, and it will require the involvement of UK maritime industries and supply chains, as well sister Ports across the channel, local authorities, and leading academics to progress to make this ambition a reality.

National Maritime  APELC will work with marine, energy, and logistics industries from around the globe to create opportunities for research, innovation and production, and to facilitate the development of energy infrastructure from across multiple energy carriers within ports.

Recognised as leading innovative marine, energy, and logistics communities, APELC will provide access to a unique complex of industrial buildings, office suites and docks, and direct deep-water.

Each centre represents a unique opportunity to help deliver transformative benefits at scale across trade, investment and innovation, which could create new jobs and support the UK’s transition to net zero . They will also support ports objectives of improving energy infrastructure and choices to make energy systems more resilient to stabilise operating costs, all whilst meeting regulatory and community needs.

Furthermore, APELC will act as catalysts to help establish green corridors, specific trade routes between major ports hubs to demonstrate and support zero-emission solutions to achieve full decarbonisation of the shipping sector by 2050.

The UK government has delayed introducing more checks on EU goods entering the UK over fears it will disrupt supply chains and add to rising inflation. New import controls on EU food products had been due to begin in July.

But the government said “it would be wrong to impose new administrative burdens and risk disruption at ports” at a time of higher costs amid the war in Ukraine and rising energy prices.

It is the fourth time it has delayed EU import checks since the UK left the EU.

Commenting the British Ports Association said:

“This is quite an amazing development to say the least! Many UK port operators have built Border Control Posts in preparation for post Brexit checks and all were due to be ready. This announcement is a major policy change, meaning the facilities will effectively become white elephants, wasting millions of pounds of public and private funding, not to mention the huge effort there has been to get things ready in time”.

Whilst other business groups welcomed the move.

“We are dealing with significant supply chain stress and inflationary costs this year and this would have made a bad situation much worse,” said the Cold Chain Federation.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said: “Imposition of full import controls this summer would have meant yet another burden for small firms which are already wrestling with new trade rules and spiralling operating costs”.

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Orbital Marine Power Ltd are currently building the world’s most powerful tidal turbine and it is with no sense of concession they have engaged a supply chain here in the UK that is delivering over 75% (by value) of the turbine.

Steel from Motherwell, layering composites for rotors in Gosport, casting iron in Scunthorpe, fabricating in Llangefni, machining hydraulic cylinders in Sheffield, assembling mechanical systems in Workington, welding in Fife, wiring electrical connectors in Southampton, installing offshore infrastructure in Orkney, assembling the most impressive tidal turbine the world has ever seen in Dundee.

By building in the UK, they have enabled UK suppliers to commit their fantastic capabilities to deliver their vision and uphold their standards and principles.

Well done to Andrew Scott and the team at Orbital for believing in the flexibility and capabilities of the UK supply chain, rather than assume the default position of always tendering the use of foreign yards.

Thanks also for recognising the key role maritime SMES play in driving the success of projects, such as yours.

Worth noting UK governmentUK Ministry of DefenceScottish National Party (SNP) that its possible! A poignant reminder as we seek to deliver the aims of the refreshed National Shipbuilding Strategy.

To any Maritime SME out there who wants to signify to buyers, consumers, and specifiers, that their business associates with the globally well-regarded UK brand of maritime excellence, you can register for free as a National Maritime ‘ Hybrid Blue Prime’ partner and we will send you the full suite of UK quality marks to get you started.

Thanks again Orbital for making the case for UK business.

Sourced, Serviced, Produced in the United Kingdom

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You couldn’t make it up – This week a Refreshed NSbS to reinvigorate UK Shipbuilding, Maritime Awards in Glasgow herald journey to becoming world’s most competitive maritime nation by 2050, English Regional Authority mutes hulls to be built in foreign yards & failure of Scottish Government run-yard to compete for Scottish ferry building contracts

We’ve got some hard miles ahead us at the National Maritime UK Shipbuilders & Shiprepairers – National Shipbuilding Strategy Progress Board to help ensure ships are built in the UK to secure local jobs.

As The Scottish Government-controlled Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) announce a Turkish shipyard has won a £105 million contract to build two new lifeline CalMac Ferries Limited ferries for Islay.

Cemre Marin Endustri has been announced as the preferred bidder for the order against three other yards which will increase vehicle and freight capacity by nearly 40 per cent.

The move was described as an “embarrassment” for the Scottish National Party (SNP) by the Scottish Conservatives.

The first vessel is expected to be delivered by October 2024 and will enter service following sea trials and crew familiarisation. The second vessel will follow in early 2025.

Scottish Government-controlled Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL), which owns the nation’s ageing ferry fleet, had invited four overseas companies to bid for the contract to build the two vessels – and excluded Inverclyde shipbuilder Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Limited.

Transport Scotland said that the intention was to award the Islay ferries’ contract to the Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard after a 10 day standstill period.

The successful initial bids were from Damen Shipyard in Romania, Remontowa Shiprepair & Remontowa Shipbuilding Yard in Poland, and Turkish shipyards Sefine Shipyard – Turkiye Denizcilik Tersanecilik Turizm, and Cemre Marin Endustri.

It was confirmed Ferguson Marine embarked in a bid for the contract through the initial Pre-Qualification Questionnaire process but failed to make the shortlist.

The Alba Party is amongst those who have complained that there will be no possibility of there being any community benefits for Inverclyde the Islay contract.

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With the launch of the UK’s National Shipbuilding Strategy refresh now imminent, leading shipbuilding and ship repair partners of the UK’s largest maritime network, National Maritime have formed the UK Shipbuilders & Shiprepairers – National Shipbuilding Strategy Progress Board.

As a leading voice towards government, the board’s objective is to support and monitor the delivery of the UK Governments refreshed National Shipbuilding Strategy, which includes a multi-billion pound vessel pipeline due to be built over the next 30 years

Led by the expertise of the groups SME Maritime Working Group Shipbuilding and Repair Champions; The SMS Group | Ship Repair | Marine Interiors | Marine Engineering | SC SQEP, Dales Marine Services Ltd and Macduff Ship Design Ltd., supported by the National Maritime secretariat, the progress board will work with the UK government National Shipbuilding Office (NSO) to support the drive for transformative change to empower a globally successful, innovative and sustainable shipbuilding enterprise that works for all UK maritime SMEs.

With UK maritime SMEs playing such a significant part in the economy, it is vital that their needs are supported, and growth is enabled and encouraged.

The progress board will actively use its engagement with the NSO, UK Ministry of Defence and Government departments including the HM Treasury, UK Home Office, Cabinet Office, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, FCDO Services and the Department for Transport (DfT), United Kingdom, Department for International Trade (DIT) and Department for Education, as well as the Devolved Administrations, to continually showcase the supply chain flexibility and capability of the entire UK maritime sector.

The board will seek to review, monitor the progress and delivery of the strategy to ensure that its promises are upheld.

Not since the closure of the UK shipbuilders and shiprepairers trade association, the SSA UK, has the UK shipbuilding and ship repair sector voice been heard collectively. This progress board will help drive trade and growth for all and give a bigger voice for UK maritime SMEs.

Scottish company Mocean Energy has secured €875,000 to accelerate the commercial roll-out of its wave energy technology and drive its adoption in offshore oil and gas sector.

Mocean Energy has raised a little over €875,000 equity funding from existing funders, led by angel syndicate Equity Gap, together with Old College Capital, The University of Edinburgh’s in-house venture investment fund, and Scottish Enterprise.

The new funds will enable the company to advance the design of its next-generation Blue Star wave machine and drive its adoption in subsea oil and gas, Mocean Energy said.

Last year, the company successfully trialed its Blue X prototype at sea at the EMEC: European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney, and is currently collaborating with partners to advance a demonstrator project, called ‘Renewables for Subsea Power’.

Mocean Energy has seen increasing interest from the oil and gas sector and has opened a dedicated office in Aberdeen to meet customer demand, while the firm’s staff has grown to 17.

The new funds follow a €1.03 million seed raise which was completed in 2020, comprising €735,000 equity funding plus €300,000 grant from Innovate UK, the UK government’s innovation agency.

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