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UK Minister of Defence Procurement Visits Harland & Wolff's Appledore Shipyard

2nd November 2023
The UK Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge was welcomed to H&W’s Appledore shipyard as the company continues to deliver naval programmes in line with the UK government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh. The shipyard under previous owners, AFLOAT highlights had built all of the Irish Naval Service vessels since the OPV LÉ Róisín was commissioned in 2001 but is no longer currently operating.
The UK Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge was welcomed to H&W’s Appledore shipyard as the company continues to deliver naval programmes in line with the UK government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh. The shipyard under previous owners, AFLOAT highlights had built all of the Irish Naval Service vessels since the OPV LÉ Róisín was commissioned in 2001 but is no longer currently operating. Credit: HarlandWolffplc/facebook

A visit to a shipyard by the UK Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge took place at Harland & Wolff's Appledore facility, in north Devon, England.

The company is set to deliver key naval programmes in line with the UK government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh.

Representatives from the company briefed the Minister yesterday on the company’s business plan, comprising a five-market and six-service approach, which is being delivered across Harland & Wolff’s four delivery centres in Appledore, Belfast, Methil and Arnish.

  • Visit highlights Harland & Wolff’s capacity to deliver key naval programmes in line with the UK government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy
  • The company emphasised the importance of investing in graduates and apprentices, as recommended in the UK Shipbuilding Skills Taskforce Report

It was noted that Harland & Wolff has been investing in and upgrading its yards following the awarding of the Fleet Solid Support (FSS) contract to Team Resolute (comprising Navantia UK, Harland & Wolff and BMT) in January. The contract has unlocked £77m of public and private investment for Harland & Wolff and the company is expected to create 1,200 UK shipyards jobs across its Belfast and Appledore shipyards throughout the contract’s duration.

The Minister heard how the FSS procurement is underpinning growth across the group and that current projects including the fabrication of barges and recently announced SeaRose FPSO contract are helping the company ramp up to deliver the key naval programme.

In particular, the importance of investing in graduates and apprentices to the industry was emphasised. Harland & Wolff now has more than 140 apprentices located across the company’s Belfast, Appledore, Methil and Arnish sites, as part of a drive to secure work for local communities and providing the UK the advanced shipbuilding skills-base it needs.

John Wood, Chief Executive of Harland & Wolff, said: "It was fantastic to have the Minister visit us in Appledore as we ramp up to deliver the FSS programme. Through the £77m investment we’ve received as part of Team Resolute, we’ve been transforming our yards to become some of the most advanced in the world as well as upskilling our workforce, transferring knowledge from Navantia, and welcoming hundreds of new colleagues into the business.

“Harland & Wolff is focused on increasing its competitiveness and is bringing its commercial approach to the world of defence to ensure programmes are delivered on time and on budget. Our recent agreement with Cenovus Energy, to upgrade the SeaRose Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel, is a notable vote of confidence in our abilities and we will continue to enhance our capacity and capability to compete across the breadth of our markets.”

James Cartlidge, UK Minister of Defence Procurement, said: "Shipbuilding sites such as Harland & Wolff’s Appledore yard are key to diversifying the UK's industrial maritime capabilities – spreading skills and jobs across the country. It was a real pleasure to see apprentices working at the site, on the pathway to the kind of skilled employment we need to nourish if we are to build a viable industrial base.

The Minister added "I was particularly pleased to see the progress being made to deliver the FSS programme, which is a Royal Navy priority. This demonstrates how participation in a successful procurement bid is helping to underpin long-term, secure jobs, that will be sustained across Harland & Wolff's multiple markets within defence and beyond."

Published in Shipyards
Jehan Ashmore

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Jehan Ashmore

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Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals. 

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Shipyards

Afloat will be focusing on news and developments of shipyards with newbuilds taking shape on either slipways and building halls.

The common practice of shipbuilding using modular construction, requires several yards make specific block sections that are towed to a single designated yard and joined together to complete the ship before been launched or floated out.

In addition, outfitting quays is where internal work on electrical and passenger facilities is installed (or upgraded if the ship is already in service). This work may involve newbuilds towed to another specialist yard, before the newbuild is completed as a new ship or of the same class, designed from the shipyard 'in-house' or from a naval architect consultancy. Shipyards also carry out repair and maintenance, overhaul, refit, survey, and conversion, for example, the addition or removal of cabins within a superstructure. All this requires ships to enter graving /dry-docks or floating drydocks, to enable access to the entire vessel out of the water.

Asides from shipbuilding, marine engineering projects such as offshore installations take place and others have diversified in the construction of offshore renewable projects, from wind-turbines and related tower structures. When ships are decommissioned and need to be disposed of, some yards have recycling facilities to segregate materials, though other vessels are run ashore, i.e. 'beached' and broken up there on site. The scrapped metal can be sold and made into other items.