MANUFACTURING is now underway at Ferguson Marine, Port Glasgow, on modules for a new Royal Navy frigate.
The work involves fabricating three steel units which, when ready later this year, will be transported to BAE Systems’s Govan shipyard ready for assembly as part of HMS Belfast, the third in a series of eight frigates the company is building for the Ministry of Defence.
David Tydeman, chief executive of Ferguson Marine, said: “Today heralds a new era for commercial shipbuilding at Port Glasgow, one we have painstakingly planned and prepared for.
“It demonstrates the ability of our skilled workforce to secure complex new contracts in a commercial environment. And this is just the beginning.
“We plan to grow our expertise and capabilities to win additional commercial contracts and adjacent markets.
“From a skills perspective, the yard is continuing to invest in apprenticeships so it’s encouraging to be able to demonstrate to our current intake that we can win this type of work.
“As a member of the executive committee for the National Shipbuilding Strategy, encouraging young people to consider shipbuilding as a career is an ambition very close to my heart.”
David Shepherd, programme director of BAE Systems, added: “The Type 26 programme is a truly UK-wide endeavour with more than 120 UK suppliers already contracted and providing a range of skills, technologies and equipment that combined will make the Type 26 a truly world-class maritime capability.
“We look forward to working alongside the team at Ferguson Marine as we progress the steel work for HMS Belfast.”
Work on the first four Type 26 ships is well under way with HMS Glasgow now at BAE Systems’s Scotstoun shipyard to have its complex systems installed, HMS Cardiff currently being assembled, HMS Belfast in its early construction phase, and Type 26 Batch 2 build underway following HMS Birmingham’s Steel Cut Ceremony in April.
The Type 26 is one of the world’s most advanced warships. It is designed for anti-submarine warfare, but can adapt its role quickly to transport high volumes of humanitarian aid and house medical facilities.
