The Ministry of Defence has announced an early engagement opportunity for the construction and installation of cofferdams at HM Naval Base Portsmouth.
This project, with an estimated budget of £5m to £8m, is suitable for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and aims to secure investment in the local community while enhancing infrastructure support for the Royal Navy.
KBS Maritime, a joint venture between KBR and BAE Systems, is overseeing this project. The venture combines KBR’s expertise in infrastructure asset management with BAE Systems’ experience within Portsmouth Naval Base.
The goal is to “deliver a modern, enduring change to the base, ensuring world-leading fleet support for the Royal Navy and the UK for decades to come”.
Key dates for the project are as follows:
- Expressions of Interest: May 15, 2023
- Bidders Selected: June 30, 2023
- Construction Commencement: November 30, 2023
- Construction Completion: February 2024
The project involves the installation of cofferdams on the outer stops at three locations: B-Lock east, B-Lock west, and A-Lock east. These cofferdams will serve as enabling works for planned permanent works on both locks. A ‘stoplog’ type of cofferdam, comprising several modular sections, is the likely preference.
Would a bit vision extend this idea to creating a QEC dry dock facility?
With Belfast active as well as Rosyth there is no need for a 3rd dry dock for a two ship class.
There are better things to spend the money on TBH.
If I was a betting man I’d guess they are installing temporary Cofferdams so that they can either maintain or replace the Caissons (lock gates). I seem to remember an article on the possible docking alternatives for the QE’s and one was at Portsmouth but it was to either enlarge D lock or turn No2 basin into one.
But with H&W now getting back into the game it really isn’t needed and you are talking £500+ million to do it.
Yes. It was from an article from Naval Lookout. The article is Dry docking the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers – what are the options), I think.
That was my thought when I saw the title. There’s an article by Naval Look that looked at the multiple sites and their pros and cons for an aircraft carrier facility. One of the sites was extending one of the existing locks. The article is (Dry docking the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers – what are the options)
Having a suitable dry dock there or nearby for the QEs would be far better than sailing/towing them400+ miles north to Rosyth.
Wasn’t there a suggestion, that the dry docks needed enlarging to fit the type 26 in? Sure Gun buster said something about it?
That will be the ones in the sheds in Guz
Thanks Gunbuster, wrong dockyard for that then
Wasn’t there a suggestion, that the dry docks needed enlarging to fit the type 26 in? Sure Gun buster said something about it
Why would you want to do that when we already have better alternatives ? And the cost of rebuilding Shipbuilding capacity at Portsmouth would be horrendous and just duplicate facilities that already exist and are paid for. The bit that gets me is that over the last Century is the U.K government (us taxpayers) have funded some great facilities and infrastructure and then just let the industrial base wither. H&W still has a very impressive build yard and drydock, Inchgreen Dock (left to rot) KGV dock (decommissioned and unusable), Gladstone dock (same again) all have been built at our expense.… Read more »
Docks is something I have little to no knowledge on. Those ones you list, are they salvageable as a national strategic asset?
H&W is fine and usable, but they need to build up trust, experience and skill sets. FSS will hopefully take care of that. Inchgreen is usable but has zero facilities and is being surrounded by “waterfront housing” full of NIMBY’s. As for KGV and Gladstone they have no Facilities, Caisson nor pumps but do have space for them so would need investment, facilities and political willpower. One issue with the docks we have (except H&W) is the overhang of the carriers sponsons. If I were to go for one option other than a reinvigorated H&W it would be Gladstone dock.… Read more »
Thanks for that.
I thought Inchgreen is in a useable state? There suppose to be ship breaking suppose to be taking place there but nothing yet. The local residents seems to be up in arms about anything happing there as per the usual.
It is usable as a dock but has zero facilities, all removed and scrapped. As for the local residents they wouldn’t be so local if someone hadn’t built an estate smack next door.
you would think that moving there they might notice the dock there, however we know it dosent work that way with all sort of thing from music venue, industery and sport being effect by complaints from people who moved into the area around them