The planned completion date of the new Shipbuilding Hall at Govan was confirmed in a recent Parliamentary exchange.
James Cartlidge, Minister of State, Ministry of Defence, stated:
“BAE Systems has announced that on current plans the new shipbuilding hall at Govan will be completed in 2024. The new shipbuilding hall forms a key element of the improvements the company plans to make at its Clyde shipyards.
These include the digitisation of the facilities at both Govan and Scotstoun alongside a range of infrastructure and automation improvements such as tablets and kiosk screens on the shop floor to streamline production processes. The company also intends to open its Applied Shipbuilding Academy in 2024.”
Recent drone imagery shows the progress of a massive new ‘frigate factory’ in Glasgow. The massive facility at Govan represents a huge boost in capability for UK naval shipbuilding.
Drone footage shows the current state of HMS Cardiff in Glasgow and also work on BAE Systems new ship build hall. The new 'frigate factory' will consist of more than 6,000 tonnes of steel and 20,000m3 of concrete. It will be able to fit two Type 26 Frigates side by side. pic.twitter.com/PreOCWjewl
— UK Defence Journal (@UKDefJournal) November 25, 2023
For the avoidance of doubt, the drone footage was obtained legally by a qualified person in adherence to UK drone legislation and guidance. In addition, the drone is insured, and a flight plan was submitted using drone safety software.
Here’s how the site looked earlier in the year.
Work has started on a huge expansion of the BAE Systems yard at Govan, with excavators currently filling in the old 'wet basin' to make way for a huge new 'frigate factory'. Read more here: https://t.co/uBquNHihd9 pic.twitter.com/zsgdzkX9Lx
— UK Defence Journal (@UKDefJournal) February 14, 2023
I previously reported that planning permission had been granted for a huge new shipbuilding hall at the BAE Systems site in Govan, with work on the first ship to be built in the facility starting soon.
It is hoped that Type 26 ships 3 to 8 will be assembled in this facility, with the first two being assembled outdoors. HMS Glasgow is shown below when she was being put together on the hard standing, adjacent to the wet basin area after she was built in sections in the existing build hall and joined together.
The new build hall would allow ships to be built indoors, protecting them against the elements and would form part of an effort to modernise the yard to make it more attractive to future orders.
Project Background
In their Govan Assembly Hall planning consultation, BAE say that at present, full ships longer than 75 metres cannot be constructed undercover at Govan, something which is a major constraint to their business. Shown below is the current arrangement, the ‘SBOH’ is the facility in which ship hull sections are currently built before being moved outside and welded together. According to the consultation:
“As such, BAE Systems intends to develop a new ship building hall which is capable of meeting the United Kingdom’s ship building requirements. This necessitates the construction of a new ship building facility in Govan, one that will allow for at least two ships to be built simultaneously under cover and in single hull format.
The opportunity to provide a new modern ship building hall of this nature would allow BAE Systems to adopt improved shipbuilding techniques together with improved construction access and state of the art, dedicated, on-site office and amenities accommodation.”
The Ship Building Hall and Supporting Accommodation
The firm state that the shipbuilding hall will occupy part of the existing shipyard wet basin and will provide accommodation to allow for at least two ships to be built simultaneously under cover and in single hull format.
In terms of dimensions, the proposed shipbuilding hall will be approximately 81 metres wide, 170 metres long and 49 metres high to the building ridge line. This represents a massive expansion of capabilities and capacity at the yard, as let’s not forget, the original build hall will still be available for use.
Anyone seen how the frigates will reach the water. I’m guessing it will still be rolled on to the barge as before.
Yes, indeed that was the announced plan.
Yes, still by the same method, I do wonder why but I guess the decision has been made.
Don’t see how else it could be done in that location.
A covered dry dock like Apledore ?
Yes, exactly, especially given the site was back filled, piled and concreted, Not sure if it would have added to the costs or not.
I believe a dry dock could have been an option.
Dry dick build isn’t resolved used for ships of this size any more.
Why bother with an unnecessary dry dick when you can build in a nice dry shed and wheel the ship out.
Simplest solution is, in this case, the best….
Having no experience of a “Dry Dick”, I’ll bow to your better knowledge mate. 😂😂😂
The joys of spell checker (auto mangle) and a smart phone.
I sometimes think that whoever is setting up the auto correct functions has a weird SOH.
😂 well it made my day, I can sort of hear you saying “ffs” lol…..but anyway, I still feel that the dry “Dock” option might have been better in the long term, it certainly doesn’t require the long term maintenance and availability of the Loading vehicle or the floating dock vessel given the limited use of both over the given production schedule…. if you follow ?
Dry docks are inherently quite damp. One of the key things with high quality manufacturing is humidity control. I agree dry docks have their place in the panoply of things naval but nobody serious builds 7kt warships in a dry dock. We have big dry docks at Belfast and Rosyth as well as smaller ones at Rosyth, Portsmouth and Plymouth and other commercials. So dry dock capacity isn’t a limiting factor. Different story for SSN and SSBN but the standard of the dry dock is totally different. Can you imagine how much it would have cost for a nuclear certified… Read more »
Thank you so much for this interaction.
Made my day 😉
The last warships to be built in England were the Irish Navy patrol ships, they were built in Appledore which is a covered dry dock, If humidity and dampness is important, then why build in Scotland lol ? To be fair, my answer was just an example of what else could have been built/used as a method for launching.
In any metal treatment and coating process the humidity is important.
Sure, weld thru primer is used.
However, once the weld is done that area is exposed to the environment.
Naval Group built their FREMM and are building the FDI Frigates in a Dry Dock.
It isn’t optimal efficiency either as you start to bring in more complex craning operations.
I believe what BAE have done is totally optimal for ship building efficiency.
Simplify, simplify, simplify…..
Apart from the Launching operation !
Complicated, complicated, complicated.
Would flooding a drydock with a ship inside be less complicated than slowly lowering the ship into the water using a barge?
Lubrication can cure dry dick problems.
Good to see this being done with tight management and I’m *guessing* appropriate incentives and penalties.
This manufacturing facility is vital.
What is more vital and less talked about is the digital plate line which will massively improve productivity and throughput.
Then why not tell us more about the digital plate line? My interest is whetted.
I’m not sure why it isn’t being more widely advertised….?
It isn’t exactly secret how these things work.
But the difference in productivity and accuracy will be very high.
Allow the increasingly expensive workforce to focus on the bits that humans are needed for.
This type of equipment has been used for years by companies who were prepared to invest money to improve efficiency and quality , BAE have been too stingy to do likewise , looks like someone has decided to catch up with the modern world .
I’d largely agree.
I imagine that the existing fabrication buildings will be upgraded to accomodate the new plate cutting equipment, also these areas possibly used for substantial sub assemblies , then moved to the new build hall for final assembly / outfitting
Oh, it is much more than automated cutting.
It is automated complex thermal forming of 3D shapes.
Which is jumping from steam engine tech to Mach 2.2…..
I know, I’ve worked in many places around the world and seen where they use this equipment ,as I said before it’s been around for years .
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123020300633
Thank you
Good news for all. Let’s hope the ships keep coming.
Will the type83 fit in here ? Guess dimensions are not known yet ?
Not if we end up with a PLAN 055 sized ship (some wish !)
Facility capable of further expansion, as deemed necessary? 🤔
Or put another way, Built for current ships but not any possibly longer ones in the future.
I would suggest that several on here would wish this facility bring both the best of luck AND speed to naval shipbuilding (stand fast the super glue) and allow more T26 to built that currently projected before T83 commences build.
Agreed.
It would be nice to see at least a couple more T26 added to the fleet in a third batch.
The T26 is ripe for on-going development and production a la the USN’s AB class. To me 8 ASW frigates just isn’t enough given the way the world is developing at the moment so if we built them at a rate of one every 18months after these first two batches it would give us a steady stream of high escort ships well into the middle of this century.
Cheers CR
Unfortunately, it is this Govt that would have to sign the contract, with penalties, b4 the next GE.
Instead, a la last budget and tax cuts piffle – we are the most highly taxed period in a lifetime – they will dress up tax cuts, again.
Cons, conning us on defence for 13 years.
Not just this government though, pretty much every other bunch since the end of WW2. Only Dictatorships tend to treat defence/offence as a priority as they don’t have to worry about public opinion. Personally I think we as a nation are spoiled by the sense of security we have enjoyed since the end of the cold war and before that, the end of the second world war. History teaches us nothing that History has taught us.
That’s not true. The Cons have massaged an image as the ‘party of defence’ and it is patently untrue. I’m not Airborne, but, on one night I faced a threat and ran towards it, I knew at the time it might be 5 AKs against myself with 9mm*10 rounds: it’s called duty. The only duty these Cons have had for 13 years is to keep themselves in power and sod the defence of the UK. Previous Govts of both ilks have milked the peace dividend – and the public were happy for that. Salisbury, polonium tea and 2014 Ukraine should… Read more »
Confused mate…. You have only said what I wrote ?
We’re in the same cycle of build on outdoor slipways, then build all-weather 2-berth building halls (Yarrow & VT – Cammell Laird?), then knock them down because new ships don’t fit in the halls.
Glasgow is fitting out in sight of the remains of the building hall BAE demolished so they can reinvent the wheel at Govan
I wonder if the two parts of the 3rd party built T26 Hms Belfast, will be moved from the old shed into the new Hall next year?
Not sure how easy that would be, if you look at the site plan there would appear to be no easy route to the new building other than the Barge loading option, I’m probably wrong though, where’s “X” aka the wale island zoo keeper, I’m sure he would know !!!!
I imagine that a lot of the tecnicals at the Govan shipbuilding hall will be based upon Bae’s knowledge gained at the Australian frigate factory, although the South Australia frigate factory is very Large with plenty of spare land adjacent.
Large picture of Osborne Naval Shipyard and further info.
This YouTube video gives an idea of the modern facilities at the Osborne Naval Shipyard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs6vCiE5oHw&t=292s
A frigate factory was proposed for Scotstoun in 2012. BAE would not cough up the money. Wanted the Government to pay for it. Short sighted.
BAE were proposing the Frigate Factory on the basis of the MOD ordering 13 Type 26’s,when the order was reduced to 8 BAE understandably got cold feet.
Strange that although the order was reduced to 8, that they are now building what can only be described as a’Frigate Factory’ Babcock in Rosyth went ahead building undercover build and fabrication hall even though only 6 have been ordered. If you only read newspapers instead of actually being in the industry, then don’t comment.