All is ship shape
SHIPBUILDING could be set to return to the Tyne, Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said.
A decade since the launch of the Largs Bay, a project to build five Navy frigates could be coming to the region.
Sir Michael said North East shipbuilder A&P was a “strong contender” for the work when he visited the region to meet staff at the Hebburn shipyard and discuss the government’s new National Shipbuilding Strategy.
Under the strategy, shipyards from across the country will compete to build five Type 31E frigates for the Royal Navy. The warships will be built in blocks across several shipyards and assembled at a central hub.
Sir Michael hinted the North East could play a major role in the development of the £250m frigates, saying A&P’s bid was likely to be a strong contender.
Sir Michael said: “This is a competition for the new Type 31 frigate, a general purpose frigate for the Royal Navy, and we have invited all the yards in Britain to put forward proposals to build this frigate rapidly and at a good value £250m price for the tax payer.
“A&P Tyne are teaming up with Cammell Laird and will obviously be a strong contender to build the new frigate when we announce the winner later next year.”
He added: “This yard has already built parts of the two new aircraft carriers. This morning I have seen the work they have been doing on the Astute Class submarines and the new Trident dreadnought submarine. There is a long history here on the river of building ships for the Royal Navy and I hope that will be sustained if they get properly involved in the new contract”.
The National Shipbuilding Strategy has the scope to help revitalise the region’s shipbuilding industry, which has suffered in recent years. A&P Group’s managing director David McGinley said if the firm won the contract, it would lead to the creation of new jobs at the Hebburn site, although he said at this stage it was unknown how many roles would be needed.
Mr McGinley said: “I think that is a natural consequence of winning any big opportunity and we would look to utilise the skills in the North East that we know are here.”
As well as building submarines for the Royal Navy, A&P is also known for its involvement in building the polar research ship, the RRS Sir David Attenborough.
The company’s team of engineers and fabricators invested more than 5,000 man hours in the fabrication of the ship’s steel stern.
If A&P’s bid for the frigate contract proves successful, the company could see it gain more contracts with the MoD to build more ships in the future. Mr McGinley added: “The National Shipbuilding Strategy, which was announced back in August, gives us as a commercial business the opportunity to work with the Ministry of Defence for the next 10 to 15 years, building the type 31E frigate and also the Type 45 Power Improvement project, the future solid support vessels, and other vessels which may come into the programme.”
The National Shipbuilding Strategy is one of the first times a government contract of this size has been opened up to the commercial market. Its aim is to increase competitiveness in the sector which, says Sir Michael, could lower the overall cost of the ships.