Harland & Wolff Delays Shipbuilding for Royal Navy

Harland & Wolff’s Belfast shipyard will miss the deadline to commence work on a significant £1.6 billion contract with the UK Government, according to Donato Martínez, the new CEO of Navantia UK. In a recent interview, Martínez revealed that much of the construction for the first of three vessels intended for the Royal Navy will now take place in Spain, with the Belfast facility not expected to be operational until mid-2026.

Construction Plans Shift to Spain

Originally, the plan was to construct various sections of the fleet support ships (FSS) at Harland & Wolff in Belfast, Appledore in Devon, and Navantia’s yard in Cádiz, with final assembly scheduled for Northern Ireland. However, Martínez confirmed that these plans have been revised due to delays in readiness at the Belfast shipyard. He stated, “The facilities were not ready in Belfast… we shuffled a little bit things for ship one into Spain, and we moved from Spain things for ships two and three.” As a result, the mid-section of the first ship will now be built in Spain, with only the bow being constructed in the UK at the Appledore yard.

Despite the setbacks, Martínez emphasized that more work will be done in the UK than initially anticipated. He noted that the build program remains on track for completion by 2032, with Navantia investing £90 million to upgrade the Harland & Wolff facilities, an increase from the previously announced £78 million. In total, Navantia plans to invest £115 million in the Belfast shipyard, which aims to enhance its capabilities for future projects.

Navantia Completes Acquisition of Four Harland & Wolff Shipyards in the UK

Future Prospects for Harland & Wolff

Navantia, which acquired Harland & Wolff’s four yards for £93 million earlier this year, is committed to revitalizing the shipbuilding operations in Belfast. The company provided an advance of £23.1 million to keep the yards operational and retain over 1,000 employees, including 500 in Belfast. Martínez expressed confidence that the substantial investment will position the Belfast shipyard to compete for additional contracts in the future. He stated, “At the end of the programme, they will be able to do in a competitive manner any part of any ship. We are going to build the skills.”

As the shipbuilding industry faces challenges, the focus on upgrading facilities and enhancing workforce skills at Harland & Wolff could pave the way for a more robust future in naval construction.