Cammell Laird plans to export polar expertise

Cammell Laird CEO John Syvret said the winning of the £150 million contract to build the Sir David Attenborough polar research vessel for the UK Government ‘threw open’ a new global market to build a range of high value polar vessels from research to cruise ships.

“The complex nature of the build and the polar specifications required means very few shipyards now have our experience. We fully intend to market this polar capability hard in 2017 together with our wider expertise in the ship building, conversion and repair markets,” he said.

Mr Syvret added that the yard it is fully behind the UK Government’s desire to see British shipbuilding aggressively pursue the exports market and promote Britain as an easy place to do business post Brexit.

Moreover, the recommendations made by Sir John Parker in his National Shipbuilding Strategy stand to create more opportunity for shipyards like Cammell Laird to win work particularly in the naval new build sector and allow it to diversify further into multi-billion pound energy markets like nuclear, oil and gas and renewables.

Cammell Laird managing director Linton Roberts said the total number of drydockings and repairs in 2016 was more than 150 with customers including P&O Ferries, Stena Line, Seatruck Ferries, Irish Ferries, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company and Caledonian McBrayne.