Construction of a new assembly hall begins at BAE Systems’ Govan yard

The new ship build hall at the Govan shipyard will shortly begin to take shape now that the basin has been filled and piling has begun. Measuring 170m long and 80m wide, the facility will be large enough for two Type 26 frigates to be constructed side-by-side within the hall, ending the need for vessels to be assembled in the open air at Govan. 

The shift towards vessel assembly within the hall will help enable efficient and safe shipbuilding, with expected efficiency improvements expected to ensure a long-term future for shipbuilding in Glasgow. With two 100-tonne cranes and a further two 20-tonne cranes, the facility is designed to accommodate up to 500 workers per shift.

The hall is a key element of the £300m modernisation and digitalisation of BAE Systems’ shipbuilding facilities at Govan and Scotstoun. Alongside a range of infrastructure and automation improvements, the Company is introducing digital technology such as tablets and kiosk screens on the shop floor to streamline processes. 

The investment follows the award of a £4.2 billion contract to build five more Type 26 ships to BAE Systems in November 2022. This extends the the initial contract for the first three vessels and provided confidence to invest in the long-term future of the Glasgow site.

Simon Lister, Managing Director of Naval Ships at BAE Systems, said: “We are the proud custodians of shipbuilding on the Clyde and our talented teams are working hard to build on that legacy to secure Glasgow’s status as a shipbuilding centre of excellence for generations to come. 

“This new hall will give us some of the best facilities in the world and completely modernise our approach to shipbuilding. It, alongside the investments already under way to digitise our processes, will ensure Govan continues to be something that the city of Glasgow can be truly proud of.”

The Motorship notes that the investment is expected lead to increased efficiencies in the manufacturing, build and assembly processes, both by reducing the movement of blocks within the yard, as well as by permitting the integration of leading edge automation and digitalisation technologies inside the hall. This is expected to increase the group’s competitiveness in the international naval construction market.

The Motorship has previously noted that the Type 26 frigate class forms the template for Australia’s Hunter class nine-ship frigate programme, and for Canada’s 15-ship surface combatant series.