Belfast’s shipbuilding industry is gaining fresh momentum with the opening of a new fabrication hall at Harland & Wolff.
The facility is the centrepiece of Navantia UK’s £157m investment programme across four UK shipyards. It will support construction of three Fleet Solid Support ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, with the wider programme expected to support 900 skilled jobs and apprenticeships in Belfast.
A modern yard beneath Samson and Goliath
The extended hall adds 5,000 square metres of fabrication space and includes new cranes, robotic plasma-cutting equipment and a mechanised panel line.
Navantia is also refurbishing Samson and Goliath, the two landmark yellow cranes that overlook the city, as part of its modernisation work.
The project is linked to the UK Government’s Fleet Solid Support programme, which has invested around £100m in Belfast. The Ministry of Defence spent £460m in Northern Ireland during the last year, according to Northern Ireland Minister Sarah Owen.
The three ships are intended to provide support for Royal Navy operations, while the Belfast facility is being developed to handle further Ministry of Defence projects.
Why it matters for Britain
The investment brings skilled employment, apprenticeships and advanced manufacturing equipment to Belfast. It also strengthens the UK’s capacity to build support ships for its armed forces at home.
