Ian Murray to cut steel on barge that will help deliver three new Navy ships

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said it is “fantastic news” that a giant barge to be used in the construction of new Navy ships is being built in Fife.

Mr Murray is to cut the steel on the new vessel, which when constructed will weigh 1,400 tonnes and measure 85 metres long by 25 metres wide (278ft by 82ft) – giving it a surface area the equivalent of 10 tennis courts.

It is being built at Navantia UK’s plant in Methil, and when the barge is finished it will be moved to the firm’s Appledore shipyard in Devon, where bow sections of three Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ships for the Royal Navy will be built on it, before then being transported to Belfast.

On his visit to the Fife yard on Tuesday, Mr Murray will cut the steel for the barge, officially marking the start of the fabrication process.

Building the barge represents an investment of £8 million by Navantia UK, with the work allowing the firm – which took over the Methil yard and another in Scotland from Harland and Wolff last year – to create 35 new jobs in Fife.

The barge – which is designed for long term use and will be used again in other projects in the future – also allows the yard to continue its apprenticeship programme, with recruitment of 14 new apprentices to take place immediately.

The investment by Navantia UK comes as the UK Government has pledged to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP from 2027, with ministers hoping to up this further to 3% in the next UK parliamentary terms.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s visit, Mr Murray said: “It is fantastic news that the team at Methil will be fabricating this barge which will play a key role in building three fleet support ships.

“Workers at the yard are highly skilled and will be playing a key role delivering in this important defence contract.”

The Scottish Secretary added: “I visited the yard last year just after the UK Government had helped broker the Navantia UK takeover, and I can’t wait to see the progress since then.”

Armed forces minister Luke Pollard said the project “shows how our armed forces act as an engine for growth, driving economic opportunity across the UK and delivering on the Government’s plan for change”.

He stated: “Military capabilities like this barge create real economic benefits for Scottish communities whilst supporting our naval operations.

“The barge will support the Fleet Solid Support ships that keep our Carrier Strike Group supplied at sea, ensuring our armed forces have the tools they need to keep Britain safe at home and strong abroad.”

Matt Smith, Navantia UK’s general manager at Methil, said: “This project is good news for Methil and our skilled workforce and it positions us to support future defence work.

“We’re particularly pleased to be able to continue our established apprenticeship programme and recruit more apprentices on the back of this award, ensuring we develop the next generation of skilled marine engineers.”

Meanwhile GMB Scotland senior organiser Robert Deavy said building the barge at Methil was “progress towards a secure and sustainable future for a yard that is capable of playing an important role in Scotland’s industrial strategy”.

Meanwhile, Bob MacGregor of the trade union Unite, said it “warmly welcomes the expansion of the Navantia workforce at the Methil yard”.

He added: “The increase in new apprenticeships in particular is a great step forward for the yard which will construct a barge to assist with the delivery of three Royal Navy ships.

“It is a positive development which signals that the Methil yard and its highly skilled workforce remain critical to Scotland’s industrial base.”