Shipbuilding

Swan Hunter has a proud tradition of shipbuilding on the Tyne and the facilities have recently been enhanced to continue this tradition using modern methods of undercover ring construction for more efficient production of naval ships and commercial vessels. The skills required to produce high quality vessels have also been maintained and improved over the years, in a region where the local culture is still one of the few to embrace this industry.

In December 2000 the contract was signed with the Ministry of Defence for the design and build of two Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary) vessels for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and for the supply of Lead Yard Services for a further two vessels to be built to Swan Hunter’s design by another yard. The two 16,000 ton displacement LSDA’s ‘Largs Bay’ and ‘Lyme Bay’ were built at the Wallsend yard which was optimised to suit the construction of these vessels in fully outfitted ring unit sections built entirely under cover, with the unit connections being executed within a floating building dock, enabling float-out of the completed ships without dynamic launching risk.

The Port Clarence yard was initially developed for construction of platforms and modules for the offshore oil & gas industry but is being further developed to undertake the demands of the revitalised UK shipbuilding industry, enabling large blocks or whole ship sections to be constructed under cover. Assembly can then be effected either on the large outfitting pad at Port Clarence or some other Integration Facility.