Construction begins on Navantia UK's new transport barge

Navantia UK has begun fabrication of a transport barge at its Methil facility in Fife, Scotland.

The barge is an investment by the company to enable efficient delivery of new fleet support ships for the Royal Navy.

The purpose-built vessel will transport ship blocks between Navantia UK's Appledore and Belfast facilities, facilitating construction of the "fleet solid support" (FSS) ships across multiple sites.

Designed for long-term use, the barge will support not only the delivery of the FSS ships but also those of other future shipbuilding programmes.

The barge will be 85 metres long and 25 metres wide and it will weigh 1,400 tonnes. Bow sections of FSS ships will be built on board the barge, at Navantia UK’s Appledore shipyard in Devon, before being transported to Belfast.

Building the barge represents an investment of £8 million (US$11 million) by Navantia UK, which expects to expand the workforce at Methil to deliver the vessel.