Babcock International Group has signed a £750 million contract to deliver a major upgrade of the Devonport dockyard site in Plymouth, to support the Royal Navy’s submarine fleet.
The engineering services specialist to the defence industry has been appointed to the four-year major infrastructure programme by the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA).
The works, also supporting the UK’s Defence Nuclear Enterprise, comprises major maintenance capabilities including a new dock, logistics and modern support facilities, and are part of a site-wide infrastructure upgrade programme at Devonport.
Supporting Babcock on 10 Dock are delivery partners Costain and Mott Macdonald, and main works contractor Kier BAM.
The construction programme is understood to be one of the largest of its kind for the sector, in part due to the MOD’s overall investment.
Enabling works are already underway, with the design phase continuing into next year, it is understood.
Around 1,000 construction jobs will be created as the programme phases pick up next year.
“The work we deliver in sustaining the entirety of the UK’s submarine fleet is critical,” said David Lockwood, Babcock chief executive. “This investment will ensure that we are able to continue to deliver the complex maintenance and life-extension programmes we undertake to ensure our Royal Navy can continue to go to sea safely, and able to deliver their important work in protecting our nation.”
Sir Chris Gardner, CEO of the Submarine Delivery Agency, added: “I am delighted to have placed the construction contract with Babcock for the delivery of dock and infrastructure for our attack submarine deep maintenance projects later this decade.”
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