Shipyards

A major contract for the Belfast shipyard for the UK and Dutch navies is for four amphibious vessels, each of 160m long and 15,000 tonnes. They will transport troops, vehicles and equipment, including drones.

Harland & Wolff Pitching for UK-Dutch Navy Transport Ships - Part of Huge £2.4bn Deal

10th July 2026 Shipyards

Shipyard Harland & Wolff, Belfast, is pitching to build a major fleet of transport ships for the navies of the UK and the Netherlands as part of a huge £2.4bn deal. The Queen’s Island-based yard’s owner, Navantia UK, says Harland…

The Ice-class 1A vessels will be built at the shipyard in China based on a design by Groot Ship Design and incorporating a predominantly European makers list. Delivery of the first 8 units is scheduled between the third quarter of 2027 and early 2029, with two optional units mid-2029.

Carisbrooke & Royal Wagenborg Partnership Leads Up to 10 Newbuilds

8th July 2026 Shipyards

A series of 7,000 dwt newbuilds currently on order at Dajin Shipyard, China, follows a partnership between shipowners Carrisbrooke Shipping of the Isle of Wight and Dutch operator Royal Wagenborg. Under the agreement, the Cowes-based shipping company Carisbrooke will remain…

The newest Carisbrooke newbuild carries a special story, as the vessel is named after Heleen Wester, just as the same series ship, Greta C, was named after Greta. Both women are the partners of Carisbrooke Shipping's founding members, making this series a tribute to the families behind both companies.

Third 'Labrax' Newbuild Launched for Carisbrooke of Cowes

29th June 2026 Shipyards

At a Dutch shipyard a newbuild was launched for Carisbrooke Shipping of Cowes, Isle of Wight. The Royal T Shipyards at their Harlingen yard is where the MV Heleen C, a 7,720 dwt general cargo vessel, took to the waters…

The newbuilds Loch Indaal, Lochmor, and Claymore (above) will join CalMac’s fleet when ready for service. MV Claymore was launched in May by Mary Morrison (former Port Manager at Lochmaddy) at the Cemre Shipyard in Yalova, Turkey.

CMAL Takes Formal Ownership of Three Turkey Built Ferries

28th June 2026 Shipyards

At a shipyard in Turkey, infrastructure body Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) has taken formal ownership of three ferries being built. They are to serve CalMac routes on Scotland’s west coast—despite them not yet being completed. The three ferries are…

New owner: Facilities in Birkenhead, Falmouth and Tynemouth will be modernised and capacity will be expanded across all English shipyard sites. Above: the Balaena team took to Cornwall to celebrate the acquisition of the former A&P Falmouth facility.

APCL Shipyards Acquired by Balaena Among them Cammell Laird on Merseyside

24th June 2026 Shipyards

Balaena, a UK maritime engineering and shipbuilding group, has acquired the APCL Group, which operates four shipyards. They comprise Cammell Laird at Birkenhead, A&P Tyne, A&P Falmouth, and Falmouth Docks and Engineering Company—in England. Commenting on the acquisition, Simon Gillett,…

The new Cross River ferry to be built at Cobh (Rushbrooke) at the former Verolme Cork Dockyard (V.C.D.) site in the background, will be a significant development, as Afloat highlights the last ship to be built in the Republic took place at V.C.D. with the Irish Naval Service flagship L.E. Eithne in 1984. As for the last ferry built at V.C.D., it was the much larger Leinster for former state-owned operator B+I Line when completed in 1981.

New €4 Million Ferry for Cork's Cross River Service to Be Built Near Cobh

19th May 2026 Shipyards

The vital ferry link for Cobh and Passage West, located in lower Cork Harbour, where thousands of people use the cross-river service, can look forward to a brand-new experience from next year, reports CorkBeo As a new custom-built hybrid ferry…

What a Performance, as the Irish Sea freight ferry at Navantia UK, Harland & Wolff, Belfast, has been repainted in full CLdN colours, with a newly applied grey hull replacing the blue of former owner Seatruck.

First 'Heysham-Max' Freight Ferry to Emerge in Full CLdN Livery

10th April 2026 Shipyards

Navantia UK’s Harland & Wolff, Belfast, shipyard has recently completed the dry-docking of CLdN’s Irish Sea ro-ro freight ferry Performance for its scheduled 15-year survey, writes Jehan Ashmore. This took place at the facility’s Belfast Dry Dock, where a programme…

Archive Access — Archivist Siobhan McLaughlin presents historic Harland & Wolff ship plans to visitors, showcasing newly accessible drawings including Titanic designs at the Ulster Folk Museum.

Harland & Wolff Ship Plans Archive Opens To Public

2nd April 2026 Shipyards

National Museums Northern Ireland has opened the Harland & Wolff ship plans archive to the public for the first time. The collection is now housed at the Cultra Collections Store at the Ulster Folk Museum. The archive contains hundreds of…

Breaking ranks: Harland & Wolff’s Belfast yard removed from EU-approved ship recycling list, leaving Ireland without a certified facility under strict EU environmental and safety rules

Harland & Wolff Removed From EU List of Approved Ship Recycling Yards

17th March 2026 Shipyards

The EU has removed Belfast shipyard Harland & Wolff from its list of approved ship recycling facilities. As The Currency reports, high environmental and safety standards are set by the EU in relation to yards approved for dismantling and recycling…

The Ferguson Marine shipyard on the Clyde is to expand its apprenticeship programme

Scottish Shipyard to Expand Apprentice Programme after Contract Announcement

13th March 2026 Shipyards

A Scottish shipyard on the Clyde said it is expanding its apprenticeship program following the announcement that it could build four more vessels. The yard is Ferguson Marine, the government-owned shipyard that was nationalised in 2019. Kate Forbes, the deputy…

The Scottish Government is to bolster shipbuilding on the Clyde for the construction of two passenger ferries for Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac)’s west coast network. In addition to a pair of vessels for Marine Scotland.

Scottish Government to Award Clyde Shipyard with Four-Ship Contract

6th March 2026 Shipyards

The Scottish government intends to award a Clyde shipyard with contracts to build four vessels. This will directly provide a five-year pipeline of work for Ferguson Marine, the Port Glasgow shipyard that was nationalised in 2019. The newbuild package includes…

‘Dressed overall’ - To mark the occasion of its maiden arrival to Scotland, the newbuild MV Isle of Islay arrived on the Clyde after a 4,400‑mile delivery voyage from the eastern Med.

CalMac's Newbuild MV Isle of Islay Completes Delivery Voyage to Scotland

25th February 2026 Shipyards

The newest ferry in Scotland has arrived on the Clyde following a 4,400‑nautical‑mile delivery voyage from a shipyard in Turkey. The 5,851-ton newbuild MV Isle of Islay, which is to serve CalMac, was handed over from the Cemre shipyard, made…

Starting today is the National Apprenticeships Week, and Navantia UK has announced 90 apprentices to be hired in 2026. The shipyard group has a target of hiring 500 apprentices by 2030 across four shipyards—Appledore, England; Arnish and Methi, both in Scotland; and Belfast, where the above apprentices are in the training classroom at Harland & Wolff.

Navantia UK Aim to Hire 500 Shipyard Apprentices by 2030

9th February 2026 Shipyards

Shipyard firm, Navantia UK has set a target of hiring 500 apprentices by 2030 to support the business’s expansion in shipbuilding, engineering and in supplying the offshore energy industry. Following last year's purchase of Harland & Wolff’s assets, Navantia UK …

Cost overruns: Scotland’s First Minister says too much as construction continues on the delayed new build ferry Glen Rosa, the second of twins for CalMac’s Arran route, Firth of Clyde.

Scotland's First Minister Deems Cost of Much-Delayed New Ferry MV Glen Rosa ‘Unacceptable’

6th February 2026 Shipyards

Across the North Channel, Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney, MSP, has deemed the cost of the much-delayed newbuild CalMac ferry, the Glen Rosa, as ‘unacceptable.’ As IrelandLive reports, the 7,040-ton ferry under construction by the government-owned Ferguson Marine shipyard in…

The much-delayed second twin newbuild for the Arran route on the Firth of Clyde, MV Glen Rosa, faces further rising costs and also opposition from Scottish MSPs.

Rising Costs Again for Over-Budget and Late CalMac Newbuild MV Glen Rosa

2nd February 2026 Shipyards

It was “very disappointing,” said Scotland’s Deputy First Minister, that the costs have risen again for the completion of a new CalMac ferry that is both over budget and late in delivery. The comment by the Scottish MSP Kate…

The newest vessel for Cork-based Irish Mainport Group, Geo Master of 41.5m, was officially launched at a Dutch shipyard where the DP2 survey vessel of 498 tons will serve the N-Sea Group operating integrated total subsea solutions for the international oil & gas and renewable industries. Above is its twin, Geo Ranger, which was also completed by the same Dutch yard.

Additional Newbuild Launched for Irish Mainport's Fleet of Hybrid Survey Vessels

30th January 2026 Shipyards

A proud milestone took place for Irish Mainport Holdings as a newbuild survey vessel was officially launched at a shipyard this month in the Netherlands, writes Jehan Ashmore. The launch event of the Geo Master was held on the 9th…