Navantia UK has confirmed plans to invest in Harland & Wolff following its acquisition of the company’s facilities in Belfast, Appledore, Methil and Arnish in late January 2025.
Having acquired the company, senior leadership from Navantia and its British subsidiary, Navantia UK, visited Harland & Wolff’s Belfast shipyard, and intend to visit all of its sites, including Appledore, Methil and Arnish. “Today marks the beginning of our shared journey…we are not just combining two companies, we are building a formidable team,” said Navantia chairman Ricardo Domínguez when he visited the Belfast yard.
In late 2022, an industry consortium led by Navantia UK was awarded a £1.6 billion contract by the UK Ministry of Defence to deliver the Fleet Solid Support (FSS) programme for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). Team Resolute – which also included naval architects BMT – was due to design and build three FSS ships to enter service by 2032. The plan at the time was that the majority of the ships’ production would take place in the UK, with blocks and modules constructed in Belfast and Appledore. Components were due to be delivered by Harland & Wolff’s facilities in Methil and Arnish, with other blocks fabricated by Navantia in Spain.
Speaking to the workforce in Belfast shortly after the acquisition, Domínguez announced that Navantia UK will resume and expand the investment and recapitalisation plan intended for Harland & Wolff, which is central to the FSS programme.
As prime contractor for the FSS programme, Navantia UK will build three ships for the RFA, with integration and delivery taking place at the Belfast yard. The new FSS ships will replace the vessels Fort Austin and Fort Rosalie – both now sold to Egypt – and Fort Victoria, which is due to retire in 2028. The FSS programme sees shipbuilding return to Belfast; the RFA vessels will be the first to be built at the Harland & Wolff yard since the ro-ro Anvil Point was launched in 2002.
Navantia UK said that, apart from the investment needed in Belfast for the FSS programme, it intends to invest in “cutting-edge facilities, technology and training” for the other facilities, underpinned by a business plan that will “integrate the facilities into the UK’s industrial and defence ecosystem”.
Responding, Northern Ireland economy minister Conor Murphy said he would continue to work with the company to discuss future plans for the Belfast yard, to scale up operations and ensure its long-term sustainability. Brigadier Andrew Muddiman, Royal Navy regional commander for Scotland and Northern Ireland, said the Royal Navy and RFA are delighted that Navantia UK has entered the UK shipbuilding market.
