HMS Queen Elizabeth to be hosted at revamped naval base

Middle Slip Jetty upgrade at Portsmouth Naval Base.

Work to rebuild a 90-year-old Middle Slip Jetty structure to accommodate HMS Queen Elizabeth is underway.

Costing £34M, the project is part of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation’s (DIO) push to ready Portsmouth Naval Base for Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers and all the needs of Britain’s future flagship.

Originally built in the 1920s, the 276-metre jetty was upgraded in the 1970s but the next work, which DIO appointed VolkerStevin to carry out, will transform the jetty into 21^st century moorings.

During the 18 months expected for the project to be completed, hundreds of tonnes of steel will be installed, while concrete will be poured in to replace or enhance the existing jetty.

This work will result in the upgrade of the jetty and prepare for arrival of ships including the HMS Queen Elizabeth which is being fitted out in Scotland at the Rosyth dockyard.

Dredging work will also take place so that everybody is safe in the knowledge that the harbour is both deep and wide enough for the carriers. This work will commence at the end of the year.

Overall, £100M is being spent on the infrastructure to guarantee the carriers are supported, and Minister for Defence Personnel and Veterans, Mark Lancaster, labeled the infrastructure as “vital.”

He said: “The Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers are the largest ships ever commissioned for the Royal Navy. But it is not just the ships themselves that are a testament to the best of British engineering and technology.

“The vital infrastructure investment in the naval base, including the refurbishment and strengthening of the jetty, will ensure that Portsmouth continues in its proud maritime traditions and is the home of the carriers for decades to come.”

Philip Wise is the DIO Project Manager and he added: “We are delighted to be delivering this important infrastructure for the navy to prepare for the arrival of the carriers into Portsmouth. The work on the jetty is a key part of this and we are pleased it is now well underway.”

A high voltage electrical supply will be put in place by VolkerStevin as well as an upgrade to the existing drinking water system and navigational aids and once completed in time for the arrival of the HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2017, the project will have confirmed the future of Portsmouth Naval Base for the next 50 to 80 years.

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