Aircraft carrier jetty improved in Portsmouth

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has appointed Volker Stevin to its most recent contract, worth £30M, which will construct operational berth infrastructure at the Royal Navy base in Portsmouth ahead of the arrival of the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier.

The operational berth will be the second structure of its type to be constructed at the base and are composed of two Fendered Spacer Units (FSUs), measuring at 17.6m by 18.7m, which slot into the jetty and move up and down with the tide to prevent the ship’s overhanging flight deck from colliding with the jetty.

The FSUs were constructed by the Portsmouth-based company, ML (UK), and were completed over the course of 11 months before being installed at Victory Jetty by Volker Stevin.

The DIO’s Project Manager, Colin Efford stated: “It is fantastic to see the finishing touches being put to this important project which has made improvements to the existing Victory and Sheer jetties, so they can support the 65,000-tonne new carrier. We are pleased to be working with Volker Stevin and ML(UK) and to support a local company through the supply chain.

“This has been a challenging but rewarding project and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deliver infrastructure for such a crucial Naval asset. We are proud to be playing our part to support future Naval capability.”

The FSUs are identical to those manufactured and installed at the Royal Princess Jetty ahead of the construction of the HMS Queen Elizabeth.

The Managing Director of ML (UK), Martin Hobson added: “As a local SME, which has worked for many years within the naval base, we are delighted to have been selected to manufacture and deliver the two FSUs for the second aircraft carrier berthing facilities.

“We have achieved a very high-quality product which has been delivered safely and in a timely fashion. The whole team is very proud to have worked on this local project.”

The Project Manager at VolkerStevin, Robert Herbert concluded: “This project has been fantastic to work on and I’m proud VolkerStevin has played a central role in the delivery of this nationally significant and challenging infrastructure project.

“Working with local business, ML (UK) has been key to the successful installation of the FSUs and the end result is a real testament to the value of the local supply chain.”

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