Cammel Laird completes major MoD job
THE Cammell Laird shipyard has completed a £49.5m refit of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Fort Victoria.
The business, based at Birkenhead Docks, said it was the biggest job it had undertaken since signing a 25-year contract to maintain nine Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships in 2008.
The RFA is a civilian-manned fleet, owned by the Ministry of Defence, which supports the Royal Navy, supplying warships with fuel, ammunition and supplies.
The Fort Victoria, one of the RFA’s biggest ships, recently completed three years of active service which has involved anti-piracy missions off the Somali coast.
The 10-month refit included overhauling both main engines and a power generation upgrade which included major steelworks, new fuel and lubrication oil as well as freshwater and saltwater pipework and pump systems.
Chief executive John Syvret said: “I congratulate the RFA and Cammell Laird cluster team for delivering such a good job so efficiently. I would also emphasise again the tremendous importance of the RFA cluster contract to Cammell Laird. The RFA’s investment in us enables Cammell Laird to employ and train workers including apprentices, improve our infrastructure and contribute millions of pounds to the Merseyside community and supply chain.”
The Fort Victoria was ordered from Harland and Wolff in 1986, and was launched in 1990 and is designated as an Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) ship.
