Scottish Secretary to cut steel for £8m barge for MoD at Navantia

• Project positions Methil yard for future defence work

• 35 new jobs to be created, including 14 new apprenticeship positions

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray has officially cut the steel to start the fabrication of a new transport barge at Navantia UK's facility in Methil in Fife.

The barge is a strategic £8 million investment by Navantia UK. It will be used in the delivery of a contract to provide three Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ships to the Royal Navy. 

Scotland is at the heart of the UK's defence industry, keeping the UK safe at home and strong abroad, delivering on the Government's Plan for Change. The UK Government has committed to the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War. We will increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP from 2027, with an ambition to reach 3% in the next parliament. We are increasing spending on defence by £5 billion in this year alone.

That commitment means a ‘defence dividend' for Scotland and Scottish jobs. Our investment includes a £250 million upgrade of the Faslane submarine base and MoD shipbuilding on the Clyde and at Rosyth. In all, the MoD directly supports 25,800 jobs in Scotland.

The Methil yard, and one in Arnish on the Western Isles, was formerly part of Harland & Wolff. It was taken over by Navantia UK in December 2024, in a deal backed by the UK Government and which guaranteed hundreds of Scottish jobs. 

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said:

“It is fantastic news that the team at Methil will be fabricating this barge which will play a key role in building three fleet support ships. Workers at the yard are highly skilled and will be playing a key role delivering in this important defence contract. I visited the yard last year just after the UK Government had helped broker the Navantia UK takeover, and I can't wait to see the progress since then. Supporting Scottish industry is a key part of our Plan for Change - growing our economy and ensuring our nation's security.” 

Matt Smith, Navantia UK's General Manager at Methil, said: 

“This project is good news for Methil and our skilled workforce and it positions us to support future defence work. We're particularly pleased to be able to continue our established apprenticeship programme and recruit more apprentices on the back of this award, ensuring we develop the next generation of skilled marine engineers.”

Minister for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard, said:

“This project at Methil shows how our Armed Forces act as an engine for growth, driving economic opportunity across the UK and delivering on the government's Plan for Change. Military capabilities like this barge create real economic benefits for Scottish communities whilst supporting our naval operations. The barge will support the Fleet Solid Support ships that keep our Carrier Strike Group supplied at sea, ensuring our Armed Forces have the tools they need to keep Britain safe at home and strong abroad.”

Robert Deavy, GMB Scotland's Senior Organiser in Engineering, said: 

“We welcome this clear progress towards a secure and sustainable future for a yard that is capable of playing an important role in Scotland's industrial strategy. We are confident the positive change now underway in Methil can untap the full potential of a skilled and committed workforce.”

Bob MacGregor, Unite Industrial Officer, said: 

“Unite warmly welcomes the expansion of the Navantia workforce at the Methil yard . The increase in new apprenticeships in particular is a great step forward for the yard which will construct a barge to assist with the delivery of three Royal Navy ships. It is a positive development which signals that the Methil yard and its highly skilled workforce remain critical to Scotland's industrial base.”

The purpose-built vessel will transport ship blocks between the company's Appledore and Belfast facilities, facilitating construction of the support ships across multiple sites. Designed for long-term use, the barge will support not only this contract but future shipbuilding programmes as well.

The barge will be 85 metres long and 25 metres wide – giving it a surface area equivalent to ten tennis courts – and it will weigh 1,400 tonnes. Bow sections of FSS ships will be built on board the barge, at Navantia UK's Appledore shipyard in Devon, before being transported to Belfast.

Building the barge represents an investment of £8 million by Navantia UK, which expects to expand the workforce at Methil to deliver the vessel, with 35 positions to be created.  The project enables the yard to continue with its apprenticeship programme with recruitment to begin immediately of 14 new apprentices.

The work at Methil strengthens the site's capabilities for future defence projects as Navantia UK continues to invest in upgrading facilities across all four of its yards. This project positions the facility to support other upcoming UK defence programmes, whilst also contributing to the company's renewable energy work through Navantia Seanergies. 

The three Fleet Solid Support ships will provide vital support to the Royal Navy's Carrier Strike Group, supplying stores and ammunition to the UK's aircraft carriers and their escort ships while at sea. As prime contractor for the FSS programme, Navantia UK is building three ships, with block manufacturing taking place across multiple sites and final integration and delivery at its Belfast shipyard. 

Since acquiring Harland & Wolff's four sites in January 2025, Navantia UK has begun investing to enhance the UK sovereign capabilities in defence, maritime and energy sectors. Drawing on Navantia's global expertise, the company is modernising facilities, transferring knowledge and implementing new technologies – strengthening UK industrial capacity.