Cammell Laird future secured by £250m deal

Jun 28 2008 by Bill Gleeson, Liverpool Daily Post

cammell laird

BIRKENHEAD is to become a major base for Royal Navy ship maintenance on the back of a massive contract that will sec- ure the future of the town’s main shipyard for decades.

Wirral-based Northwestern Shiprepairers and Shipbuilders, which operates from the former Cammell Laird dry docks, has secured a contract worth £250m over 25 years.

The deal with the Ministry of Defence represents a huge official stamp of approval for the progress made by the shipyard on its road to recovery, following the collapse of the business in 2001.

Northwestern will be responsible for the maintenance of up to a dozen Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships used by the Navy to carry supplies around the world.

The company has been carrying out some ad hoc contracts for the Royal Navy for several years now, but this new arrangement, to be formally announced on Monday, means the shipyard can rely on a steady flow of work for years to come.

Northwestern has enjoyed strong growth in recent years. It posted record profits and turnover in latest set of accounts.