New Belfast fabrication hall to support shipbuilding for decades
What was announced
New Belfast shipbuilding hall crowns year of record-breaking defence investment in Northern Ireland industry, supporting 900 jobs and apprenticeships in Belfast
Key points, in the publisher's words
- Belfast welders, fabricators, and crane operators are set to benefit from a record-breaking year of defence investment in Northern Ireland, as Navantia UK opened the new Resurgent Hall at the iconic Harland & Wolff site in Belfast today.
- The opening marks a major milestone in the construction of three new support ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), cementing Belfast’s role at the heart of the UK’s shipbuilding renewal.
- During the site opening today, the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard officially opened the fabrication hall, the new centrepiece of Navantia UK’s £157 million investment programme across its four UK shipyards. Around £100 million is being invested in Belfast alone.
Figures in this announcement
Each line is quoted from the original. Figures are as the publisher stated them on the day.
- “New fabrication hall opens today at Navantia UK’s Harland & Wolff site in Belfast, the centrepiece of a £157 million investment programme across their four UK shipyards.”
- “Follows record-breaking defence investment in Northern Ireland’s industry, which rose by 63% in real terms in 2025/26 to £464 million.”
- “During the site opening today, the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard officially opened the fabrication hall, the new centrepiece of Navantia UK’s £157 million investment programme across its four UK shipyards.”
- “Around £100 million is being invested in Belfast alone.”
- “Supporting over 900 skilled jobs and apprenticeships, the newly extended hall adds 5,000 square metres of fabrication space, fitted with new cranes, robotic plasma-cutting technology and a new mechanised panel line.”
- “Navantia’s £157 million investment across its UK yards shows what sustained investment in shipbuilding delivers: good jobs, growing skills, and the support ships our Navy needs.”
Who and where
People
- Sarah Owen (MP for Luton North (Labour)) · more news
- Luke Pollard (MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport (Labour (Co-op))) · more news
UK bodies of power
- Ministry of Defence (UK government department) · more news
- Northern Ireland Office (UK government department) · more news
Countries
Constituencies of the MPs named: Luton North, Plymouth Sutton And Devonport.
Where this sits in the 10 levels of power
Topics, as GOV.UK files them: Military equipment, logistics and technology.
Receipt
- Original: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-belfast-fabrication-hall-to-support-shipbuilding-for-decades
- Published 2026-11-02 11:46:16 UTC
- Read by this site 2026-11-02 12:00:05 UTC from GOV.UK
- Saved copy: receipt 6608, with its SHA-256 fingerprint
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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