Barrow Shipyard

KOFACTS ABOUT BARROW SHIPYARD

  • Barrow’s "digital" shipyard is currently the only UK site licensed for design, build, test and commissioning of nuclear-powered submarines.
  • BAE Systems, Barrow, site is its largest UK manufacturing site (2025). The shipyard and associated site facilities extend over 170-acres. Part has a nuclear site licence enabling design, build, test, commissioning of nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Navy.
  • Three Classes of Nuclear Powered Submarine are being designed and built at Barrow Shipyard with the support of its UK wide Supply Chain.
  • They are the Astute class SSN and Dreadnought class SSBN submarine programmes for the Royal Navy and the SSN-A, Aukus submarine programme for the Royal Navy and Australia’s Navy.
  • Around 13,000 highly skilled people are employed at Barrow. There are also 1,000 supporting contractors. Babcock, Rolls-Royce, the Submarine Delivery Agency the Dreadnought Alliance are also based there.
  • 2025 Apprentice and graduate intakes will add over 800 people to the workforce. Further increases are anticipated in succeeding years.
  • more and more people who work in naval shipbuilding and its supply chain are choosing to live and work in Furness Back in 2011 only 75% of the shipyard workforce lived in Furness, by 2022 this had risen to around 89%. There is every reason to believe that this upward trend can continue as the area seeks to capitalise on its ability to attract key skills into a high quality environment of the Furness area.
  • Over the past 15 years – 7,000 more skilled people have been added to the shipyard workforce. Back in 2003 the workforce was only 2,900.In 2009 it was 5,000.
  • Barrow shipyard began designing and building nuclear-powered submarines in 1958.
  • Over £1bn has been invested in new shipyard facilities since 2014-15.
  • The shipyard is continuing to invest in new facilities:
  • Its Project Spartan will enhance training research and development capacity.
  • 23-acres of former port land will be transformed with new capacity.
  • In Barrow a new facility called “The Bridge” will open in 2025.
  • New training facilities will follow in 2025-26 at Waterfront Gateway and in the town centre at a Portland Walk Campus.

BAE Systems also opened a satellite facility in Coventry at the end of 2024.

• £7.5 billion will be spent with approximately 1,500 UK suppliers in the first and second tier over the life of the Dreadnought programme. It spent over £600 million with UK suppliers in 2019. The majority of this spend was on manufacturing (58%), followed by construction (16%) and engineering (15%).

• The planned supply chain includes the following highlights across the country:

- Submarine structures, power systems and sensors from the North West;
- Gearboxes and steel from Yorkshire; - Nuclear steam raising plant and mechanical handling systems from the East Midlands; - Engines from the

Social impact of Barrow Shipyard

  • By the end of this year (2023), Barrow Shipyard’s workforce will grow to 12,500, including around new 900 apprentices and graduates. The business plans to recruit an additional 2,700 people next year, which will include a further 900 apprentices and graduates providing a significant employment boost for the region.
  • Submarine Academy for Skills has operated since 2018, it was a £25m investment.
  • The annual wage bill in 2020 was £480m.
  • Barrow shipyard is licenced to design, build, test, commission nuclear powered submarines
  • Barrow shipyard is the largest UK manufacturing site for BAE Systems (2022)
  • The 170 acre site includes 14 acres added at Park Road, Barrow in 2021.
  • To maintain its position as the custodian of the UK’s submarine design and build capability, BAE Systems’ Barrow site has seen approximately £1 billion of investment in facilities and infrastructure. A further £450 million is being invested in new technology to optimise design and manufacturing processes.
  • There was a £56m spend with 68 suppliers in the Barrow and Furness constituency
  • Shipyard employment will have risen from 2,900 in 2003 to 12,500 by December 2023.
  • A £7.2m investment at Walney Airport in 2019 has boosted connectivity by air from Barrow.

In 2023 and 2024 BAE Systems is:

  •  Continuing to invest in modernising the shipyard through significant infrastructure investment, including a new office campus.
  • Supporting secondary education at Furness Academy, Barrow.
  • Working with Furness Education and Skills Partnership and Cumbria Careers Hub to build Science technology engineering Maths (STEM) links between industry, commerce and schools.
  • Continuing to support delivery of the Barrow Town Deal and Levelling-Up Funded investments in Barrow and engage with Team Barrow Government team since HM government announced in July 2023 that “ we want Barrow to be a new powerhouse for the north – extending beyond its current boundaries with thousands of new homes and space for businesses to benefit from scientific and technical expertise already clustered there.”
  • Rolling out its social impact supply chain support in partnership with Cumbria Chamber of Commerce

BAE Systems Group UK Economic Impact

  • 39.600 FTE jobs in the UK
  • 132,000 FTE jobs supported
  • Every £100 spend generates £350
  • £78,570 average contribution per employee to UK GDP
  • 11.1BN GVA contribution to UK GDP
  • £4.1BN spend with 6000 suppliers
  • £180M invested in education and skills
  • £3.7bn exports from UK
  • £1.45bn R and D carried out
  • 1070 apprentices recruited 2022
  • 710 graduates recruited 2022

Sources:
1 Spotlight on Dreadnought prosperity report BAE Systems, March 2021
2 BAE SYSTEMS Economic Report Impact Oxford Economics, June 2023

For further information please contact
The Secretariat, Keep Our Future Afloat,
28, Lancaster Street, Dalton in Furness LA158SD

Call: 07836 254721

Email: stuart@klosinski.co.uk

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