Kvaerner Govan
Encyclopedia
Kvaerner Govan Ltd, located at Govan
in Glasgow
on the River Clyde
, was a shipyard
subsidiary formed in 1988 when the Norwegian group Kvaerner Industrier purchased the Govan Shipbuilders
division of the nationalised British Shipbuilders
corporation. Prior to the Govan Shipyard's nationalisation in 1977, as a result of the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act, it had been operated by Govan Shipbuilders
Ltd, which emerged from the collapse of the previous Upper Clyde Shipbuilders
(UCS) joint venture in 1972. Prior to the formation of UCS in 1968, the Shipyard was operated by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company
, which had a history extending back to 1834.
Kvaerner Govan Ltd invested £30m in modernisation of the shipyard during the early 1990s to enable it to specialise in the construction of liquefied natural gas
and chemical tankers. This included the construction of a large Tank Assembly
Shop (TAS), later known as the Ship Block Outfit Hall (SBOH), which enabled the indoor construction of large prefabricated
modular ship blocks
. Other investment included renovating one of the yard's three slipway
s, with another filled in to create more berthside storage area. The new indoor modular construction techniques cut the time ships spent on the outdoor slipways to 20 weeks from 18 months, which, along with reforms in labour relations, improved productivity
at the yard by 40% between 1988 and 1992.
Between 1991 and 2000, Kvaerner Govan constructed 19 vessels in the yard, including 4 gas tankers and 6 chemical tankers. However, in the later 1990s, the market for such vessels was depressed and the yard had to find alternative contracts. This included five small support ships for the North Sea oil
industry.
The yard also constructed the helicopter carrier for the Royal Navy
under sub-contract from VSEL, MS Norsea
for North Sea Ferries and the highly sophisticated satellite launch command ship Sea Launch Commander
for Sea Launch
Inc of Long Beach
, California
.
In December 1999, after Kvaerner announced a withdrawal from the shipbuilding industry, the Govan yard was purchased by Clydeport and then taken on a long-term 20-year lease by BAE Systems Marine
, who also owned the former Yarrow Shipbuilders
yard in Scotstoun
on the Clyde. It is now part of BAE Systems Surface Ships. Continued investment in capital equipment such as Plasma cutting
and Panel Line welding, has seen the Govan Shipyard emerge as BAE Systems' Steelwork Centre of Excellence. The old Fairfield Titan Crane, built in 1911, was demolished in 2007 to make way for construction of modules for the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers at the yard.
Govan
Govan is a district and former burgh now part of southwest City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south bank of the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Kelvin and the district of Partick....
in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
on the River Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
, was a shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
subsidiary formed in 1988 when the Norwegian group Kvaerner Industrier purchased the Govan Shipbuilders
Govan Shipbuilders
Govan Shipbuilders Ltd was a British shipbuilding company based on the River Clyde at Glasgow in Scotland. It operated the former Fairfield Shipyard and took its name from the Govan area in which it was located.-History:...
division of the nationalised British Shipbuilders
British Shipbuilders
British Shipbuilders Corporation was a public corporation that owned and managed the shipbuilding industry in England and Scotland from 1977 and through the 1980s...
corporation. Prior to the Govan Shipyard's nationalisation in 1977, as a result of the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act, it had been operated by Govan Shipbuilders
Govan Shipbuilders
Govan Shipbuilders Ltd was a British shipbuilding company based on the River Clyde at Glasgow in Scotland. It operated the former Fairfield Shipyard and took its name from the Govan area in which it was located.-History:...
Ltd, which emerged from the collapse of the previous Upper Clyde Shipbuilders
Upper Clyde Shipbuilders
Upper Clyde Shipbuilders was a British shipbuilding consortium created in 1968 as a result of the amalgamation of five major shipbuilders of the River Clyde in Scotland...
(UCS) joint venture in 1972. Prior to the formation of UCS in 1968, the Shipyard was operated by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company
Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company
The Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited was a British shipbuilding company in the Govan area on the Clyde in Glasgow. Fairfields, as it is often known, was a major warship builder, turning out many vessels for the Royal Navy and other navies through the First World War and the...
, which had a history extending back to 1834.
Kvaerner Govan Ltd invested £30m in modernisation of the shipyard during the early 1990s to enable it to specialise in the construction of liquefied natural gas
LNG carrier
An LNG carrier is a tank ship designed for transporting liquefied natural gas . As the LNG market grows rapidly, the fleet of LNG carriers continues to experience tremendous growth.-History:...
and chemical tankers. This included the construction of a large Tank Assembly
LNG storage tank
A liquefied natural gas storage tank or LNG storage tank is a specialized type of storage tank used for the storage of Liquefied Natural Gas. LNG storage tanks can be found in ground, above ground or in LNG carriers. The common characteristic of LNG Storage tanks is the ability to store LNG at the...
Shop (TAS), later known as the Ship Block Outfit Hall (SBOH), which enabled the indoor construction of large prefabricated
Prefabrication
Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a structure in a factory or other manufacturing site, and transporting complete assemblies or sub-assemblies to the construction site where the structure is to be located...
modular ship blocks
Modular design
Modular design, or "modularity in design" is an approach that subdivides a system into smaller parts that can be independently created and then used in different systems to drive multiple functionalities...
. Other investment included renovating one of the yard's three slipway
Slipway
A slipway, boat slip or just a slip, is a ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water. They are used for building and repairing ships and boats. They are also used for launching and retrieving small boats on trailers and flying boats on their undercarriage. The...
s, with another filled in to create more berthside storage area. The new indoor modular construction techniques cut the time ships spent on the outdoor slipways to 20 weeks from 18 months, which, along with reforms in labour relations, improved productivity
Productivity
Productivity is a measure of the efficiency of production. Productivity is a ratio of what is produced to what is required to produce it. Usually this ratio is in the form of an average, expressing the total output divided by the total input...
at the yard by 40% between 1988 and 1992.
Between 1991 and 2000, Kvaerner Govan constructed 19 vessels in the yard, including 4 gas tankers and 6 chemical tankers. However, in the later 1990s, the market for such vessels was depressed and the yard had to find alternative contracts. This included five small support ships for the North Sea oil
North Sea oil
North Sea oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons, comprising liquid oil and natural gas, produced from oil reservoirs beneath the North Sea.In the oil industry, the term "North Sea" often includes areas such as the Norwegian Sea and the area known as "West of Shetland", "the Atlantic Frontier" or "the...
industry.
The yard also constructed the helicopter carrier for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
under sub-contract from VSEL, MS Norsea
MS Norsea
MS Norsea, later renamed to Pride of York, is a ship operated by P&O Ferries.-References:...
for North Sea Ferries and the highly sophisticated satellite launch command ship Sea Launch Commander
Sea Launch Commander
Sea Launch Commander is the command ship for Sea Launch. It was built by Kvaerner Govan Ltd, at Govan shipyard, in Glasgow, Scotland. It is registered in Liberia.- Technical parameters:...
for Sea Launch
Sea Launch
Sea Launch is a spacecraft launch service that uses a mobile sea platform for equatorial launches of commercial payloads on specialized Zenit 3SL rockets...
Inc of Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
In December 1999, after Kvaerner announced a withdrawal from the shipbuilding industry, the Govan yard was purchased by Clydeport and then taken on a long-term 20-year lease by BAE Systems Marine
BAE Systems Marine
BAE Systems Marine Ltd. was the shipbuilding subsidiary of BAE Systems, formed in 1999, which manufactured the full range of naval ships; nuclear submarines, frigates, destroyers, amphibious ships....
, who also owned the former Yarrow Shipbuilders
Yarrow Shipbuilders
Yarrow Limited , often styled as simply Yarrows, was a major shipbuilding firm based in the Scotstoun district of Glasgow on the River Clyde...
yard in Scotstoun
Scotstoun
Scotstoun is a historic district of Glasgow, Scotland, west of Glasgow City Centre. It is bounded by Yoker and Knightswood to the west, Victoria Park, Broomhill and Whiteinch to the east, Jordanhill to the north and the River Clyde to the south...
on the Clyde. It is now part of BAE Systems Surface Ships. Continued investment in capital equipment such as Plasma cutting
Plasma cutting
Plasma cutting is a process that is used to cut steel and other metals of different thicknesses using a plasma torch...
and Panel Line welding, has seen the Govan Shipyard emerge as BAE Systems' Steelwork Centre of Excellence. The old Fairfield Titan Crane, built in 1911, was demolished in 2007 to make way for construction of modules for the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers at the yard.