A new shipbuilding hall has officially opened at BAE Systems' Govan site in Glasgow, marking a key milestone in the modernization of the Clyde shipbuilding industry. Named the Janet Harvey Hall, the facility is part of a wider £300 million investment aimed at enhancing BAE Systems' ship construction capabilities.
The hall is named in recognition of Janet Harvey, one of many women who took on industrial roles during the Second World War. Her nieces joined Glasgow’s Lord Provost for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, symbolically opening the 170-meter-long and 80-meter-wide structure.
The Janet Harvey Hall is designed to accommodate the simultaneous construction of two Type 26 frigates. It features two 100-tonne cranes and two additional 20-tonne cranes, supporting operations under full cover—shielding work from Scotland's often unpredictable weather. The facility can host up to 500 workers per shift.
Currently, HMS Belfast and HMS Birmingham are under construction in the new hall, while HMS Glasgow and HMS Cardiff are undergoing outfitting at BAE’s Scotstoun site. Steel cutting has also begun on HMS Sheffield.
According to BAE Systems, the new facility is expected to increase efficiency, improve schedule performance, and help reduce intervals between ship deliveries. It is a core component of the Type 26 program, which involves the construction of eight anti-submarine warfare frigates for the Royal Navy.
The UK Ministry of Defence has emphasized the role of such infrastructure in meeting evolving security needs, with the new hall supporting the delivery of advanced naval capabilities.
