SHIPYARD and specialist engineering services provider Cammell Laird is completing a £49.5m refit of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Fort Victoria, the company said in its press release.
The massive 10-month refit is the biggest ever undertaken by the yard since it began its through life support ‘cluster’ contract to maintain nine of the 13 ships in the RFA flotilla in 2008 (see notes to editors). The RFA Fort Victoria is one of the largest vessels operated by the British Ministry of Defence and is at the forefront of British naval operations.
Cammell Laird managing director Linton Roberts said the refit has been the biggest single contract in the business in 2014.
“It has seen more than 450 men work on it for nearly a year including apprentices,” he said. “The successful completion of such a complex and demanding refit will be testament to the pioneering benefits of clustering. Cammell Laird has developed in-depth knowledge of the Victoria having worked on her for more than 10 years, the last six years under cluster. That experience and expertise of working together is enabling us to undertake bigger and more difficult refits.”
The main jobs included overhauling both main engines and a power generation upgrade which included major steelworks, new fuel and lubrication oil as well as freshwater and saltwater pipework and pump systems.
About RFA Through Life Support
The RFA Through Life Support ‘cluster’ contract provides engineering support to the RFA flotilla and includes capability insertion allowing the ships to be fully integrated with the Royal Navy. The cluster contract is Cammell Laird’s biggest single contract. It is reviewed every five years based on performance and value for money. The contract was extended in November 2012 for a further five years to 2018.