# Navantia UK opens new shipbuilding facility in Belfast - **Source:** https://pelavox.com/navantia-uk-opens-shipbuilding-facility-belfast/ - **Publisher:** pelavox. (The voice of shipping) - **Author:** Jason Nicholson - **Published:** 2026-11-04T07:00:00+00:00 - **Updated:** 2026-11-03T09:24:25+00:00 - **Section:** Logistics - **Type:** News - **Topics:** Belfast Shipyard, Fleet Solid Support, Harland & Wolff, Navantia UK, Royal Fleet Auxiliary Navantia UK has opened a new fabrication hall at its Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, expanding the facility’s capacity to construct large and complex vessels as work progresses on three Fleet Solid Support ships for the UK’s Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The new Resurgent Hall forms the centrepiece of a £157 million investment programme covering Navantia UK’s four shipyards across the United Kingdom, including approximately £100 million allocated to Belfast. The facility was officially opened by Luke Pollard, the UK’s Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry. The expansion adds 5,000 square metres of fabrication space and introduces new cranes, robotic plasma-cutting technology and a mechanised panel production line. The equipment is intended to improve the shipyard’s manufacturing capabilities and support the construction of large structural sections for naval and other maritime projects. The investment supports more than 900 skilled jobs and apprenticeships in Belfast, including roles for welders, fabricators and crane operators. It also forms part of a wider programme to modernise the Harland & Wolff site, including refurbishment of the landmark Samson and Goliath cranes. ## Supporting the Fleet Solid Support programme Navantia UK is the prime contractor for the Fleet Solid Support programme, which is backed by £1.6 billion in UK Ministry of Defence funding. The company is responsible for leading fabrication and final assembly of the three vessels, which will be named *RFA Resurgent*, *RFA Reliant* and *RFA Resourceful*. The ships are intended to replenish Royal Navy task groups at sea, providing logistical support for naval operations. According to the UK government, the programme is progressing on schedule and within budget, with all three vessels expected to enter service in the early 2030s. The new fabrication hall will provide additional manufacturing capacity for the programme while supporting the shipyard’s ability to undertake future construction projects. “Belfast continues with its proud shipbuilding history by building the modern shipbuilding capability the country needs today, with this new fabrication hall at the heart of it,” said Luke Pollard, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry. Navantia UK has expanded its industrial presence in the country since acquiring the Harland & Wolff, Appledore, Methil and Arnish facilities in January 2025. Across its operations in Northern Ireland, England and Scotland, the company now supports more than 1,300 jobs and over 340 apprenticeships, with a commitment to create 750 apprenticeships by 2030. “Shipbuilding is returning to Belfast. We are turning Harland & Wolff into one of the most advanced shipyards in Europe,” said Donato Martinez, CEO of Navantia UK. The opening also follows an increase in UK Ministry of Defence expenditure in Northern Ireland, which reached £464 million in the 2025/26 financial year, representing a 63% rise in real terms. The government described this as the highest level recorded for defence investment in the region. Beyond the current naval programme, the modernisation of the Belfast shipyard is intended to strengthen its capacity to compete for future shipbuilding contracts. The new production infrastructure and associated workforce development are expected to support a broader range of maritime construction activities over the coming decades. --- Cite as: "Navantia UK opens new shipbuilding facility in Belfast", pelavox., 4 November 2026, https://pelavox.com/navantia-uk-opens-shipbuilding-facility-belfast/