Balaena welcomed Alison McGovern MP to our Birkenhead yard to discuss the town’s shipbuilding heritage, its future as a centre for British maritime industry and the opportunities ahead for skilled jobs, apprenticeships and growth.

Defence Minister Luke Pollard MP visited Balaena’s Birkenhead yard and RFA Tidesurge to see first-hand the people, facilities and engineering capability supporting the UK’s defence and shipbuilding ambitions.

Balaena welcomed Minister Gemma Arias-Vasquez to its Birkenhead yard, followed by a visit to The Engineering College, to see first-hand how the group is developing skills and delivering shipbuilding and engineering on the ground.

Balaena has welcomed Chancellor John Healey’s commitment to a “new age of industrialisation” for Britain and the Government’s announcement of major new investment in British shipbuilding and Royal Navy infrastructure.

Balaena has welcomed the Government’s announcement that the new Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) research vessel will be built in Britain, with the competition open exclusively to UK shipyards.

Western Ferries (Clyde) Limited has marked a major milestone in the development of its fleet with the official naming of its two new car and passenger ferries, MV Sound of Scalpay and MV Sound of Sleat.

The vessels were named today, 23 September 2026, during a ceremony at Balaena Birkenhead, attended by representatives and guests of Western Ferries and Balaena, together with the two vessels’ sponsors.

Balaena CEO Simon Gillett joined Prime Minister Andy Burnham, the Rt Hon John Healey and Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, aboard the new Royal Daffodil Mersey Ferry for a journey along the Mersey, including a sail past Balaena’s Birkenhead shipyard.

Balaena was proud to welcome His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh to our Birkenhead shipyard, where he visited RFA Tidesurge and met the teams delivering her substantial refit programme.

Balaena has completed the build of the new Royal Daffodil at our Birkenhead shipyard, showcasing the skills, experience and ambition that continue to drive shipbuilding on the Mersey. Built on the Mersey, for the Mersey, the vessel is a strong example of the future of British maritime engineering.

Simon Gillett, CEO said: "Balaena stands ready to build the 160-meter vessels from our major construction facilities in Birkenhead and the North East of England.

Balaena has successfully completed the 2026 Annual Certification Period (ACP) for Bay Class vessel RFA Lyme Bay, delivering a complex and fast-paced maintenance package in Gibraltar to support the ship’s continued operational commitments.
Originally planned for later in the year, RFA Lyme Bay’s ACP was brought forward at short notice in response to evolving operational demands and programme requirements. This change in schedule required close coordination between Balaena’s Cluster Support Team in Falmouth, National Armaments Director Group, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and subcontract partners and regulatory authorities to deliver the work package within an accelerated timescale.

Balaena, the maritime engineering and shipbuilding group that owns the historic drydock and dockyard facility in Gibraltar, Gibdock, and a shipyard in Padstow, Cornwall, today announced the acquisition of APCL Group, a leading British marine engineering company operating shipyards in Tyneside (A&P Tyne), Birkenhead (Cammell Laird) and Falmouth (A&P Falmouth and Falmouth Docks and Engineering Company).