Birkenhead
World-Class Operations
Balaena Birkenhead stands at the heart of Britain’s shipbuilding and ship repair heritage, delivering engineering, fabrication and lifecycle support to the defence, commercial and specialist marine sectors.
Situated on the River Mersey in the North-West of England, our operations cover 130 acres including four dry docks, a non-tidal wet basin and one of the largest modular construction halls in Europe.
Balaena Birkenhead is at the centre of a marine technology hub on Merseyside, a world class maritime cluster, which supports all trades, skills and training.
Modular Construction Hall
The Balaena Birkenhead construction hall has supported some of the UK’s most significant shipbuilding programmes, including modular block construction for major naval vessels, specialist research ships, and large commercial ship projects.
This controlled environment allows for the fabrication of large steel units, blocks and modules without disruption from weather or tidal conditions. Completed structures can be transferred directly from the hall to heavy load-out quays situated on our non-tidal wet basin, providing seamless progression into assembly, outfitting or dry dock work.
The construction hall is supported by more than 10,000 m² of fully equipped fabrication, pipe, machining and fitting shops, as well as integrated blast and coating facilities.
The site benefits from direct river access via a slipway launch and heavy vehicular access routes enabling the movement of large modular components directly to the dry docks.
Dockside Workshops
Balaena Birkenhead’s dockside workshops provide full lifecycle support for steelwork, mechanical, electrical and outfitting activities.
FABRICATION | 4,000 m²
+ Heavy steelwork with craneage to 200 t, full welding systems and CNC processing.
PIPE SHOP | 1,000 m²
+ MIG/TIG welding, cutting, bending and testing with 5 t crane.
MECHANICAL FITTING | 1,000 m²
+ Engine and component overhaul with cleaning/prep facilities.
MACHINE SHOP | 1,000 m²
+ Large-capacity lathes, borers and mills with 10 t crane.
ELECTRICAL SHOP | 400 m²
+ Electrical repairs and temporary system support.
SHIPWRIGHT/OUTFIT | 300 m²
+ Woodworking and GRP for outfitting and lifeboat repair.
RIGGING SHOP | 300 m²
+ Lifting, testing and inspection up to 200 t.
Balaena Birkenhead operates four large dry docks, offering capacity for major commercial, defence and specialist vessel repair programmes. Key characteristics include:
DOCK 04
+ 125 m length
+ 21 m entrance
+ 8 m depth over blocks
DOCK 05
+ 289 m length
+ 42.7 m entrance
+ 11.5 m depth
DOCK 06
+ 203 m length
+ 23.3 m entrance
+ 9 m depth
DOCK 07
+251 m length
+ 25.5 m entrance
+ 10 m depth
Non-Tidal Wet Basin
Located centrally on the site with direct River Mersey access, the basin features:
+ 42.7 m gate width
+ 9 m minimum water depth
+ North Quay: 271 m
+ West Quay: 285 m
+ South Quay: 305 m
Primary uses include heavy load-out of major fabricated structures, system commissioning, and afloat repair services.
Why Balaena Birkenhead?
Balaena Birkenhead is one of the UK’s most capable large-vessel repair and modular construction hubs, combining deep heritage with modern heavy-engineering capacity. Our 130-acre Mersey facility offers four large dry docks, a non-tidal wet basin, and one of Europe’s largest modular construction halls enabling complex projects to be delivered efficiently, safely and at scale.
With extensive fabrication, machining, pipe, mechanical, electrical and rigging workshops all located dockside, the site provides true end-to-end repair, refit and construction capability. Heavy craneage, deep-water berths and seamless load-out infrastructure support even the largest commercial and defence platforms.
As a core part of the Balaena group, Birkenhead integrates specialist skills, a highly experienced workforce and a resilient North-West maritime supply chain, making it a national centre of excellence for complex marine engineering.
Contact Us
Balaena Birkenhead
Campbeltown Road
Birkenhead
Merseyside
CH41 9BP
t. +44 (0)151 649 6600
f. +44 (0)151 649 6600
Email: birkenhead@balaena.com