Kvaerner Govan facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Shipbuilding Marine engineering |
| Fate | Acquired |
| Predecessor | Govan Shipbuilders |
| Successor | BAE Systems Marine |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Defunct | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Govan, Glasgow, Scotland, UK |
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Key people
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Steiner Draegebo (Managing Director) |
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Number of employees
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Approximately 2,000 |
| Parent | Kværner |
Kvaerner Govan Ltd (KGL) was a company that built ships. It was located in Govan, a part of Glasgow in Scotland, right on the River Clyde. This company started in 1988.
It was formed when a Norwegian company called Kværner bought the Govan Shipbuilders yard. Before this, Govan Shipbuilders was owned by the British government. The shipyard has a long history. It was once called the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, going all the way back to 1834.
Contents
Building Better Ships
Kvaerner Govan Ltd spent £30 million in the early 1990s to make the shipyard more modern. This helped them build special ships. They focused on creating ships that could carry liquefied natural gas (LNG) and chemical tankers.
New Building Methods
Part of the upgrade included building a large new workshop. It was first called the Tank Assembly Shop (TAS). Later, it became known as the Ship Block Outfit Hall (SBOH). This big building allowed them to build large parts of ships indoors. These parts were like giant LEGO blocks for ships.
They also improved one of the yard's three slipways. A slipway is where ships are built and then launched into the water. They added a "skidding" system to make launching easier. Another slipway was filled in to create more space for storing ship parts.
These new indoor building methods helped a lot. Ships spent only 20 weeks on the outdoor slipways. Before, it took 18 months! This, along with better ways of working, made the shipyard 40% more efficient between 1988 and 1992.
Ships Built by Kvaerner Govan
Between 1991 and 2000, Kvaerner Govan built 19 ships. This included four gas tankers and six chemical tankers.
Other Important Vessels
Later in the 1990s, there was less demand for these types of tankers. So, the yard started building other kinds of ships. They built five smaller ships called Anchor handling tug supply vessels. These ships are used to help with North Sea oil operations.
The yard also built some very important and unique vessels:
- The helicopter carrier HMS Ocean for the Royal Navy.
- The ferry MS Norsea for North Sea Ferries.
- The very advanced satellite launch command ship Sea Launch Commander. This ship helps launch satellites into space.
The Shipyard's Future
In December 1999, Kvaerner decided to stop being in the shipbuilding business. The Govan shipyard was then bought by a company called Clydeport. Soon after, BAE Systems Marine leased the yard for 20 years. BAE Systems Marine also owned another shipyard nearby.
Today, the Govan Shipyard is part of BAE Systems Surface Ships. It has continued to receive new equipment. This includes advanced plasma cutting and welding machines. Because of this, the Govan Shipyard is now a special center for steelwork for BAE Systems.
In 2007, a very old and large crane called the Fairfield Titan was taken down. This crane was built in 1911. It was removed to make space for building parts for the new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.
