BAE Systems officially opened a major new shipbuilding facility on the River Clyde in Glasgow on 25 June 2025.
Named Janet Harvey Hall in honour of one of the many women who stepped into vital industrial roles during the Second World War, the new facility measures 170 m long and 80 m wide and has two 100-tonne cranes and a further two 20-tonne cranes inside it. The hall can house two Type 26 frigates side by side, with Belfast and Birmingham currently under construction there, while Glasgow and Cardiff are being outfitted at BAE Systems’ Scotstoun site further up the Clyde. Steel has also been cut on the Royal Navy’s fifth future Type 26 frigate: Sheffield.
Designed to accommodate up to 500 workers per shift, Janet Harvey Hall will boost BAE Systems’ shipbuilding capacity by enabling warships to be built in Glasgow fully under cover for the first time, ensuring that work is unaffected by adverse weather.
The hall, which will help improve schedule performance and reduce the time between ship deliveries, forms a central part of the GBP 300 million (EUR 351.55 million) modernisation and digitalisation of BAE Systems’ facilities in Glasgow, playing a vital role in the delivery of eight Type 26 frigates for the Royal Navy.
“The Janet Harvey Hall marks a major step forward for shipbuilding in Glasgow and will help enable efficient and safe shipbuilding for decades to come,” Simon Lister, managing director of BAE Systems’ Naval Ships business, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “It’s a symbol of pride not just for our skilled workforce who bring these ships to life, but for the entire city.”
