Babcock awarded 4-year contract by Serco to maintain Northern Isles Ferry Service

Babcock, the Aerospace and Defence company has been awarded a four – year contract by Serco, to maintain and repair vessels for the Northern Isles ferry services between the Scottish mainland and the Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands.

The contract for the passenger and freight ferry will see approximately fifteen statutory dockings take place at Babcock’s Rosyth facility where the vessels will undergo critical maintenance, ensuring they can continue to support lifeline services for the Northern Isles.

This builds on Babcock’s long-term relationship with NorthLink ferries which has grown over the last four years and continues to strengthen project by project. The contract provides benefit to both the Scottish economy and Babcock’s supply chain– with the Rosyth facility as a central location for repairing the ferries.

Over the past decade Babcock has invested substantially in its Rosyth facility transforming the dockyard into one of the UK’s most modern maritime support facilities. The site has excellent physical connections, making it an ideal place for vessels to return for dry docking and repairs.

With a bespoke team leading the work, Babcock will utilise its engineering, naval architecture and project management expertise to support the vessels. A team of c. 60 specialists consisting of project managers, welders, mechanical fitters, electricians and fabricators will deliver this extensive package of work.

Sean Donaldson, Managing Director at Babcock Rosyth said:

“Babcock is delighted to have been awarded the contract by Serco to maintain and repair vessels for the Northern Isles ferry services. The service is vital to so many communities and ensuring that the vessels remain fit for service is our priority. Over the next four years we look forward to welcoming the vessels, where our skilled and experienced team at Rosyth will provide quality engineering support to ensure the vessels are fully operational and back in service as planned.”

The first vessel to be maintained and repaired under this contract was M.V. Helliar, a Ro-Ro cargo vessel which docked at Rosyth in June 2020.

About Babcock:

For more than a century, Babcock has been trusted to deliver bespoke, highly-skilled engineering services. We help customers in the UK and around the world to improve the capability, reliability and availability of their most critical assets within the four market sectors of Marine, Land, Aviation, and Nuclear, underpinned by a deep understanding of technology integration, unique infrastructure, and specialist training. w: www.babcockinternational.com