Contracts worth over £70million for the supply of steel and other important equipment for the two new Royal Navy aircraft carriers were announced today by Defence Minister Baroness Taylor.
Contracts have been placed for: * The supply of over 80,000 tonnes of steel for the manufacture of the two ships with an estimated value of £65 million; the same amount required for Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 and three times that for Wembley Stadium;
* The supply of Blown Fibre Optic Cable Plant (BFOCP) technology for the installation of optical cables for data transfer within the ships at a cost in excess of £3 million;
* Reverse osmosis equipment which will produce over 500 tonnes of fresh water daily for up to 1,450 personnel onboard the ships, valued at over £1 million; and
* Aviation fuel systems equipment to allow the fuelling and de-fuelling of embarked aircraft at a contract value of approximately £4 million. Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Baroness Taylor, said: 'Today's announcement is a further signal of our commitment to the new aircraft carriers, which will be the nation's flagships. The construction of the carriers is good for British industry overall, bringing work not only to our principal shipyards but, as these contracts for £70M show, to other industries across the UK.' Project Team Leader, Rear Admiral Bob Love said: 'We are delighted with the reaction we have had from industry in terms of their keenness to support this significant project. These orders take us further along the path to commencing build work within the yards.'
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