Babcock International has appointed the KierBAM joint venture (KBJV) to support a £600m programme of infrastructure upgrades at Devonport Dockyard in Plymouth, forming part of a wider Ministry of Defence investment in the UK’s Defence Nuclear Enterprise.
The work will focus on 10 Dock, where major civil engineering and infrastructure improvements are planned to strengthen Devonport’s ability to support the maintenance and availability of both current and future Royal Navy submarine fleets.
The programme represents a significant element of Babcock’s long-term investment in the naval base, with the upgrades intended to provide the infrastructure required to meet the changing demands of the UK’s submarine operations. The 10 Dock main works are being delivered by Babcock through its Major Nuclear Capital Programmes business unit at Devonport.
KBJV’s package includes substantial civil engineering works, incorporating a water-retaining boundary structure and components requiring nuclear licensing. The construction programme will also involve the installation of structural buttresses, new subways and in-situ subway structures, alongside extensive ground and structural engineering activities.
Additional works will include the installation of rock anchors, dowels and reinforcement, together with a multi-tonne caisson. The combination of these elements reflects the technical complexity of working within an operational naval dockyard and the engineering requirements associated with facilities supporting nuclear-powered submarines.
The joint venture’s appointment follows an earlier period of early contractor involvement, during which Kier and BAM worked with Babcock to establish the practical arrangements and infrastructure needed to support the main construction programme.
This preparatory phase included commissioning a dedicated concrete batching plant and developing essential site facilities. Logistics arrangements, welfare provision, office accommodation and other supporting infrastructure were also progressed to prepare the site for the next stage of delivery.
Early involvement has allowed the delivery team to address key construction and operational requirements ahead of the main works, particularly important given the specialist environment and security considerations associated with the Defence Nuclear Enterprise.
KBJV will act as a key delivery partner within Babcock’s wider programme of investment at Devonport, where infrastructure improvements are being undertaken to ensure the naval base can continue to meet the Royal Navy’s requirements. The scale of the investment reflects the strategic importance of maintaining the facilities and engineering capabilities needed to support the UK’s submarine fleet.
Rear Admiral Martyn Boyes, director, submarine support at the DNE, said: “Delivering the infrastructure needed to support our submarines is a shared endeavour across the Defence Nuclear Enterprise and industry. This milestone at 10 Dock demonstrates the strong progress we are making with our industry partners and wider supply chain, underpinned by substantial MOD investment across the enterprise, to provide the capability the Royal Navy needs now and for the future.”
The Devonport programme forms part of the ongoing effort to modernise the UK’s naval infrastructure, ensuring that facilities can accommodate the technical and operational demands of increasingly complex submarine maintenance requirements. The upgrades at 10 Dock will contribute to that objective by providing improved civil infrastructure and specialist facilities within one of the country’s principal naval support locations.
For Kier and BAM, the appointment builds on their early involvement in the project and places the joint venture at the centre of a major defence infrastructure programme. The combination of large-scale civil engineering, specialist construction and carefully coordinated site operations will be central to delivering the works within the demanding environment of Devonport Dockyard.
