Navantia UK builds new covered facility at Methil yard in Fife as part of £157m investment

Navantia UK has reported progress on a new building at its Methil yard in Fife, as part of a wider investment programme across its UK sites, the company stated.

Construction and Investment

The company said construction of a new Rubb building was well under way, funded through £26.7 million earmarked for Methil within a £157 million UK-wide investment programme. Once complete, according to Navantia, the facility will provide additional covered space for blasting, coating and finishing work, allowing teams to work year-round in a controlled environment.

Workforce Growth

Navantia said the Methil workforce had grown from around 180 to more than 260 people, including over 50 apprentices. Having delivered the Navantia UK Seahorse transport barge earlier this year, the yard is now working on what the company described as a major export order.

The Seahorse Barge

The Seahorse barge, completed in the spring, was the first major project delivered at Methil since Navantia UK began operations there in January 2025, and represented an £8 million investment in the facility. The barge is designed to carry ship blocks between UK yards in support of the Fleet Solid Support programme, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary supply ship project being led from Navantia’s Belfast yard under the Team Resolute banner.

Background and Wider Operations

Navantia UK, the British arm of the Spanish state-owned shipbuilder, acquired the four former Harland & Wolff yards at Belfast, Appledore, Methil and Arnish at the start of 2025 after the previous owner entered administration. The company has since set out an investment programme covering all four sites, with Methil and Arnish in Scotland focused largely on offshore energy fabrication alongside marine construction.

Additional Methil Investments

According to Navantia, the Methil investment also encompasses:

• Roof repairs
• Refurbished cranes
• A new cutting machine
• A steel plate storage facility
• A training centre
• A self-propelled modular transporter

The company has positioned the yard to take advantage of Scotland’s expanding offshore wind programme, including the ScotWind Array Release 7 leasing round, which is expected to drive demand for fabrication capacity.

Defence Opportunities

The yard has also featured in the company’s pitch for future defence work. As the UK Defence Journal has previously reported, Navantia UK has put Methil forward for Programme Euston, the Royal Navy’s plan to build floating dry docks to support its submarine fleet.

At the Seahorse handover, Methil chief executive Donato Martinez told the workforce the yard had earned the right to be trusted with larger contracts, saying it would be honoured if the Ministry of Defence placed its confidence in Navantia UK to deliver the work.