Storied UK Shipbuilder Cammell Laird Sold in Consolidation of Sector

The famed UK shipbuilder Cammell Laird has been sold as part of an ongoing consolidation of the sector as firms posture for the anticipated increase in UK defense shipbuilding. The yard, which dates back to 1828, was sold as part of the APCL Group to a relative newcomer to the sector, Balaena.

A maritime engineering and shipbuilding group based in Cornwall, Balaena was launched in 2019 and made its first major acquisition, a shipyard in Gibraltar, in 2022. The Financial Times reports it is paying approximately £150 million (US$200 million) for the group, which consists of Cammell Laird located in Birkenhead as well as A&P Type in Tyneside and the two yards in Falmouth, A&P Falmouth and Falmouth Docks and Engineering Company. The four yards had previously been consolidated into the APCL Group in 2023, which is a subsidiary of the Peel Group.

Balaena highlights that the consolidated company will own 12 dry docks and have more than 2,000 employees with a reach across the UK and to the Mediterranean. It said in announcing the acquisition that the new enterprise “provides the basis for increased support to UK defense interests,” as well as forming the UK’s most comprehensive commercial ship repair and refit networks. It said that, in addition to the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, it will be serving the offshore energy, cargo, cruise, and ferry sectors.

Balaena has already built a strong business with the Royal Navy, with reports that nearly a quarter of the capacity at the yard in Gibraltar is committed to the UK’s Ministry of Defence. The group also owns a smaller shipyard in Cornwall.

The company highlights that it plans to invest in modernizing APCL’s facilities, expanding capacity for ship repair, offshore fabrication, and low-emission propulsion systems. A new national skills and apprenticeship program will also be launched in partnership with local colleges and maritime training bodies to develop Britain’s next generation of maritime professionals.

Cammell Laird is one of the most historic names in UK shipbuilding, having built passenger liners, the famed aircraft carrier Ark Royal commissioned in 1955, and recently the RRS Sir David Attenborough research vessel. It has also recently built blocks for programs, including the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers, submarines, and is involved with the Type 26 frigates. A&P Tyne has also been building for the Type 26 program. Both yards have also provided repair services to the Ministry of Defence.

The company is seen as positioning itself ahead of the government’s announcements for its future fleet as part of the long-delayed Defence Investment Plan. Competition is expected among the remaining established yards as well as the new entrants, including Balaena and Navantia.

Balaena follows others that have also moved to consolidate and reposition ahead of the UK’s anticipated investment in shipbuilding. Spain’s Navantia Group had partnered with the famed Harland & Wolff Shipyard and won the contract for the UK’s Fleet Solid Support (FSS) shipbuilding program. When Harland & Wolff collapsed, Navantia stepped in to acquire the group at the start of 2025 and established a UK shipbuilder with the four yards of H&W. It is moving forward with the FSS program while also being positioned to benefit from the anticipated future contracts.