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HomeNewsVolkerStevin Marine wins contract for DIO Ammunition Facility

VolkerStevin Marine wins contract for DIO Ammunition Facility

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VolkerStevin Marine has been awarded the £18m contract to design and build a specialist marine facility for loading ammunition at Portsmouth Harbour by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).
UHAF
The facility will consist of a 15 metre by 85 metre jetty, two mooring dolphins and two small vessel pontoons and will provide docking and loading facilities for the Type 45 frigates; a key component of the UK's future defence strategy.

VolkerStevin Marine is currently in the design phase of the project, this includes specialist plant and equipment; in particular cranes which are designed to safely handle ammunition for these vessels, which are the most advanced class of frigate in the world. The facility will be built within Portsmouth's Upper Harbour area.

Gerrit Smit, project manager for VolkerStevin Marine, said: "We are currently working alongside the MOD operational teams on the detailed design of the facility. We are adapting our construction methods, plant selection and material logistics to take account of the sensitive nature of the environment we are building in.

"As the facility has no land connection everything will be taken to site by ship; with this in mind we are maximising the use of pre-fabrication and pre-cast methods of construction to minimise the movements required. Piling activity will be complete before the over winter bird period begins in November."

DIO project manager, Paul Simmonds said: "DIO's top priority is to support our Armed Forces as they prepare for operations. We are pleased to have awarded the contract to VolkerStevin Marine after a rigorous and competitive tendering process.

"We look forward to the construction of a high quality facility that will contribute to the ongoing support of Royal Navy surface vessels for many years to come."

Work on site, close to the existing facility, is expected to start in August 2011 and will take until Summer 2012 to complete before the existing facility is demolished by the project team.

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