In Focus
PRODUCTION GEARS UP ON THE NATION’S FLAGSHIPS
The first part of the propulsion system has now been installed on HMS Queen Elizabeth at BAE Systems site in Portsmouth, highlighting the pace of acceleration in the programme to build the nation’s new flagships.
The first set of Warstila diesel generators were lifted into position onto their seats in the Forward Machinery Room of the stern section of the carrier’s hull, known as Lower Block 02.
Each ship will have two Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines and four diesel generator sets giving a total 109MW of installed power – enough to power 300,000 kettles or 5,500 family homes in a town the size of Swindon.
Steven Carroll, Queen Elizabeth Class Project Director at BAE Systems, said: ”The diesel generators are the first major component of the power and propulsion system to be installed on the carrier. This critical step highlights the huge amount of progress on the aircraft carrier programme, not only here in Portsmouth where work began in February, but also right across the design and engineering teams in the wider Aircraft Carrier Alliance. We will all continue to work in partnership to deliver this flagship programme for the Royal Navy.”
Lower Block 02 is one of the large structures that will form the stern section of the hull on HMS Queen Elizabeth. Housing machinery spaces, stores, switchboards and some of the ship’s accommodation, this block alone will weigh over 6,000 tonnes and will stand over 18 metres tall, 70 metres long and 40 metres wide.
The diesel generators were supplied by Converteam on behalf of the Power and Propulsion Sub Alliance which is responsible for the design, procurement, manufacture, integration, test and delivery of the integrated electric propulsion system.
