NAVAL shipbuilding returned to the River Tyne last night with the award of a £55m contract to construct sections of the Royal Navy’s giant aircraft carriers.

Shipbuilders A&P Tyne, at Hebburn, will construct the mid sections and other steel work for the £4bn carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, which are due to enter service in 2014 and 2016, respectively.

The contract awarded by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA), a consortium of BAE Systems and Thales UK, alongside the Ministry of Defence (MoD), will provide five years’ work for A&P Tyne’s 210-strong workforce.

The 280m-long carriers which, at 65,000 tonnes, will be the largest warships ever built in the UK, will each be capable of carrying up to 40 aircraft.

ACA programme director Geoff Searle said: “This is a fantastic day for A&P Tyne and the Aircraft Carrier Alliance.

“These carriers will be this country’s flagships, so our primary focus and that of our contractors is ensuring we deliver the best vessels possible to the Royal Navy.

“The commitment of the Tyneside workforce to building these ships for the UK Armed Forces is very evident and I am delighted that A&P Tyne is now officially on contract.”

A&P group managing director David Skentelbery said: “Our Hebburn workforce has a proud tradition of delivering a first-rate job.

“We are set to deliver a substantial part of these ships and I am delighted that we can represent the North-East on the project.”

The Hebburn site has invested in new equipment, including a plasma cutter and new panel line for the contract.

Head of capital ships at the MoD, Tony Graham, said the ACA had been impressed with the way A&P had upgraded its facilities to meet the contract.

He said: “It is fantastic that the young apprentices who have been taken on by A&P are learning their trade on these carriers, which will be the cornerstone of the Navy.”

The carriers are being constructed in sections at locations around the country and will be shipped to Rosyth, in Scotland, where they will be fitted together.

More than £1bn of contracts for the equipment that will furnish the ships have already been placed.

They include a £27.4m contract to McGill Services Ltd, at Billingham, Teesside, to build accommodation cabins and washing facilities, plus furniture.

The work will sustain about 40 jobs at McGill.