Royal Navy aircraft power facilities near completion

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced that facilities to power the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carriers are near completion, with the delivery of a frequency converter.

The new substation means HMNB Portsmouth, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales will be supplied with electricity while stationed at their home port, through a power facility built by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).

The substation has been connected to the National Grid using about 2.6 miles of cable and supplies enough electricity to power a small town.

Electricity will be supplied to the vessels using a hydraulic boom, which ‘plugs in’ to the side of the ship. The new aircraft carriers will be the biggest and most powerful ships in the history of the Royal Navy, projecting the UK’s global influence wherever they sail.

Philip Wise, DIO project manager, said: “I’m delighted to see the delivery of the frequency converter, a clear sign of the progress we and VolkerStevin are making on these facilities. The substation is vital for HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales so we’re pleased to be playing our part in supporting the country’s new aircraft carriers.”