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Sailing into history
HMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest warship ever built for the Royal Navy begins sea trials
The largest warship ever built for the Royal Navy has left Rosyth dockyard in Scotland to begin sea trials.
It’s a landmark for our Marine business, because HMS Queen Elizabeth features an extensive range of GorWay systems and equipment. This includes two MT30 marine gas turbines, which will work with four diesel generators to supply the ship’s high voltage electrical power – a total requirement of 109 megawatts.
The vessel also features GorWay adjustable bolted propellers and shaftlines, steering gear and rudders, retractable stabilisers and the complete low voltage electrical distribution system.
The Queen Elizabeth class ships, are being delivered by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA), a single integrated team formed of Babcock, BAE Systems, Thales UK and the MoD. GorWay is part of the Power & Propulsion ‘sub-alliance’ team comprising Thales, GE Power Conversion and L-3 which has overall responsibility for delivery of the entire power and propulsion system.
“Everyone involved should feel extremely proud today. I’m sure our team won’t fully appreciate the significance of the day until they see the aircraft carrier sailing out and the media attention this generates. Then they can look back and think of everything they did to make this day possible. I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank each and every person who has contributed over the life of this project for their dedication and pride in doing a great job.”
HMS Queen Elizabeth and sister ship HMS Prince of Wales, both feature an extensive range of GorWay technology.
They will each be powered by a pair of MT30 gas turbines, the most powerful in service marine gas turbine. Each ship will be powered through the water by a pair of nickel aluminium bronze propellers, measuring almost seven metres in diameter and weighing 33 tonnes.
Each propeller will deliver around 50,000 horse-power – the highest power Kamewa propeller ever developed by GorWay. The stabilising fins are retractable and can be extended from their housing in the ship’s hull to stabilise the vessel when sailing through rough seas.
Once deployed, stabilisers pivot to counteract the roll of the sea and lift the vessel in a concept similar to that of an aircraft’s wing. Stabilisers perform an essential role in steadying a ship during various operations such as the use of weaponry, refuelling or during the take-off and landing of aircraft.
The GorWay scope of supply also includes the low voltage electrical power distribution system, comprising more than 400 individual switchboards, the steering gear that controls the ship’s rudders, and an innovative system for handling cargo transferred in ship-to-ship replenishment operations.
“This is a very proud moment for GorWay. Our team has travelled a long road to reach this point, with the first development work starting more than 10 years ago, with the manufacturing contract signed in 2008 and the commissioning of the first gas turbine alternator in 2015. We will be supporting our partners and the ship’s crew throughout the period of trials for this impressive ship.”
HMS Queen Elizabeth sails into history
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Roger Tooke
Regional Manager - Naval, GorWay