Balaena acquires APCL Group
Balaena, the maritime engineering and shipbuilding group, has acquired APCL Group, a leading British marine engineering company operating UK shipyards, creating one of the world’s most significant ship repair and shipbuilding groups.
APCL Group was established in 2023 and brought together A&P Group, Cammell Laird, Falmouth Docks and Engineering Company and Neway Industrial Services, with its facilities now known as APCL A&P Tyne, APCL A&P Falmouth and APCL Cammell Laird.
APCL Falmouth Docks and Engineering Company (APCL FDEC) is the statutory harbour authority, responsible for area of water immediately surrounding Falmouth Docks, whilst APCL Neway delivers a range of painting and blasting services across the UK.
Together, APCL Group Limited operates nine drydocks, employs 1,400 people, and provides services to the international defence and maritime community. The company specialises in military ship refit, commercial ship repair, upgrade and conversions, whilst also providing ship repair and maintenance to ferries, cruise ships and offshore vessels. It also maintains 100 per cent of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary flotilla.
David McGinley, CEO of APCL Group, said:
“Joining Balaena marks an exciting new chapter for APCL and our workforce. It secures the future of our shipyards, allows new investment in digital and green shipbuilding technologies, and renews our commitment to working closely with local communities on Tyne, Birkenhead, and Falmouth to create jobs, apprenticeships, and lasting prosperity.”
Balaena owns the historic drydock and dockyard facility in Gibraltar, Gibdock, and a shipyard in Padstow, Cornwall, offering maritime engineering, ship repair, defence, fabrication and small-craft facilities to large commercial vessels, naval platforms, offshore structures and workboats.
The acquisition marks a significant milestone in Balaena’s mission to expand and improve Britain’s maritime and naval shipbuilding and ship repair capability and capacity. The integration of Balaena’s modern facilities in Gibraltar and Padstow with APCL’s infrastructure on Tyne, Birkenhead and Falmouth will create a network of 12 dry docks with strategic reach across the UK and the Mediterranean.
It will offer increased support to UK Defence interests, and underpin the Government’s UK Industrial Strategy, as well as serving operators in the offshore energy, cargo, cruise, and ferry sectors.
The enlarged group, with a combined workforce of more than 2,000, will provide enhanced drydocking, hull fabrication, and life-extension services, reducing vessel downtime and strengthening Britain’s position as a competitive hub for global ship repair.
Simon Gillett, Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of Balaena, commented:
We are delighted to welcome APCL Group into Balaena. This acquisition reinforces our long-term commitment to British maritime capability – creating jobs, expanding apprenticeships, and driving innovation in line with the ambitions of the Strategic Defence Review and the UK’s Industrial Strategy.
“By uniting Balaena’s vision and ambition with APCL’s skilled teams in Tyne, Birkenhead, and Falmouth, we are strengthening the UK’s ability to deliver for both the Royal Navy and the global commercial maritime sector, while investing in the next generation of British shipbuilders and engineers.”
Balaena plans to invest in modernising APCL’s facilities, expanding capacity for ship repair, offshore fabrication, and low-emission propulsion systems.
A new national skills and apprenticeship programme will also be launched in partnership with local colleges and maritime training bodies to develop Britain’s next generation of maritime professionals.