Posted on February 21, 2022
On February 8, the Port of San Diego Commissioners unanimously agreed to allow BAE Systems’ San Diego shipyard to take advantage of $50 million worth of infrastructure improvements to begin later this year.
According to David Thomas, vice president and general manager at BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair Inc., the improvements will support the yard’s sustainability plans by reducing emissions. It will also help improve productivity and allow for larger ships to be serviced in the yard.
Thomas had a little more to say on this in an exclusive Marine Log interview.
Marine Log (ML): BAE Systems recently got the green light to make upgrades to its San Diego shipyard with $50 million worth of infrastructure improvements. Can you tell us what this will entail in terms of modernizing the yard?
David Thomas (DT): We appreciate the Port of San Diego commissioners’ recent permitting approval for proposed upgrades to our shipyard. Their approval is an important, early step towards obtaining full approval of an omnibus plan that will encompass about 15 projects expected to total approximately $50 million.
Together, these projects will help continue to reduce our shipyard’s environmental impact on San Diego Bay, while improving productivity and our ability to sustain ships onsite.
ML: Who approved the funding and when?
DT: BAE Systems is still in the early stages of determining the business case for our omnibus plan. The port commissioners’ approval is the first step in making the business case for investment. Funding would ultimately come from BAE Systems and business credits from the state and/or the federal government.
ML: When are the upgrades expected to start and how long do you estimate they will take to be completed? Will it be done in phases?
DT: We are still in the early stages of our intended changes to our San Diego shipyard. We felt it was important to provide the San Diego port commissioners with an early and comprehensive view of our plans and intentions.
We expect to move quickly with some key environmental projects that will contribute to reducing our air emissions. Some of the larger projects remain subject to further business case evaluation and approval.
ML: Is there anything else new happening at the shipyard that Marine Log readers may be interested in learning?
DT: BAE Systems fulfills an important role in the maintenance and upkeep of non-nuclear warships homeported in San Diego. The planned shipyard improvements follow the rebuilding of our southernmost pier and the installation of the largest dry dock in San Diego in recent years. These early improvements have enabled us to partner more effectively with the U.S. Navy.
We currently have four U.S. Navy ships in our shipyard; two of which are drydocked. Our San Diego shipyard has a total capacity to simultaneously drydock three ships and accommodates five ships pierside. Our ability to maintain full capacity over time is a significant factor for our business case evaluation and approval.
