Shropshire MP powers up warship at ceremony
Shropshire MP Philip Dunne got his hands on real power when he visited the largest warship ever built in the UK to switch on its on-board diesel generators for the first time.
Firing up one of four generators on HMS Queen Elizabeth was described as a significant milestone in the programme to bring the 65,000-tonne Royal Navy aircraft carrier into service.
It is being assembled and fitted out at Rosyth Dockyard in Fife ready for handing over to the Navy in 2017.
The diesel generators will be the main cruising engines for the ship, but when higher speed is required two gas turbines will also be used.
Mr Dunne, MP for Ludlow and Defence Procurement Minister, pushed the button to switch the generator on while visiting HMS Queen Elizabeth yesterday.
He said: "Powering up the diesel generator today marks an important milestone on the journey to bring these highly versatile ships into service with our armed forces.
"They will be the largest, most capable and effective surface warships ever constructed in the UK.
"The build programme is supporting thousands of jobs across the country."
He later tweeted:
The four diesel generators provide a minimum of 39mw generated power - enough to supply 78,000 homes.
The vessel and the under-construction HMS Prince of Wales are together known as Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers and are being built by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA), a partnership of BAE Systems, Babcock, Thales and the Ministry of Defence.
Each carrier will provide the armed forces with a four-acre military operating base which can travel up to 500 miles every day to be deployed anywhere around the world.
