US Navy interested in using controversial Darwin ship lift, NT minister says

The US Navy is watching progression of the Darwin ship lift to see if it will suit their needs. (ABC News: Pete Garnish)

Northern Territory Infrastructure Minister Bill Yan says the United States Navy has expressed interest in using the controversial $850 million Darwin ship lift.

The NT government has also committed to undertaking ground and infrastructure works for the wider Northern Marine Complex along Darwin Harbour.

Construction of the ship lift is scheduled to be completed by March 2027.

The United States Navy has expressed interest in using the controversial $850 million Darwin ship lift, the Northern Territory's infrastructure minister says.

Construction of the ship lift is scheduled to be completed in March 2027, with workers set to start night shifts to meet the time frame.

NT Infrastructure Minister Bill Yan said the NT government has had discussions with US officials.

"The US Naval attaché was here quite some time ago, I spoke with him about the ship lift and its capabilities," he said.

"I believe the US are watching this project closely to see how it can benefit them.

Bill Yan says the NT government has been in discussions with the US Navy. (ABC News: Pete Garnish)

More than 100 metres long and 26 metres wide, the ship lift will be capable of lifting large vessels up to 5,500 tonnes for on-land maintenance.

The project was first flagged by the NT government in 2015, when it announced a $100 million grant for private industry to get the project started.

In the ensuing years the ship lift turned into a fully-publicly funded project, with its cost blowout branded one of the biggest in Australia's infrastructure history.

The ship lift is being built on Darwin Harbour. (ABC News: Pete Garnish)

The latest increase, worth $30 million, was noted in the NT budget last month, taking the total cost to $850 million — half of which Mr Yan said had already been spent.

Despite its massive outlay, the government will receive no direct revenue in return due to contracts signed by former Labor chief ministers.

Instead, Australia's largest pearling company Paspaley will operate the facility for profit.

Workers are beginning night shifts to finish the ship lift by March 2027. (ABC News: Pete Garnish)

Last year a parliamentary committee recommended the Country Liberal Party (CLP) government proceed with the ship lift, saying it would cost almost $600 million to break contracts and ditch it.

The NT government will gain no direct revenue from the project, despite spending $820 million on its construction.

At the beginning of this year, the gov