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Amfels News

30 Aug 2023

"You're gonna need a bigger crane..."

Jan De Nul's Voltaire jack-up sporting Huisman's largest delivered LEC to date.
Credit: Jan De Nul (File image)

Offshore wind turbines are reaching new heights both literally (meters), and figuratively (megawatts). As the demand for larger turbines surges, so do the challenges faced by offshore installation contractors, which need to come up with bigger vessels, and, consequentially, bigger cranes for those vessels.When I took on the assignment to produce a piece focusing on heavy-lifting cranes and deck machinery for OE, I immediately thought of Huisman as a company best suited for coverage in this space


28 Aug 2023

Offshore Wind: US Shipbuilders Answering the Call

From left to right: Lasse Petterson, CEO of Great Lakes Dredge and Dock; Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa.; President Joe Biden; and Steinar Nerbovik, CEO of Philadelphia Shipyard (Photo: Philly Shipyard)

It’s a big deal when a U.S. president visits an American shipyard, and these trips always send a message. When President Obama spoke at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding in 2013, he warned of the consequences of sequestration. President Trump’s 2020 speech at Fincantieri Marinette Marine touted a $5.5 billion naval contract that gave a welcome boost to the Wisconsin shipyard and its supply chain partners. Most recently, President Biden traveled to Philadelphia’s Philly Shipyard


04 Aug 2023

Pasha's New LNG-fueled Containership Makes Maiden Call in Honolulu

(Photo: Pasha Group)

Pasha Hawai‘i’s second liquefied natural gas-powered containership made its inaugural arrival at Honolulu Harbor’s Pier 51, completing the construction and delivery of the company’s ‘Ohana Class vessels.The vessel, Janet Marie, will serve the Hawai‘i/Mainland trade lane, joining the company’s first ‘Ohana Class ship, George III, which began service in August 2022. The new $225-plus million ship—built at Keppel AmFELS in Brownsville, Texas—began its maiden voyage from the Port of Long Beach


24 Jul 2023

Second LNG-fueled Containership Delivered to Pasha Hawaii

Janet Marie (Photo: pasha Hawaii)

Hawaii-based Pasha Hawaii announced it has taken delivery of the second of two new ‘Ohana Class, 774-foot liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered containerships built at the Keppel AmFELS shipyard in Brownsville, Texas.The new vessel, Janet Marie, joins Pasha Hawaii’s fleet serving the Hawaii/U.S. mainland trade lane, following the company’s first ‘Ohana Class vessel, George III, which entered service on August 17, 2022.Operating on LNG from day one, the new Jones Act vessel surpasses the International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2030 emission standards for ocean vessels.

17 Apr 2023

2023 US Shipbuilding Report

Philly Shipyard is currently building MARAD’s National Security Multi-Mission Vessels, which will serve as training ships for the nation’s state maritime academies. (Photo: Philly Shipyard)

Much has changed since Marine News’ 2022 shipbuilding report published in March last year, and business opportunities in certain market segments continue to grow. But the shipyards that are looking to cash in are still facing many of the same challenges.For example, many American shipyards and their partners throughout the shipbuilding supply chain are still finding it difficult to attract and retain the workers they need. If you’re a skilled craftsperson looking for a job in shipbuilding, you’re in luck, because there are plenty of openings at shipyards across the country.

24 Feb 2023

Crane for US-built WTIV Charybdis Heads to Texas

(Photo: Huisman)

The crane for the first ever U.S.-built wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) is on its way to America.The 2,200mt Huisman leg encircling crane has been loaded onto BigLift Shipping's Happy Star for shipment to the Keppel AmFELS shipyard in Brownsville, Texas, where it will be installed on Charybdis, a WTIV being built for Blue Ocean Energy Marine, a Dominion Energy company. The heavy lift ship recently left China, according to AIS ship tracking data.Once delivered, Huisman North America


08 Feb 2023

Frontiers Extend as Developers Eye Floating Wind Potential

CREST Wind, a joint venture between Crowley and ESVAGT, has selected Fincantieri Marine Group to build a service operation vessel for operations in the U.S. offshore wind sector. (Image: CREST Wind)

America may have only entered the offshore wind sector recently, but it is wasting no time in playing catch-up. The White House has set targets of 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 and 110 GW by 2050. The focus so far has centred on bottom-fixed installations, but the prospect of higher energy yields in deeper waters where the wind blows stronger and longer now beckon. The White House has also set a floating wind deployment target of 15 GW by 2035.From a standing start, there are immense challenges in America’s offshore wind development.

21 Dec 2022

THSD Frederick Paup to Sport Schottel RudderPropellers

The three Schottel RudderPropellers type 510 L FP inside the Germany Wismar production site. Photo courtesy Schottel

The largest U.S.-flagged, self propelled trailing suction hopper dredger (THSD) Frederick Paup will be propelled by a trio of Schottel RudderPropellers manufactured at the German Wismar production site. Scheduled to enter operation in 2023, the dredger will be owned and operated by Manson Construction Co., and is currently under construction at the Keppel AmFELS Shipyard in Brownsville, Texas. It will be 128 m in length, have a 25 m breadth and about 9 m draught and will have a hopper volume of 11,500 cu.

12 Dec 2022

Great Ships of '22: MV George III, LNG Containership

Photo Copyright Toby Manuput/The Pasha Group

Operating on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from day one in service, the MV George III, the first of Pasha Group’s two new ‘Ohana Class’, Jones Act-qualified containerships, features a state-of-the-art engine, an optimized hull form, and an underwater propulsion system with a high-efficiency rudder and propeller. George III is the first LNG-powered vessel to fuel on the West Coast and the first to serve Hawaii. The 774-ft. Jones Act vessel surpasses the International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2030 emission standards for ocean vessels.

28 Nov 2022

Marine News' Top Vessels of 2022

Mark W. Barker (Photo: Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding)

The November edition of Marine News magazine highlighted the most notable newbuilds delivered in 2022. From sturdy and nimble workboats, to the first new Jones Act laker in a generation, each vessel on display showcases the industry’s engineering prowess and technological ingenuity, with the focus on improving efficiency in operations. The maritime industry has no shortage of challenges to overcome, and each of Marine News’ top vessels will, in one way or another, aid efforts to tackle them.Mark W.

14 Nov 2022

Fortunes Return to the Sea as the Wind Blows Offshore

© Cavan / Adobe Stock

The results of fortunes and failures are often described as a “perfect storm”. The COVID pandemic, domestic inflation, labor issues and current geopolitical events have brought that description to a peak. A promise of a “new normal” emerged post pandemic, with a vision of alternative energy, alternative fuels and alternative supply chain logistics to help toward solving some of the problems, heralding a world of change with reduced emissions, government support and the end of fossil fuels as we know them in energy and marine operations.With those promises came big movements in the U.S.

17 Aug 2022

Pasha's New LNG Containership Makes Maiden Call at Port of Long Beach

(Photo: Pasha Hawaii)

Hawaii-based Pasha Hawaii welcomed the newest member to its containership fleet with the arrival of George III at the Port of Long Beach in California, where she will begin her maiden voyage to Honolulu, Hawaii. This is the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered vessel to fuel on the West Coast and the first to serve Hawaii. The 774-foot containership was built in Brownsville, Texas by Keppel AmFELS, marking the first of two new ‘Ohana Class containerships to join Pasha Hawaii’s fleet


01 Aug 2022

Keppel O&M Wins $54.5 Million in Floating Production Contracts

(Photo: Keppel Offshore & Marine)

Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M)’s wholly-owned subsidiaries, Keppel AmFELS in the U.S. and Keppel Shipyard in Singapore, have been awarded contracts worth around S$75 million (US$54.5 million) for the refurbishment and completion of two floating production units (FPU). The first contract is by Keppel AmFELS with Salamanca FPS Infra, LLC for the refurbishment of a floating production unit to be operated by LLOG Exploration Offshore, LLC, a private exploration and production company in the U.S.Keppel AmFELS’ scope of work on the production facility includes demolition


01 Aug 2022

Pasha Hawaii Takes Delivery of LNG-fueled Containership

George III (Photo: Pasha Hawaii)

Hawaii-based Pasha Hawaii announced on Thursday it has taken delivery of a new liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled containership from Brownsville, Texas shipbuilder Keppel AmFELS.The 774-foot George III is the first of two new ‘Ohana Class containerships to join Pasha Hawaii’s fleet, serving the Hawaii/Mainland trade lane. It is said to be the first LNG-powered vessel to fuel on the West Coast and the first to serve Hawaii. Its capacity is 2,525 laden TEUs.Operating fully on LNG from day one


10 May 2022

Interview: Richard Balzano, Dredging Contractors of America

Richard Balzano (Photo: DCA)

Richard Balzano took over as CEO and executive director of the Dredging Contractors of America in December 2020. And while he says he’s “still fairly new to the [dredging] industry”, he certainly knows his way around the business, having held a number of prominent roles over the course of more than 30 years in the maritime and U.S government sectors. His resume is impressive. A combat veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan, he retired from the U.S. Navy at the rank of Captain. He later served as the presidentially appointed Deputy Maritime Administrator for three years


11 Mar 2022

2022 US Shipbuilding Report

Gladding Hearn is currently building four pilot boats, including a 70-foot pilot boat for the Galveston Pilots. (Photo: Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding)

It’s a common story in the U.S. shipbuilding industry today. A piece of equipment that used to be available for delivery on short notice—maybe in one or two weeks—now must be ordered months or more in advance, and it costs double. Add to this rising steel prices and the labor issues that have pervaded nearly all industrial sectors since the early days of the pandemic, and it’s clear that business is far from usual for American shipyards.Bollinger Shipyards president and CEO, Ben Bordelon


02 Dec 2021

Manson Wins Dredging Work in Saint Marys, Ga.

© Alexey Seafarer / Adobe Stock

Seattle-based Manson Construction Co., has been awarded a $16,945,950 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging in Saint Marys, Ga. The work is expected to be completed by May 7, 2022.Bids were solicited via the internet with two received, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (W912EP-22-C-0001).Fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance, defense-wide funds in the amount of $16,945,950 were obligated at the time of the award.Manson currently has under construction the U.S.' largest ever hopper dredge


05 Nov 2021

Dominion Energy Files Plans for 2.6GW CVOW Project to Virginia Authorities

Credit: Dominion Energy

U.S. company Dominion Energy expects to file plans later on Friday with the Virginia State Corporation Commission for approval to construct the 2.6-gigawatt Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) commercial project, which will generate enough clean energy to power up to 660,000 homes."The filing keeps the project on schedule and builds on recent economic development announcements, such as the Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy turbine blade factory at the Portsmouth Marine Terminal and Dominion Energy's investment in the only U.S.

12 Oct 2021

Racing for 30GW—and a Piece of the US Offshore Wind Pie

© DJ / Adobe Stock

“30 by 30” is the rallying cry for all concerned with the burgeoning U.S. offshore wind business. In Spring 2021, the Secretaries of Energy, Interior and Commerce resolved to deploy 30 gigawatts (GW) of electricity generated from offshore turbines by 2030. Consultants McKinsey, in a recent article frame the value proposition for this clean fuel source, writing: “During the industry’s 30-year evolution, costs have fallen so sharply that offshore wind now compares favorably with competing energy sources.” For vessel owners, renewable energy brings opportunity.The thrust of near-term U.S.

25 Aug 2021

Huisman Scales Up Production Capacity to Meet Demand from Offshore Wind Sector

Credit: Huisman

Dutch marine equipment maker Huisman, known for its offshore crane solutions, said Wednesday it had doubled the slew bearing production capacity of its facility in Schiedam, the Netherlands. "With this significant increase in production capacity, Huisman is able to meet the growing demand for large diameter slew bearings, an integral part and key component of its Heavy Lift Cranes," Huisman said. As for the expansion, the company said that it was responding to the "considerable"


17 Aug 2021

MacGregor to Equip US' Largest Hopper Dredge

(Image: Manson Construction)

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, will deliver two large, 120 ft. double telescopic service cranes and one 50 ft. telescopic stores crane for a self-propelled hopper dredge. Currently being built for Manson Construction Co., the Frederick Paup will be the largest ever self-propelled trailing suction hopper dredge built in the USA and will operate all over the country.The order was placed by Keppel AmFELS, Inc. and booked into Cargotec’s 2020 fourth quarter order intake. The cranes are planned to be delivered to the yard by the end of 2021


04 Aug 2021

Keppel AmFELS Lays Keel for Manson's New Hopper Dredge

(Photo: Manson Construction)

Manson Construction Co. and Keppel AmFELS, Inc. reached another on-time milestone on Monday, Aug. 2, 2021, celebrating with a Keel Laying Ceremony for the hopper dredge Frederick Paup. The keel laying represents the official commencement of construction of a maritime vessel in its final build position, in this case the starboard half of Hopper Bay No. 3.The ceremony was attended by dignitaries from the shipyard and Manson, including the vessel’s namesake, Manson Chairman of the Board and Executive Vice President


12 Jul 2021

VIDEO: U.S. Offshore Wind Opportunities Abound for Both Local and Foreign Firms

 Credit: Alexisaj/AdobeStock

The U.S. government has recently announced plans to promote offshore wind, with a goal to have 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity installed by 2030, and a whopping 110GW of offshore wind by 2050. It has also committed to supporting the development of a sustainable local offshore wind supply chain, which is set to benefit from $136 billion expected to be spent on U.S. offshore wind development in the U.S. within this decade, as estimated by World Energy Reports. Still, it will take some time to build the local supply capacity, meaning foreign firms will benefit from the U.S.

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