Austal USA Plans New Facility and Shiplift in Mobile
Shipbuilder Austal USA announced it is planning to boost capacity at its Mobile, Ala. shipyard with the addition of a new manufacturing facility.The infrastructure expansion, which will be to the south of Austal USAâs current waterfront facility, will include a new assembly building, waterfront improvements, and a new Pearlson-designed shiplift system. Start of construction on the project is planned for summer 2024.The construction of this new building and waterfront support area continues the expansion Austal USA began in March 2021 with the groundbreaking of the steel panel line.
Aurora Botnia - RoPax Ferry + Greentech Proving Ground
Built by Rauma Marine Constructions, in Rauma, Finland, and launched in 2021, the 150-meter-long Aurora Botnia boasts a long list of onboard equipment that help it to earn its âgreenâ designation, a label that is confirmed via a Clean Design notation from classification society DNV. The ship is also compliant with the International Maritime Organizationâs (IMO) 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target.Wasaline CEO Peter Ståhlberg describes Aurora Botnia as âa masterpiece of cooperationâ and noted that the vessel is over 80% domestic made."I'm really proud of the Aurora Botnia.
Great Ships of '22: MV George III, LNG Containership
Operating on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from day one in service, the MV George III, the first of Pasha Groupâs two new âOhana Classâ, 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.
Incat and ABB to Develop Lightweight Hybrid-electric Ferry
Australian shipbuilder Incat Tasmania will work with technology company ABB to explore building an electric ferry with hybrid-electric propulsion which could transition to battery power as shore charging becomes available.Seeking a transitional route to zero-emission operations for the ferry segment, Incat and ABB will evaluate the suitability of the âIncat 148Eâ - a 148-meter-long roll-on roll-off passenger (RoPax) catamaran for operating in hybrid mode as well as adapting to full battery operation at a later stage.Conceived by Revolution DesignâŚ
Austal USA Begins Building Its First Steel Ship
Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Austal USA on Monday said it celebrated the start of construction on the companyâs first steel ship, a U.S. Navy Navajo Class Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship (T-ATS 11).âIt seems like only yesterday we were breaking ground on our steel shipbuilding facility and here we are, a little over a year later, beginning construction on our first steel ship,â said Austal USA Vice President of New Construction, Dave Growden.Austal USA, which has built a number of aluminum vessels for government and commercial customersâŚ
Austal USA Opens New Steel Facility
Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Austal USA hosted a ceremony to celebrate the opening of its new facility which adds steel shipbuilding capability to the companyâs well-established aluminum shipbuilding expertise.âWe are so excited to see our plans to add steel to our capabilities come to fruition,â said Austal USA President Rusty Murdaugh. âThe addition of steel capability is a game changer as it opens up our capability to support the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and other customers with high-quality ships.
Austal USA Partners With Steel Provider SSAB
Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Austal USA announced it has entered into contract with local Alabama steel provider SSAB to provide steel for the new Towing, Salvage, and Rescue ships (T-ATS) it is building for the U.S. Navy.Austal said it will source various strength and sized steel plating from SSAB capable of being cut, shaped, welded, and fitted resulting in the construction of support ships and potential combat ships for our U.S. military.âSSAB not only provides us with quality steelâŚ
In the Shipyard: Austal USA Opens Ship Repair Business in Mobile
Known best for its construction of U.S. Navy warships, Austal USA in September 2020 acquired waterfront property along the Mobile River and established a commercial ship repair facility. Mike Bell, Austalâs VP Operations and Harley Combs, Director, Austal West Campus Ship Repair discuss the plan. Austal USAâs long-established shipbuilding facility in Mobile, Ala., is a modern ship manufacturing factory, one of the largest aluminum warship builders in the world producing new ships for the U.S. Navy.
Ship of the Month: Mercy Ships and the Quest to Build Global Mercy
Mercy Ships is known globally for its charitable work performing medical procedures in developing countries. For the first time, the organization has a new ship, Global Mercy, recently delivered from a shipyard in China. Jim Paterson, Marine Executive Consultant, Mercy Ships takes Maritime Reporter & Engineering News inside the construction of the worldâs largest civilian hospital ship.Jim Paterson already had a career and Chief Engineerâs Certificate when he joined Mercy Ships nearly 34 years ago, in search of a life change to make a difference.
Great Ships 2019: T. Elinor
Adnan NefesoÄlu, RMK MARINEâs CEO, thought a short moment and replied by reflecting his self-confidence âYes, we can doâ, when the local client came and asked RMK MARINE in early 2016 that: âWe have two main engines, procured eight years ago and standing in a depot since then. They have Tier I feature. Can you convert them first to Tier II compliant engines, to be followed with Tier III compliant features, make them fully operable and then can you build two ships around 15.000-16.000 dwtâŚ
Cammell Laird Leads Welding Research Project
Merseyside shipyard and engineering services company Cammell Laird has won a £1.5 million tender with Innovate UK to develop electron beam welding technology in the shipbuilding, offshore and nuclear sectors.Cammell Laird will act as primary contractor to test the equipment at its Birkenhead site using its team of welders and engineers, together with partners TWI Limited which will provide research, and support in welding codes and standards. The third partner, Cambridge Vacuum Engineering will manufacture the electron beam machine.John EldridgeâŚ
Training Flight Deck at Sea Comes to Australia
Australiaâs new multirole aviation training vessel MV Sycamore has recently arrived in Sydney. Designed to support Defence helicopter training, having been launched in Vietnam in August 2016, built by Skelder and overseen by Serco Defence, the 94-metre ship is a flight deck equipped sea-going training vessel for the crews of most types of helicopters used by the Australian Defence Force. Captain Al Whittaker said building of the Damen-designed steel ship began in 2015. âSycamore has completed its harbour acceptance testing, systems factory acceptance testing and the shipyard acceptance tests,â he said. The ship arrived in Sydney on June 26, where her flag state was changed to the Australian Maritime Safety Authorityâs red ensign.
Elmer A. Sperry: Pioneer of Modern Naval Tech
Elmer A. Sperry casts a long shadow over the history of modern naval, nautical and aeronautical technology, one few people know much about, but should, for a man crowned both the âfather of modern navigational technologyâ and âthe father of automatic feedback and control systems,â as well as a pioneer of rocket and missile technology. âIt is safe to say that no one American has contributed so much to our naval technical progress,â eulogized Charles Francis Adams III, Secretary of the Navy from 1929-1933, on the death of engineering genius Elmer Ambrose Sperry, June 16, 1930, at 69.
Peel Ports Pulls Out all the Stops
Operations team docks crucial bulk steel vessel at Port of Liverpool container terminal in order to overcome weather delays and provide an innovative customer-centric solution, which brings added value to customer supply chain. Peel Ports are never one to complain about gloomy weather, staying true to their values of being more than just a port; the owner and operator of the Port of Liverpool demonstrated innovative thinking and flexibility to solve challenges by taking on the elements.
ClassNK Updates Steel Ship Survey/Construction Guidance
ClassNK announced the release of the latest versions of its Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships. These versions include all amendments dated May 17, 2013. Among the amendments made to the Rules and Guidance this time is the establishment of the âRules for the Inspection and Registration of Maritime Labor Systems.â Shipowners can now apply to ClassNK and request inspections of their Maritime Labor Systems conducted in accordance with the above amendment.
ClassNK Releases 2013 Steel Ship Rules
ClassNK released the 2013 edition of the Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships. ClassNK continuously reviews, updates and amends its technical rules and guidance as part of its ongoing efforts to improve the safety of life and property at sea, and to protect the marine environment. This yearâs edition of the rules and guidance contains a number of amendments made in 2012, reflecting its latest research outcomes, damage investigation and analysis of actual cases, amendments to statutory rules and regulations and requests from the maritime industry. Amendment: New requirements for the Energy Efficiency, etc.
U.S. Navy: The Business Case for a Titanium Ship
Participants at a workshop exploring the use of titanium structure for ships found that it is not only possible to construct a ship hull from titaniumâor Ti, it could be cost effective. The workshop was sponsored by the Office of Naval Research and hosted by the University of New Orleans, where an ONR research program on titanium ship structures is being conducted. Representatives of the shipbuilding industry, titanium suppliers, Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force labs, and academia discussed and examined materials, processes and applications. Most ships today are primarily made from steel.
US Navy: DDG 1000's Composite Deckhouse Milestone
Composite materials are used to make cars, planes and boats, and have been used to build minesweepers and small surface combatants. Now, the largest composite structure ever builtâthe DDG 1000 destroyer deckhouseâhas been fabricated in Mississippi and is being shipped to Maine for assembly aboard the future USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000). In this dramatic example of a âshared build,â General Dynamics Bath Iron Works is the lead yard, but the superstructure and hangar are being built at Huntington Ingalls Industries (formerly Northrop Grumman Ship Systems) Composite Center of Excellence at GulfportâŚ
Proposed ASTM Standard to Cover Use of Doublers in Ship Repair
Many ship owners and operators repair ship structures with temporary steel patches known as doublers. The U.S. Coast Guard and Navy, as well as other maritime authorities, usually allow such patches until the shipâs next inspection period, which can be as long as three to five years from the date of repair. Despite this situation, there is not currently a standard for repairing steel hull ships with doublers.Subcommittee F25.01 on Structures is now working on a proposed new standard that will cover doublers: ASTM WK30649, Guide for Steel Ship Structure Repair Doubler Plate Design. The subcommittee is part of ASTM International Committee F25 on Ships and Marine Technology.
MHI Delivers 300th Ship to MOL
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) delivered MOL COMPETENCE, a large-size containership, to Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) at the Koyagi Plant of MHI's Nagasaki Shipyard and Machinery Works. The container ship marks the 300th vessel delivered from MHI to MOL. The 8,100 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit), 90,000 gross ton MOL COMPETENCE is the largest container ship built by MHI. It is one of a series of ships targeting reduced weight and improved transportation efficiencyâŚ
Maritime Exchange Urges Bush to Repeal Tariffs on Steel Imports
The Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay, in a coordinated effort with business leaders and local longshore unions, today called on President Bush to repeal the Section 201 tariffs imposed on steel imports in March of last year. This action was taken following the release of the International Trade Commission (ITC) report on the effects of the steel tariffs on domestic steel-consuming industries and domestic steel producers. In a letter to President Bush, Maritime Exchange President Dennis Rochford, cited the adverse economic impact these tariffs have had on the tri-state regional port complex. "Steel ship arrivals will drop from 210 last year to 150 by the end of this year.
Steel, Ship Prices Soar
Soaring steel prices are now a major concern for leading shipbuilders. Uncertainty about spiraling material costs is even causing some yards to defer new orders, market reports indicate. âThe lack of steel in some shipyards of the three major shipbuilding nations is causing newbuildings for 2007 and 2008 to be delayed,â says New York tanker broker Poten & Partners in a recent market report. âSome shipyards are not accepting any more ship orders beyond late 2007 or 2008 delivery because of the lack of berth availabilityâŚ
News: Steel, Ship Prices Soar as Tankers Stay Firm
Soaring steel prices are now a major concern for leading shipbuilders. Uncertainty about spiraling material costs is even causing some yards to defer new orders, market reports indicate. "The lack of steel in some shipyards of the three major shipbuilding nations is causing newbuildings for 2007 and 2008 to be delayed," says New York tanker broker Poten & Partners in a recent market report. "Some shipyards are not accepting any more ship orders beyond late 2007 or 2008 delivery because of the lack of berth availability, insecurity stemming from the dollar's weakness, as well as uncertain steel cost," the broker says. China may as well build ships, says Poten, as "they're taking all the steel".