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Build Program News

16 Jan 2024

BC Ferries Awards Shipyard Contract for New Hybrid Electric Vessels

© Elena_Alex / Adobe Stock

Canada's BC Ferries announced Dutch shipbuilding conglomerate Damen Shipyards Group has been selected to build its four new hybrid electric Island Class vessels.Damen, the same shipbuilder that built BC Ferries’ previous six Island Class ferries between 2020 and 2022, will construct the vessels in Romania, after its bid was selected from among several proposals received from around the world. No Canadian companies bid for the build program, BC Ferries said.The agreement is a design-build…

08 Dec 2023

Philly Shipyard Lays Keel for Fourth NSMV

(Photo: Philly Shipyard)

Philly Shipyard this week held a keel laying ceremony for the fourth of five new purpose built, state-of-the-art training vessels for America’s state maritime academies.The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) new vessel program – known as National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMVs) – was designed to provide world-class training for America’s future mariners and to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions in times of need.

13 Feb 2023

Kongsberg Kit for Italy's Submarine Rescue Ship

The new SDO-SuRS (Special and Diving Operations - Submarine Rescue Ship) to be built by the Italian shipyard T.Mariotti for the Italian navy. Image courtesy Kongsber/T. Mariotti

Kongsberg Maritime will provide a suite of equipment to a newbuild ship dubbed SDO-SuRS (Special and Diving Operations - Submarine Rescue Ship) to be built by the Italian shipyard T.Mariotti for Marina Militare Italiana (The Italian Navy).Central to this order are a pair of Kongsberg Elegance propulsion pods, direct electric permanent magnet motor driven pods matched with a Kongsberg electric power system, including batteries and power management system.According to Kongsberg…

23 Jan 2023

Marine Services Exec Chad Verret Starts New Consultancy

Chad Verret

Chad Verret, a former executive in the offshore marine services business, has started a new marine consultancy called Verret Marine Consulting, LLC. The Louisiana-based company has offices in the Houston area and in Morgan City, La. and will be focused on areas such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel, alternative fuels and marine based liquefaction projects.Verret got his start in the offshore industry nearly 40 years ago, signing on with Tidewater Marine as a deckhand in 1985…

05 Dec 2022

Conrad Launches Great Lakes' New Hopper Dredge

Galveston Island (Photo: Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation)

U.S. shipbuilding group Conrad Shipyard recently launched Galveston Island, the first of two newbuild hopper dredges being built for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation, the United States' largest provider of dredging services. The new 6,500-cubic-yard-capacity trailing suction hopper dredge is in the water and is scheduled to be in operation the first half of 2023 as planned, Great Lakes said in an update on Monday.The dredge will be equipped with a direct high-power pump-ashore installation, dredging system automation, dynamic positioning and tracking, U.S.

07 Oct 2022

Austal USA Cleared to Begin OPC Stage 2 After Eastern Withdraws Protest

(Image: Austal USA)

Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Austal USA has been cleared to begin the second stage of the U.S. Coast Guard's (USCG) Heritage-class offshore patrol cutter (OPC) build program following the withdrawal of an award protest filed by an unsuccessful bidder, the USCG said on Thursday.In June, Austal USA was awarded a $208.26 million contract for detail design and long lead-time material for one OPC, with options for production of up to 10 additional vessels. The deal could be worth up to $3.33 billion if all options are exercised.

04 Oct 2022

First Steel Cut for CMAL's New Islay Ferries

Jim Anderson, director of vessels at CMAL, starts up the machine to cut the first piece of steel. (Photo: CMAL)

The construction of Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd's (CMAL) two new ferries for Islay is officially underway after a steel-cutting ceremony at Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in Turkey on Monday.The new 94.8-meter vehicle passenger ferries will each have capacity for up to 450 passengers and 100 cars or 14 commercial vehicles, providing a combined 40% increase in vehicle and freight capacity on the Islay routes and improving the overall resilience of the wider fleet. Carbon reduction…

30 Jun 2022

USCG Awards Austal USA Stage 2 Offshore Patrol Cutter Contract

A recent aerial image of most of Austal USA's Mobile, Ala. facilities, including its new steel panel line addition. (Photo: Austal USA)

Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Austal USA has been awarded a contract to build up to 11 medium-endurance Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPC) for the U.S. Coast Guard.The initial $208.26 million award supports detail design and long lead-time material for one OPC, with options for production of up to 10 additional vessels, the Coast Guard announced on Thursday. The deal could be worth up to $3.33 billion if all options are exercised.The 11 Heritage class cutters, designated as Stage 2 of the overall OPC program, follow the first four OPCs being built by Florida shipbuilder Eastern Shipbuilding Group.

02 Jun 2022

Harland & Wolff Returns to Action with First Newbuild Order

© Shawn / Adobe Stock

The historic Belfast shipyard Harland & Wolff announced it has secured its first newbuild order since being bought out of administration in 2019.The shipyard, best known for having built the Titanic, is returning to action after being purchased by London-based InfraStrata. The yard said on Wednesday that it was awarded an initial contract worth approximately £8.5 million to build 11 barges for U.K.-based waste management and recycling company Cory, setting in motion the yard's…

01 Jun 2022

Cory Orders 11 Barges from Harland & Wolff

Credit; Harland & Wolff

Harland & Wolff said Wednesday it had won an initial contract worth around £8.5 million (around $10,7 million) with Cory for the fabrication of eleven barges. Cory, a UK-based waste management and recycling company, will use the barges to transport London’s recyclable and non-recyclable waste on the River Thames. Harland & Wolff will build the barges at its Belfast site, with first steel being cut within approximately eight weeks’ time. The program schedule allows for four barges to be built in tandem, with the entire build program ending around mid-2023.

14 Apr 2022

Norwind Offshore Orders Two More CSOVs from VARD

Credit: VARD

Norwind Offshore, a recently established offshore wind services firm in Norway, has awarded VARD contracts for the design and construction of two additional Commissioning Service Operations Vessels (CSOVs).Norway's Farstad, Volstad, and Kleven in October 2021 teamed up and formed Norwind Offshore, a company focused purely on offshore wind. Announcing the company launch, they also announced orders with Vard for the delivery of three vessels by 2024, two newbuild CSOV, and one conversion of a platform supplier into a Service Operation Vessel (SOV).

31 Mar 2022

Hurtigruten Plans First Emissions Free Ship by 2030

MS Nordnorge in Hjørundfjorden in Norway. Photo: Fabrice Milochau / Hurtigruten Norway

Hurtigruten Norwegian Coastal Express partners with SINTEF to create zero emission ships for the Norwegian coast by 2030.Since 1893, Hurtigruten Norwegian Coastal Express has carried local passengers, goods, and tourists between 34 ports. The company is currently upgrading its existing fleet through what is one of the biggest environmental upgrade programs of it's kind in Europe, that will see CO2-emissions cut by 25% and NOx by 80%. The company aims to be a leader in sustainable travel…

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…

06 Mar 2022

Infrastructure Funding Opportunities for Small Ports

© Jon / Adobe Stock

In the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021, Congress amended the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) administered by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) to reserve to smaller ports 18% of the amounts appropriated for grants under the PIDP, and increased this percentage to 25% in the NDAA for FY 2022. This replaced the minimum dollar threshold for PIDP grants of the lesser of $10 million or 10% of the total amount appropriated for the PIDP for a fiscal year.

27 Jan 2022

Ørsted and Eversource to Charter Newbuild CTVs from WindServe and AOS

WindServe Marine's WindServe Odyssey began operations in 2020 (Photo: WindServe Marine)

Offshore wind developers Ørsted and Eversource announced Thursday that they have chosen two regional vessel operators that will partner with Rhode Island shipyards to build crew transfer vessels (CTV) to service their wind farm projects in the U.S. Northeast. The joint venture partners revealed plans to charter five new Jones-Act-compliant CTVs, including three from New York-based WindServe Marine and two from Massachusetts-based American Offshore Services (AOS).The purpose-built aluminum catamarans are designed to handle the unique offshore conditions at the wind farms…

15 Sep 2021

Babcock Introduces Arrowyard Shipbuilding Approach

British aerospace, defense and security company Babcock has launched a new shipbuilding approach enabling international customers to build and support the company’s Arrowhead 140 frigate (AH140) in-country. Launched at DSEI 2021, Arrowyard enables the construction of the AH140 hull, superstructure and components, final assembly and outfitting and also supports the development of sovereign in-service fleet support capability.Babcock will share its experience in preparing and investing in facilities…

28 Jun 2021

Metal Shark: Moving Fast Ahead

Metal Shark has recently introduced the 45, 52, and 63 Fearless Super Interceptors, boasting top speeds of 70 knots. (Image: Metal Shark)

In any business, companies that achieve success must do at least one thing extraordinarily well. Shipbuilders like Metal Shark Boats are among companies that have taken their success to the next level by do a lot of things well. Government and commercial. Aluminum, steel and fiberglass. Serial and custom. Newbuild and repair. Sixteen to 300-plus feet. Patrol boats, pilot boats, fireboats, passenger ferries. Domestic and international. Metal Shark has thrived across the board.A…

11 Mar 2021

SAFE Boats to Reopen Tacoma Shipyard for Naval Build Program

(Photo: SAFE Boats)

U.S. shipbuilder SAFE Boats International will reopen its Tacoma, Wash. facility following the award of a $20 million lead contract for the U.S. Navy to start construction of the Mark VI patrol boats headed for the government of Ukraine.The U.S. Navy announced in January it had awarded SAFE Boats a portion of the contract to purchase long-lead material and associated pre-production and planning support with the remaining $80 million award anticipated in June.SAFE Boats’ Tacoma…

01 Mar 2021

Shipbuilder Halter Marine Orders Inrotech Welding Robots

(Photo: Halter Marine)

A set of welding robots will help Halter Marine to improve productivity as it ramps up to build the U.S. Coast Guard’s new Polar Security Cutter (PSC).Denmark-based Inrotech said it will deliver its Inrotech-MicroTwin, Inrotech-Classic and Inrotech-Crawler to the the Pascagoula, Miss. shipyard in early 2021.Inrotech’s automated robot welding solution is customized according to Halter Marine’s production needs to efficiently weld components of the 460-foot Polar Security Cutter along with other oceangoing vessels, the company said.

20 Oct 2021

Roberts Named President of Foss Maritime

Will Roberts (Photo: Foss Maritime)

Seattle-based tug and towing company Foss Maritime said its chief operating officer Will Roberts has been promoted to president.“It was evident to our leadership team that Will’s ability to perform at the highest level along with his business acumen continues to align very well with our organization,” said Jason Childs CEO of Foss' parent company Saltchuk Marine. “As we look to the future, we’re confident that Will is the right person to lead Foss and carry on the long legacy of providing the highest level of service and support to our team and customers in the maritime sector.”Roberts said…

07 Jan 2021

Halter Marine Upgrades Launch Way for Polar Security Cutter Build

Augers drill 110-foot long holes to house concrete piles as part of the launch way 
upgrade project at Halter Marine. (Photo: Halter Marine)

Gearing up to build the U.S.' first new heavy icebreaker in decades, Pascagoula, Miss. shipbuilder Halter Marine said it is upgrading the launch way area where the U.S. Coast Guard's Polar Security Cutter (PSC) will be constructed.The detailed design phase is "rapidly progressing", the shipbuilder said, and the 460-foot icebreaker is the heaviest vessel per foot of length that Halter Marine has constructed. The launch way has been fortified to accommodate the PSC’s 19,000-ton launch weight.Bob Merchent, President and CEO of Halter Marine.

02 Nov 2020

US Shipyards: Always on the Job Hunt

Gulf Copper & Manufacturing Corp is constantly on the lookout for quality tradesmen. (Photo: Gulf Copper)

American shipyards form an important economic engine, supporting nearly 400,000 jobs, $25.1 billion of labor income and $37.3 billion in gross domestic product (GDP), according to figures from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD).It’s a good thing, then, that U.S. shipyards were deemed essential businesses amid COVID-19 and have remained up and running throughout the pandemic. And it’s even better that most yards have been able to keep their workers employed despite less than stable market conditions…

22 Oct 2020

RRS Sir David Attenborough Starts Sea Trials

(Photo: Cammell Laird )

The U.K.’s most advanced polar research ship RRS Sir David Attenborough left Cammell Laird shipyard Wednesday to commence two weeks of technical sea trials ahead of scheduled delivery to the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) in November.“Although the vessel’s construction is now complete, trials are a critical and final part of the program as they allow our engineers and the ship’s crew to put the vessel through its paces at sea,” said Linton Roberts, Director of Operations at Cammell Laird.

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