Starts Construction News

Japanese shipping major NYK Group has marked the start of construction of a test facility that will serve to assess the safety of biofuels and accelerate their practical application as marine fuels.NYK plans to complete the installation of the test engine in June and analyze the biofuel in combustion tests over the next three years.The test engine will be a reused generator from the tugboat Sakigake, which is currently being converted to an ammonia-fueled tug, according to NYK.NYK companies Boltech.

Keel laying and steel-cutting ceremonies for two new ferries being built for Scotland's Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) were held this week at Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in Turkey.The first ferry in the production timeline has had its keel laid, while steel-cutting for the second vessel has also begun – three weeks earlier than planned.The new, 94.8-meter vehicle/passenger ferries will each have capacity for up to 450 passengers and 100 cars or 14 commercial vehicles…

Sri Lanka's largest port began on Wednesday construction of a $700 million terminal project, partly funded by India's Adani Group, an official said, marking the first foray by an Indian company into the sector. India has this year provided the most financial support to its southern neighbour, which is facing its worst economic crisis in more than seven decades. India is now keen to see long-term projects by Indian companies take off in Sri Lanka. "Dredging commenced in the morning," Upul Jayatissa, managing director of the state-run Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), told Reuters.

Florida-based St. Johns Ship Building has started construction of a Jones Act-compliant crew transfer vessel which will serve the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind farm in the U.S. Atlantic.The shipyard informed of the keel laying ceremony for the Incat Crowther 30 design crew transfer vessel on Thursday via social media. An image shared to accompany the post shows the ceremony was held on June 30."We could not be happier to have Hornblower and their partners return to St. Johns Ship Building to build the vessels that will help America move closer towards energy independence and a cleaner…

New federal money promises dramatic impacts throughout the United States’ inland waterways system in 2022 and beyond. This report focuses on America’s central rivers; the Western rivers will be covered in a future report. These central rivers reach 11,000 miles, from Pennsylvania to Florida and from Texas to South Dakota.Consider the money within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “Civil Works Program Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), 2022 Construction Spend Plan.”In Arkansas…

Incat Crowther has recently secured contracts to design three offshore Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs) for the U.S. operator Windea CTV.Two of the CTVs will be built by St Johns Ship Building in Florida and one will be built by Gulf Craft in Louisiana.The vessels, which are 30m in length feature a large foredeck with a 23 t.m knuckle boom crane and container securing lugs. The vessels incorporate Incat Crowther’s patented Resilient Bow Technology minimizing boat landing impact forces. The  CTVs vessels will have a deadweight capability of more than 50 tonnes.

U.S.-based offshore wind crew transfer vessel company WINDEA CTV has started construction of three 30-meter hybrid-ready CTVs. Two of the Incat Crowther-designed CTVs will be constructed at St. Johns Ship Building in Palatka, Fla. and one will be built at Gulf Craft in Franklin, La. The CTVs are scheduled to be delivered in 2023 and will go immediately into service for GE Renewables. The vessels will first operate out of New Bedford, Mass., during the Vineyard Wind I construction…

The Port of Beaumont announced its Board of Commissioners have approved a $57.3 million construction bid for a project aimed at increasing the port’s general cargo handling capacity by more than 15%. Phase II of the Main Street Terminal 1 project, awarded to McCarthy Building Companies, includes demolition of a failed dock structure and construction of a new state-of-the-art general cargo dock. The Main Street Terminal 1 project, funded in part by 2017 General Obligation Bonds, a 2019 U.S. DOT BUILD grant, and Port revenues, is expected to be complete by June 2024.

Canada’s shipbuilding and ship repair company Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan), joined by representatives from industry and government,  celebrated the start of construction on the first Joint Support Ship (JSS) for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). The steel cutting ceremony held at Vancouver Shipyards is a significant milestone for Seaspan, the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) and Canada’s shipbuilding industry. With the start of construction on JSS, Seaspan is leading the way in rebuilding Canada’s shipbuilding industry. In addition, start of construction ensures that Seaspan will see the continued growth of Vancouver Shipyards’ workforce while mitigating any possible downturn in production.

On Wednesday, January 25, General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), began construction on a fifth ship for the U.S. Navy’s Expeditionary Transfer Dock (ESD)/Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) program. Designed to provide advanced flexibility and capability for sea-to-shore missions, the newest ESB will include a 52,000 square-foot flight deck, fuel and equipment storage, repair spaces, magazines, mission planning spaces and accommodations for up to 250 personnel. Serving as a ‘pier at sea,’ the 784-foot-long ship is also designed to support MH-53 and MH-60 helicopters and MV-22 tilt rotor aircraft. The ship, ESB 5, is the fifth to be added to a contract between NASSCO and the U.S.

Ivory Coast began construction on Tuesday of a four-year, 560 billion CFA franc ($962 million) project to build a second container terminal and widen the canal leading to its main port in the commercial capital Abidjan. Among the busiest in sub-Saharan Africa, the port serves Ivory Coast, French-speaking West Africa's largest economy and the world's top cocoa producer, and is also a gateway for landlocked nations to the north. China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd was awarded the construction contracts for both projects with the bulk of the cost covered by a loan from China's Eximbank. Construction of the new container terminal, which will be managed by consortium led by France's Bollore, will last 48 months and cost 409 billion CFA francs.

Sanmar AS, a tugboat operator and builder in Turkey, has invested in another shipyard. The new shipyard is located in Altinova, where construction has already begun on several vessels. When totally completed, the new shipyard will be approximately 50,000m2 in total, of which 26,000m2 will comprise a covered and closed production area. Sanmar informs that the infrastructure is being designed to ensure maximum standards of health and safety, also respecting the needs of the environment. Sanmar said it aims to be the greenest shipyard in Turkey.

Huntington Ingalls Industries has started fabrication of the U.S. Navy's next Aegis guided missile destroyer, 'Ralph Johnson' (DDG 114). The ship will be the 30th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer built at the company's Ingalls Shipbuilding division. The start-of-fabrication milestone signifies that 100 tons of steel have been cut for DDG 114. Ingalls uses state-of-the-art robotic cutting machines to ensure the steel is cut and fabricated to exact Navy specifications. Ralph Johnson is expected to be delivered in the first half of 2017.

BAE Systems’ shipyard in Alabama has begun construction on the first of two platform supply vessels (PSVs) for GulfMark Americas, Inc. Executives and employees from both companies gathered recently at the BAE Systems’ facility in Mobile to oversee the initial cutting of steel for the vessel’s first module, which is expected to be delivered in the second half of 2014. The BAE Systems-built 300-Class Green DP2 vessels are designed by MMC Ship Design & Marine Consulting, Ltd. of Poland and will be based on similar PSVs currently under construction for GulfMark abroad. The new vessels will be U.S. flagged and will support the anticipated future demand in the Gulf of Mexico offshore market, as well as other areas around the world.

Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, is building the first of three Chesapeake Class pilot boats for coastal and offshore patrol operations and port security provided by the Colombian Department of the Navy. Designed by C. Raymond Hunt and Associates, the all-aluminum deep-V hull measures 56.6 feet overall, with a 17.8-foot beam and 3-foot draft and will have a top speed of 27 knots. The launch will be powered by twin MAN R6-800CRM diesel engines, each delivering 800 Bhp at 2,100 rpm. The engines turn Ultra Jet UJ-452 water jets through ZF 360 gears. The boat is equipped with a 16kW Alaska Diesel genset. At the transom is a winch-operated, rotating davit over the water-level recessed platform for rescue operations.

Russia's Baltic Shipyard starts construction of the first LK-60 nuclear-powered icebreaker. The LK-60 will be the largest and most powerful icebreaker ever built, making commercial traffic along the Northern Sea Route possible all year around. According to Barents Observer, Russia will have a large demand for new nuclear-powered icebreakers in the near future. Of the existing six vessels that are operating in Arctic waters today only one will be operational by 2020. The three new icebreakers will cost Russia a total of 51,8 billion rubles (app €1,3 billion).

BAE Systems has begun construction on the first of two dump scows for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company. Employees and executives from both companies gathered yesterday for a ceremony to mark the start of construction for the first module, which will weigh approximately 87 tons. When complete, the entire first vessel will weigh about 1,600 tons and measure 295 feet long and 62 feet wide, with a draft of 17 feet. The second vessel, which is scheduled to start in January, will be of the same dimensions and capacity. Both 7,500-cubic-yard, split bottom dump scows will be used to support U.S.

The first steel blank cut has been made at Nordic's Warnemünde shipyard on the largest offshore transformer platform of its type currently under construction worldwide. Wind Farm transformer platform SylWin alpha will be installed west of Sylt to provide the grid connection for DanTysk and Butendiek offshore
wind farms. In accord with the date announced at the contract signing in February this year, the first steel blank cut was made in the presence of representatives of the client, Siemens Energy, and the end customer, TenneT, at the Rostock-Warnemünde yard.

Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, Inc. (APSI), the sole operating subsidiary of Aker Philadelphia Shipyard ASA (AKPS), began production activities today on the first of two Aframax tankers it will build for SeaRiver Maritime Inc. (SeaRiver), Exxon Mobil Corporation’s U.S. marine affiliate. When completed in 2014, the vessels will be 820 feet long and be capable of carrying 115,000 tons of crude oil. Since the shipbuilding contract was signed in September, 2011, engineering, planning, and procurement work have been underway. After a small ceremony in the shipyard’s Fabrication Shop, the cutting of the steel plates began. These plates will become part of the double hull of the tanker, which protects the cargo tanks.

Azimut starts construction on 42-meter triple-deck planing megayacht Azimut Yachts announced the start of construction of their 42-meter  planing megayacht. The largest of the line the new model include accommodation  for twelve guests in five cabins as well crew size of ten. Technically, she will have a top speed in the region of 22-knots with cruising at 17-knots. All to be made possible via her intended twin MTU 16V 4000 M93L engines. Sailing conservatively at 12-knots or less, the Azimut Grande 42-meter will have a range of 1,200 nautical miles or more.

Less than one year after beginning fabrication of Spearhead (JHSV 1), Austal has commenced construction on Vigilant (JHSV 2), the second of up to ten 103-m Joint High Speed Vessels (JHSV). Austal was selected as prime contractor in November 2008 to design and build the first JHSV, with options for nine additional vessels expected to be exercised between FY09 and FY13. Since then, Austal has received construction contracts for JHSV 1, JHSV 2, and JHSV 3 and Long Lead Time Material contracts for JHSV 4 and JHSV 5.

General Dynamics NASSCO began construction of the tenth ship of the U.S. Navy's T-AKE program. The ship will be named later and is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in the third quarter of 2010. The T-AKE ship incorporates international marine technologies and commercial ship-design features, including an integrated electric-drive propulsion system to minimize operating costs over its projected 40-year service life. The primary mission of the ships is to deliver as much as 10,000 tons of food, ammunition, fuel and other provisions to combat ships at sea. NASSCO has delivered the first five ships of the T-AKE class and has construction contracts for five additional ships. The Navy is expected to order the construction of a total of 14 ships.

combat logistics force ships designated the Lewis and Clark class. Navy in almost 20 years," said Richard Vortmann, president of NASSCO. Military Sealift Command. and material - to station ships and other naval forces at sea. ammunition ships and T-AFS combat stores ships. billion to build four Lewis and Clark-class ships. $3.7 billion. employees during that period. The T-AKEs will be 689 ft. (210 m) in length and 105.6 ft. in beam, with a design draft of 9.12 meters (29.9 feet). ammunition and 23,500 barrels of marine diesel fuel.