Steel Cut on Seventh SunStone Infinity Cruise Ship
The steel cutting ceremony for the seventh and final vessel in the Infinity series of expedition cruise ships took place at the Haimen shipyard of China Merchants Heavy Industries (CMHI).The PC6 expedition cruise ship, yet to be named, will embark on a long-term charter upon its delivery, the ship is technically identical to the rest of the Infinity vessels.The Infinity-class newbuilds, featuring up to 95 passenger cabins, each equipped with bathrooms and most with balconies, promise an immersive and comfortable experience for travellers.
Marine News' Top Vessels of 2023
The November edition of Marine News magazine highlighted a selection of the most notable American newbuilds delivered of 2023—from a first-of-its-kind green towboat, to the lead vessel in a series of game-changing ships to train U.S. mariners.Empire StateAs the lead vessel in a series of five new training ships being constructed to serve America's state maritime academies, Empire State is easily one of the most important U.S.-built vessels delivered in recent memory.Built by Philly Shipyard for the U.S.
MODEC Hits Milestone: First Steel Cut in China for Guyana-Bound FPSO Errea Wittu
Japanese FPSO leasing firm MODEC said Thursday that the first steel-cutting ceremony for the Guyana-bound FPSO Errea Wittu had been held in China.MODEC secured its first order to supply an FPSO to Guyana in May 2023. The order came from an ExxonMobil-led consortium and is for the deployment of the FPSO to the giant Stabroek offshore block in Guyana, where Exxon already has three FPSOs in production, all three supplied by SBM Offshore.According to World Energy Reports, China's DSIC has the construction hull contract…
First Steel Cut for Bernhard Schulte Offshore's New CSOV
The steel-cutting ceremony was held Tuesday for the first of two TWIN X-STERN CSOV vessels for Bernhard Schulte Offshore in CRIST, Poland.The vessel's hull will take shape in Gdynia before being transported to Ulstein Verft for further outfitting, testing, and completion.The CSOVs will have a centrally located motion-compensated gangway for walk-to-work operations, a lift tower for the transfer of personnel and cargo, and the capacity to accommodate 132 people on board.Credit: UlsteinThe vessels, being built to support offshore wind operations, have been designed by Ulstein Design & Solutions
Steel Cut for Rizhao Port's Two New Tugs
A steel cutting ceremony was held earlier this month for a pair of new tugs being built for Rizhao Port, Shandong Province, China.The two Robert Allan Ltd. designed RAmparts 3700 ASD tugs are being built at the facilities of Rizhao Gangda Shipbuilding Heavy Industry Co. Ltd.On completion, the new 39.7-meter-long tugs will perform ship-handling and coastal towing for the port, which has seen cargo handling capacity rapidly increase alongside the size of vessels calling the port.
Ulstein to Design Two More Offshore Wind Vessels for Acta Marine
Ulstein Design & Solutions has signed a contract with Turkey's Tersan Shipyard for two methanol-fuelled ULSTEIN SX216 Construction Service Operating Vessel (CSOV) designs. The vessels will be constructed for the Dutch company Acta Marine and will be number 3 and 4 with the TWIN X-STERN solution in the Acta Marine fleet.The SX216 vessel series has a length of 89,9m, a beam of 19,2m and accommodates up to 135 POB. It has a walk-to-work (W2W) motion-compensated gangway for safe personnel transfer to the turbines…
GLDD Preps for its New Hopper Dredge Galveston Island
With dredging business booming in the U.S., companies across the country invest in innovative new tonnage to get the job done more efficiently, effectively and safely. Chris Gunsten, SVP, Project Services & Fleet Engineering, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock (GLDD) and Patrick Webb, Senior Director Sales - Global Marine and Stationary, Wabtec discuss the tech inside the new Conrad-built trailing suction hopper dredge Galveston Island.Conrad Shipyard recently launched Galveston Island, the first of two newbuild hopper dredges being built for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation.
Offshore Wind: IWS Fleet Orders Two More CSOVs from Chinese Shipbuilder
IWS Fleet AS has ordered two more Walk-to-Work commissioning service operations vessels (“CSOV”) from China Merchants Industry Holdings Co., Ltd.The company said Tuesday that the two newbuilds would be delivered in the second quarter of 2025. Following the delivery, the offshore wind vessel owner will have a fleet of six identical Skywalker class vessels designed specifically to support commissioning works during the construction of wind farms, as well as supporting operations and maintenance during the lifetime of offshore wind farms…
First Steel Cut in Turkey for Acta Marine's New Offshore Wind Vessel Duo
The steel cutting ceremony of the first of two next-generation Methanol MDO/HVO-powered DP2 Construction Service Operating Vessels for Acta Marine was held on January 18, 2023, at Tersan in Turkey. The SX216 design of the vessel has been developed exclusively and in close collaboration with Ulstein Design & Solutions AS.The steel cutting is the official kick-off for the construction of the Acta Marine CSOVs at the shipyard. The 89-meter-long vessels will have motion-compensated crane and a motion-compensated gangway provided by SMST…
Steel Cut for Fourth National Security Multi-Mission Vessel
Philly Shipyard held a steel cutting ceremony for the fourth in a series of new training ships it is building for the United States' state maritime academies.Scheduled for delivery to the Texas A&M Maritime Academy in Galveston, Texas in 2025, the new National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) is being built under a program for the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD), which owns and operates training ships for the nation's state maritime academiesMARAD's NSMV program is designed to provide a purpose-built…
Eni to Deploy FLNG Unit Offshore the Republic of Congo
Italian oil giant Eni has signed a contract with China's Wison Heavy Industry for the construction and installation of a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) unit with a capacity of 2.4 MTPA (million tons per annum). The FLNG will be deployed offshore the Republic of Congo.The 380-meter-long and 60-meter-wide vessel will be anchored at a water-depth of around 40 meters and will be able to store over 180,000 cubic meters of LNG and 45,000 cubic meters of LPG. Preliminary activities have already started…
Marine News' Top Vessels of 2022
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.
First Steel Cut for CMAL's New Islay Ferries
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…
INPEX Files $970M Claim Against DSME for Ichthys Venturer FPSO Work
Japanese oil and gas company INPEX has filed a $970 million claim against South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine & Engineering, seeking compensation for alleged delays and construction issues related to a 2012 FPSO order.DSME said in a stock exchange INPEX had filed a request for arbitration at the International Chamber of Commerce.In a stock exchange announcement last Friday, DSME said the case was related to an FPSO order made by INPEX in 2012, and that the FPSO was completed and departed from Okpo Shipyard in 2017…
First Steel Cut for TUI Cruises' LNG-powered Cruise Ship
The first steel cutting ceremony was held for the first of two LNG-powered ships for the cruise ship operator TUI Cruises.Shipbuilder Fincantieri said Wednesday that the construction start-up ceremony had taken place in the presence of Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI, and Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager Merchant Ship Division of Fincantieri, in San Giorgio di Nogaro (Udine) at Centro Servizi Navali, a company specialized in logistics and production of sheet metal for the Fincantieri yards located in northeastern Italy.
Integrated Wind Solutions Orders Another Skywalker-class CSOV in China
Norway-based offshore vessel owner Integrated Wind Solutions (“IWS”) has ordered two Walk-to-Work Commissioning Service Operations Vessels (“CSOV”). The vessels are scheduled for delivery in H1 2024 from China Merchants Industry, Hong Kong. Currently, IWS has two identical vessels on order for delivery in 2023 and option agreements for up to two additional vessels for potentially H2 2024 delivery.The firm yard price for the two vessels is about EUR 48 million per vessel (around $52,76 million).
First Steel Cut for IWS' Second Skywalker Class SOV
Just weeks after Norway-based Integrated Wind Solutions ASA announced first steel was cut for its lead Skywalker class construction service operations vessel, the company has revealed work is underway to build the second vessel in the series A steel cutting ceremony for IWS Windwalker was held Monday—10 days ahead of the initial project plan—at China Merchants Heavy Industry facility in Jiangsu, China, following the ceremony for IWS Skywalker at the same yard on January 14.“We…
Offshore Wind: First Steel Cut for IWS Fleet's Construction Service Operation Vessel
Norway-based offshore shipowner IWS Fleet said Monday that the first steel had been cut in China for its Construction Service Operation Vessel (CSOV).The steel cutting ceremony was held at the China Merchants Heavy Industry facility in Jiangsu, China, on Friday, January 14, 2022.The walk-to-work vessel will be named IWS Skywalker and start its first contract at the Dogger Bank Wind Farm in summer 2023. The giant 3.6GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm is owned by SSE, Equinor, and ENI.The…
First Steel Cut, Name Revealed for Seaway 7's WTIV
Seaway 7, a company specializing in offshore wind installation services, has informed that construction has started for its next-generation Wind Turbine Installation Vessel (WTIV) at the China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) facility in Jiangsu, China. In a statement on Thursday, Seaway 7 said the first steel cutting ceremony marked the first major milestone in bringing its GustoMSC NG-14000XL-G jack-up vessel to the market.This week, Seaway 7 also revealed the new build vessel’s name; Seaway Ventus meaning ‘wind’ in Latin.
Steel Cut for Finnlines’ New RoPax
China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Weihai, China has cut first steel for Finncanopus, the second of two Superstar ro-pax vessels ordered by Finnlines.Construction of the series' first vessel, Finnsirius, started earlier this year, and keel-laying is scheduled to take place in April 2022. So-called mock-ups have been built of cabins, as well as public spaces, to check and test the quality and fine-tune details.Freight drivers, who are frequent travelers on the Finland–Sweden line…
UK: First Steel Cut for First Type 31 Frigate HMS Venturer
First steel was cut Thursday for the first of the UK Royal Navy’s five new Type 31 frigates, HMS Venturer.The historic ceremony took place at Babcock's factory in Rosyth, Scotland, where the Type 31 Inspiration class ships are being constructed."The frigates will be at the heart of the Royal Navy’s surface fleet, deterring aggression and maintaining the security of the UK’s interests as well as providing humanitarian relief when needed. The frigates will work alongside the UK’s Allies to deliver a warship presence across the globe and enable a forward naval presence…
Video: First Steel Cut for Aircraft Carrier Doris Miller
A steel cutting ceremony was held on Wednesday for the U.S. Navy’s newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Doris Miller (CVN 81).Slated to be the fourth Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, CVN 81 is currently under construction at Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding shipyard in Newport News, Va. Doris Miller’s keel is scheduled to be laid in 2026 and delivered to the Navy in 2032.Doris Miller is the second ship of the two-carrier contract award HII received in January 2019 for the detail design and construction of the Gerald R.
Steel Cut for UK's New Warship HMS Belfast
A steel cutting ceremony was held for the U.K. Royal Navy's third Type 26 frigate, HMS Belfast, with all three of the first batch of City Class frigates now under construction.Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, set the plasma cutting machine to work on the first plate of steel at BAE Systems’ shipyard in Glasgow. The U.K.-sourced steel plate will form part of a unit which will contain the machinery space for the gearbox and stabilizers of HMS Belfast.Minister of State for Defense Baroness Goldie…