Carrier Building News

GAIL India, largest state-owned natural gas processing and distribution company in India, will likely scrap the tender for hiring LNG ships after failing to negotiate acceptable terms with bidders in what would hurt India's ambition to build high-tech LNG carriers at home under the Make in India programme, reports the Economic Times. The oil marketing giant had issued a tender last September seeking to charter at least 9 LNG vessels to bring home from the US up to 5.8 million tonne of gas annually from early 2018. Successful bidders were supposed to locally build a third of all ships they make under the Make in India plan. GAIL received bids from 2 Japanese consortiums after the deadlines for submissions were extended more than once.

In 1864 Abraham Lincoln was president, and the U.S. was embroiled in the midst of civil war. In 1864, McAllister Towing was established (originally as the Greenpoint Lighterage Co.) in New York City. McAllister Towing has persevered, and at times, served, through nine wars, 28 presidents, at least three catastrophic stock market crashes; collapsing oil prices, generations of advances in ship technology and vessel construction and design; and an explosion in maritime regulation.

Reuters –  Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert told reporters late on Monday that the Navy would have no choice but to curtail funding for a planned refueling of the nuclear-powered USS George Washington aircraft carrier if sharp cuts in military spending remained in effect for 2016 and beyond. Such a decision, he said, would have a big impact on the shipbuilding industrial base, noting that the refueling involved several hundred thousand man-days of work, and could affect the ability of carrier building Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc to build the next aircraft carrier.

A strong continuation in the recovery of LNG expenditure is underway worldwide, driven by a growing demand for natural gas. The new eighth edition of Douglas-Westwood’s (DW) World LNG Market Forecast expects that global capital expenditure (Capex) will total nearly $228B during the 2013-2017 period. The surge includes capital expenditure on base-load onshore and offshore fixed LNG liquefaction, LNG carriers and LNG regasification, via both onshore and offshore fixed import terminals.

Unitor won contracts from Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., worth approximately $5.65m for specialized insulation systems for LNG and LPG carriers under construction at this South Korean shipyard. Hyundai has chosen Unitor to deliver a foam insulation system for the cargo tanks on a 12,000 grt LPG carrier building for a European owner. The contract is valued in the region of $650,000. Unitor has delivered more than 70 foam in situ (molded) insulation systems for liquefied petroleum gas carriers, mainly in Europe. This is Unitor's first LPG contract with Hyundai Heavy Industries and is an important breakthrough for the company in this part of the world, which has become the center for the construction of LPG carriers, with new deliveries currently running at 20-30 vessels per year.

Wärtsilä Corporation has received the second order for Sulzer RT-flex diesel engines, which are powerplants that apply common-rail fuel injection with full electronic control to Sulzer RTA-series low-speed marine diesel engines. The units are reported to deliver benefits such as lower exhaust emissions, or lower fuel consumption at part load. Two seven-cylinder Sulzer RT-flex60C engines have been ordered to propel two 13,200 dwt containerized reefer ships contracted at Estaleiros Navais de Viana do Castelo in Portugal. Each 7RT-flex60C engine will have a maximum continuous output of 16,520 kW (22,470 bhp) at 114 rpm. The engines will be built at Wärtsilä's Trieste, Itlay facility. The ships have been contracted by the Agricultural Export Co.

The official shop test of the first modern large diesel engine with common-rail fuel injection, a Sulzer 6RT-flex58T-B, has been successfully completed. This revolutionary engine has no camshaft and runs with electronic control of all key engine functions to give flexibility in operation and reduced exhaust emissions. The engine has a maximum continuous power of 12,750 kW and was built under licence from Wärtsilä Corporation by Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd at their Ulsan works, Korea. It will be installed in a 47,000 tdw bulk carrier building for Gypsum Transportation Ltd at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in Korea. As this is the first production engine built with the Sulzer RT-flex common-rail system…

Schat-Harding, a maker of lifeboats and davits, reported a strong orderbook in the third quarter of 2004, with orders totaling $16 million booked, driven by strong demand from passenger ships, offshore rigs, LNG and ice-class tankers and naval vessels. Key passenger ship orders included six CTL38 cruise tenders and 14 MPC32 compact cruise lifeboats with PD davits for two MSC newbuildings at Chantiers de l'Atlantique, eight MPC32 boats and VIP davits for a series of RoPax building at Italy's Visenti yard, and two MPC32 boats with davits for the lengthening of the RCCL Enchantment of the Seas. Offshore orders included two KISS800 systems for the Atwood Beacon rig, four KISS boats and davits for Pemex and two MCB 600 boats for the Dolphin Energy project.