NEW YORK -- Aluminum producer Alcoa Inc. will see its advanced shipbuilding techniques paying off in an initial $2.1 million U.S. Navy contract. Alcoa said the processes give the company an edge over competitors and saves procurement costs. The company also said the contract will enable it to develop advanced welding techniques, which are seen likely to reduce costs of aluminum-intensive shipbuilding. Alcoa will adapt high-deposition gas metal arc welding technology to marine structures, enabling the Navy to reduce the cost of shipbuilding. Total projected savings for the Navy could be as much as $200 million under current shipbuilding plans, the company said.