Finnish Shipbuilding and Arctic Operations
The STX Turku Shipyard in Finland recently lost the order for a third Oasis class cruise ship and an option for a fourth to ”sister” shipyard STX France, when neither the owner, the financially troubled STX Group, nor the Finnish government wanted to inject a missing $64.3m to the capital of the shipyard. The yard is currently building two 97,000gt cruise ships for TUI Cruises. In January the shipyard delivered the world’s first LNG-fuelled big size passenger-car ferry, the Viking Grace for Baltic ferry operator Viking Line.
Deck Cargo Vessel Named at STX Turku Yard
Godmother of the vessel, Minister of Transport Merja Kyllönen, gave the ship the name “Meri”. The festive event held on the outfitting dock of the shipyard was witnessed by representatives of the client Gaiamare Ltd, the classification society Bureau Veritas and STX Finland, as well as numerous other guests. The multipurpose vessel MS Meri, scheduled for delivery to the client in summer 2012, is 105.4 metres long and approximately 18.8 metres wide. This modern and environmentally friendly deck cargo vessel, designed for global operation, can be utilised for a wide variety of tasks. When delivered, she will be able to operate as a transport vessel for demanding project cargo such as offshore wind farm structures and for energy wood transport in the Baltic Sea area.
Multi-purpose Deck Cargo Ship Launched
STX Turku Shipyard launches multipurpose deck cargo vessel STX Finland Oy Turku shipyard has launched a multipurpose deck cargo vessel built for Gaiamare Ltd. due delivery later in the year. With a LOA of 105.4 m and a breadth of 18.8 m the yet un-named vessel is described as being designed for multi-purpose uses, including wind-farm structures, as well as having the capability to act as an oil-spill response vessel. Strengthened to Ice Class 1A for Baltic Sea operation, the vessel will be capable of running on bio-fuels.
STX to Carry Out Conversion on Multipurpose Cargo Vessel
STX Finland Oy and Gaiamare Ltd. have signed a conversion contract on extensive modification work on the multipurpose deck cargo vessel Aura I. Modification work will be executed at STX Finland Rauma Shipyard from late June to August, 2012. “The signed conversion contract clearly indicates that our customer has confidence in STX Finland being capable of delivering both demanding new building and conversion on customer’s existing fleet vessels at the same time,” said Juha Mäkinen, vice president of sales and marketing, STX Finland Lifecycle Services.
STX Turku Launches Multipurpose Cargo Vessel
On March 1, 2012, STX Finland Oy Turku shipyard carried out the launch of the multipurpose deck cargo vessel built for Gaiamare Ltd. The vessel will be approximately 105.4 meters long and approx. 18.8 meters wide. The vessel is scheduled to be delivered in late spring 2012. The launching was carried out near the shipyard’s construction basin following traditions of the yard with representatives from Gaiamare Ltd, the classification society Bureau Veritas and STX Finland; invited guests and press also participated. The multipurpose deck cargo vessel is designed to operate globally and can be utilized for various tasks, including transport of demanding project cargo, such as offshore wind farm structure and for energy wood transport in the Baltic Sea area.
Metso Wins Major Automation Contracts for Advanced Ships
Metso has been awarded major automation system contracts for 3 advanced vessels to be built in Finland. One contract is for 2 Multifunctional Icebreaking Supply Vessels (MIBSV) by Arctech Helsinki Shipyard Oy for Russian Sovcomflot. The second is a Multipurpose Deck Cargo Carrier by STX Finland Oy for Finnish Gaiamare Ltd. belonging to Turku based Meriaura Group. The MIBSV’s are designated for the Sakhalin-1 Arkutun-Dagi gas field and will be used as supply vessels for the Exxon Neftegas Ltd gas platform. They are designed for the harsh environmental conditions in the Sakhalin area with drifting ice and temperatures down to minus 35°C.
Multipurpose Deck Cargo Vessel To STX Finland’s Turku Shipyard
On 22 March 2011, STX Finland Oy and Gaiamare Ltd signed a contract for the construction of an innovative and versatile multipurpose deck cargo vessel. The ship will be delivered during spring 2012 and has a length of 105 metres a width of 19 metres. The environmentally friendly ship will provide work for about 300 persons. The concept development for the vessel has been done in close cooperation between STX Finland and Gaiamare. The vessel will have numerous innovations and very high specifications, including the ability to operate efficiently in demanding ice conditions.
