Wcc News

Australia's Birdon Group announced its U.S. subsidiary has reached a deal to acquire Metal Shark Boats' shipyard in Bayou La Batre, Ala.Birdon America said it will utilize the 32-acre facility for vessel repair work as well as newbuild activity, including construction of the U.S. Coast Guard's $1.187 billion 27-vessel Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program awarded to Birdon in 2022.Birdon Group CEO, Jamie Bruce, said, “The investment in this facility will not only ensure we deliver on our promise to the U.S.

Spencer Johnson has joined Birdon as the ship design director building on his extensive career in shipbuilding, naval architecture and engineering. Johnson will lead Birdon’s engineering and integrated product teams to deliver 27 vessels to the U.S. Coast Guard for the Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program.“Spencer’s background leading large ship design and construction projects make him a great fit for Birdon’s team,” said Birdon president, Rob Scott. “Spencer’s extensive leadership and engineering experience will help Birdon grow its ship design team of structural engineers…

Birdon, a defense contractor specializing in maritime solutions, announced it has expanded its U.S. Board of Outside Directors through the recent election of two members with extensive backgrounds with U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard shipbuilding and ship repair. Kevin Mooney and Ronald Rábago, (Rear Admiral, USCG-Ret.) have agreed to serve as Chairperson and Member, respectively.“Kevin and Ron will provide invaluable insight and guidance to our management team as Birdon continues to grow and deliver major programs to its customers,” said Birdon CEO and owner, Jamie Bruce.

Birdon America announced it has selected  Coden, Ala. shipbuilder Master Boat Builders to build the superstructures for the U.S. Coast Guard's Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) program.In 2022, Birdon was awarded a contract worth up to $1.187 billion to design and build up to 27 new vessels under the WCC program, including 16 River Buoy Tenders (WLR) and 11 Inland Construction Tenders (WLIC). The vessels will be constructed within a 10-year period commencing with an 18-month design finalization period.Birdon had previously tapped Louisiana-based Bollinger Shipyards to build the hulls…

Birdon America, Inc. on Tuesday announced it has awarded the first wave of major subcontracts in support of its $1.187 billion contract to design and build 27 Waterways Commerce Cutters (WCC) for the U.S. Coast Guard. This announcement follows a successful initial Program Management Review (PMR), the first major milestone of the WCC program.The subcontracts range in value from $10 million to $50 million and are firm-fixed price (FFP), indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) for design, development, manufacturing and delivery.

The demand for warships is strong, and the Navy continues to receive support from the Congress to build more ships. The Navy is working to achieve a fleet of about 355 ships, plus a fleet of about 150 unmanned vesselsBut to achieve something close to that goal requires more than demand, and even more than money. For one thing, it requires an industrial base that can build, repair and sustain that fleet.While Navy leadership acknowledges the challenges of a stressed supply chain…

The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded Denver-based Birdon America, Inc. a contract for the detail design and construction of its new river buoy and inland construction tenders.The deal is part of the Coast Guard's Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program to replace its aging fleet of 35 inland tenders that support the service’s aids to navigation (ATON) mission in federal inland waterways. The WCC fleet is approaching obsolescence, with an average vessel age of over 57 years and with ships still in service at 78 years old.

It’s a common story in the U.S. shipbuilding industry today. A piece of equipment that used to be available for delivery on short notice—maybe in one or two weeks—now must be ordered months or more in advance, and it costs double. Add to this rising steel prices and the labor issues that have pervaded nearly all industrial sectors since the early days of the pandemic, and it’s clear that business is far from usual for American shipyards.Bollinger Shipyards president and CEO, Ben Bordelon…

The U.S. Coast Guard is seeking proposals from shipyards to design and construct its new river buoy and inland construction tenders as part of the waterways commerce cutter (WCC) program.In total, the Coast Guard plans to acquire 16 river buoy tenders, 11 inland construction tenders and three inland buoy tenders to replace its aging inland tender fleet, which has an average vessel age of over 55 years.The request for proposal (RFP) released on April 30 encompasses designing the river buoy tender and inland construction tender (designs which share 95% commonality)…

The U.S. Coast Guard announced its plan to replace the capabilities of 13 Inland Construction Tenders (WLIC) and 18 River Buoy Tenders (WLR), releasing a draft specification with drawings and project peculiar documents (PPD).When Maritime Reporter & Engineering News interviewed Admiral Karl Schultz, the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, earlier this year, he stressed the importance of the Coast Guard’s shipbuilding program in context of keeping $5.4 trillion in U.S. economic activity flowing. “The Coast Guard is building ships. We’re planning to build 25 Offshore Patrol Cutters, we’re still building Fast Response Cutters, we’re building National Security Cutters, we’re positioned to start building Waterways Commerce Cutters and now we’re building Polar Security Cutters.

U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil Corp. has withdrawn its environmental assessment application for a $25-billion LNG export facility on the B.C. coast it proposed in 2015. No reasons given for withdrawing from environmental review process.“After careful review, ExxonMobil Canada and Imperial Oil Resources have withdrawn the WCC LNG project from the B.C. Environmental Assessment process,” a notice on WCC LNG website says. It also says that its websie will only be available until the end of 2018.WCC LNG is a proposed project to develop and operate a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility at Tuck Inlet in Prince Rupert, British Columbia.According to a Reuters report…

Hiab, part of Cargotec, is presenting its latest product innovations together with the World Crane Championship finals at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, UK on 14-16 April. The CV Show is the largest and most comprehensive road freight transport event staged in Britain. We welcome all interested parties to watch Hiab's World Crane Championship finals, which will take place on our outside stand number 3A 80 (outside Hall 4). The Hiab team and our latest product innovations are also at our indoor stand, 5F 101 (Hall 5). Hiab is sponsoring the very first World Crane Championships, the finals of which take place on 15 April. The WCC final is set to be one of the main highlights of the CV Show.

Hiab, part of Cargotec, has selected the finalists who will take part in the first ever World Crane Championships at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, United Kingdom, on 14-16 April 2015. The 18 contestants, who have won their places after qualifying through rounds held in 13 different countries, will be competing to take away a EUR 25,000 prize. To prove they have what it takes, those competing for the title of World Crane Champion will manoeuver a HIAB X-HiPro 192 through a series of obstacles, trying to beat a time set by the anonymous crane pro 'Eric' - Hiab's very own The Stig - who is so named after Eric Sundin, who co-founded Hiab in 1944.

U.S. energy giant Exxon Mobil Corp could spend up to $25 billion on a British Columbia LNG terminal project to export liquefied natural gas. Exxon counts on its global expertise to make the Canadian project viable, says a report in the Globe and Mail. Malaysia’s state-owned Petronas is widely viewed as the front-runner among 18 entrants in the race to export LNG from the West Coast. Exxon is positioning itself to make up ground on Petronas. But, says the newspaper, Petronas decided last month to delay its decision on whether to forge ahead with its Pacific NorthWest LNG joint venture near Prince Rupert, citing the need to decrease anticipated construction costs, overcome environmental hurdles and consult further with First Nations.

Imperial Oil Ltd said on Thursday it is not yet close to deciding on whether it will go ahead with a Canadian liquefied natural gas export plant it is exploring with its majority owner Exxon Mobil Corp. Speaking to reporters following the company's annual meeting, Rich Kruger, chief executive officer of Canada's No.2 integrated oil company, said Imperial is laying groundwork for a potential project that would send LNG to Asian markets but, despite having an export license in hand, it is not yet ready to say if or when the project will proceed. "What you're seeing from us ...

Miller Electric Mfg. Co. will showcase a wide range of new and popular welding products, technologies and safety accessories at the FABTECH 2010 show at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, November 2 – 4. Miller’s booth this year (#6811 in Hall C) will provide attendees with product selection clarity by featuring market specific solutions designed to address the specific needs and challenges of the manufacturing, fabrication, shipbuilding, construction and commercial welding markets. 15.

A concept design for a new inland containership - dubbed Waterborne Container Carriers (WCC) - was completed and released by DeJong & Lebet, a project that was completed for Venture Capitol Investors LLC, which owns a patent on the concept. Designed for operating on inland waterways, WCC measures 550 x 107 x 20 ft., with a length and beam specifically designed to fit in the Mississippi River System Locks. Air draft is limited to 42 ft. based on bridge height restrictions. The full load draft of the vessel varies from nine ft., unballasted, to 12 ft. ballasted. The ballast is also used to maintain draft when the container load is light. The vessel's propulsion system has raising and lowering capability for shallow draft upper river operations. The WCC is capable of carrying 566 40-ft.

World Communication Center (WCC), a provider of worldwide satellite voice and data communications, announced that its MariTrack SSAS and ComCenter solutions have been approved for commercial sale by Iridium. Manufactured by Applied Satellite Engineering (ASE), WCC’s turnkey solutions provide industry leading product functionalities: online security and encryption, Ontec’s permission-based software features, Iridium’s global satellite technology and WCC’s 24 x 7 live customer support. According to Don Thoma, executive vice president, Iridium Satellite LLC, "The MariTrack and ComCenter solutions passed our rigorous testing and work seamlessly on Iridium's satellite network.

World Communication Center (WCC), a leading provider of global satellite voice and data communications, has provided nine satellite phones to assist Mercy Corps in its multi-country tsunami aid programs. WCC’s Iridium-based satellite communications solutions enable the field-based relief workers to communicate in areas left without cellular or land-line communications. “Mercy Corps has relied on WCC to provide satellite communications for relief and development efforts since 2002,” says Peter Dickinson, Director, Information Technology. “WCC is proud to support Mercy Corps in their distribution of life-saving aid to the tsunami survivors in possibly one of the largest relief efforts ever mobilized,” states Weldon Knape, CEO of WCC.