GPA Enters Mexican Offshore Market
Seattle-based Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Company Guido Perla & Associates, Inc. (GPA) has been awarded a contract to deliver the Design Package and Class Approval Package for two GPA 150M FSVs. The ships for Enterprise Shipping, awarded in a contract to build two Fast Supply Vessels for Petróleos Mexicano (Pemex) earlier in 2014, will be constructed at Maritima de Ecologia S.A. de C.V., (Marecsa), a shipyard in Mazatlán, Mexico. This will be the first commercial, non-governmental project revitalizing the marine construction in that country.
GPA developed a shallow draft ship with exceptional seakeeping capabilities that offers a stable working platform to its crew. The 52 meter long and 10 meter wide vessels provide accommodations for 9 crew members and can transport 80 passengers with a deck cargo capacity to transport up to 250 mt of supplies on a 261 m2 of clear deck area. Equipped with four engines (7,200 HP total), two bow thrusters (150 HP each) and three auxiliary engines (2x 250 kW, 1x 99 kW), the conventionally driven 350 mt dwt vessels will have a service draft speed of 20 knots.
“In 2008, we expanded our international focus to the South American market after making significant progress in China by establishing subsidiaries in Chile and Brazil and creating a direct presence to explore and support growing opportunities. Our extensive efforts have lead to over 20 offshore vessels in service and under construction in Brazil today. This demonstrates that designs developed and produced in the USA can provide quality, technology, performance, and cost effectiveness at a level strongly competitive with other nations to compete in the international market. GPA’s effort has shown again that we Americans can still command the technology and knowhow as well or better than other designs in the world. Being a part of this significant project, which is reviving the Mexican shipbuilding industry after years of inactivity, is a further step in GPA’s growth strategy and we are quite pleased with our progress and establishment of new relationships in this part of the world. We look forward to helping ensure that these new vessels will have a rewarding, long-term life and that they serve the Mexican market well,” says Guido Perla, Chairman of GPA.
The FSVs will be constructed in full compliance to meet ABS, +A1, AMS, H.S.C. Crewboat Notation and DPS-1 requirements. Construction of the vessels is expected to commence this summer, with delivery expected in 2016.