Shipbuilders News

ClassNK has released ‘Guidelines for Cyber resilience of ships’, which expound new IACS Unified Requirements (UR) to support the consideration of measures to ensure the cybersecurity of ships.IACS has established UR E26 for ships and UR E27 for on-board systems and equipment as URs setting minimum requirements for cyber resilience, which is the capability to reduce the occurrence and mitigate the effects of cyber incidents due to cyber-attacks or other threats. The URs have been applied to new ships contracted for construction on or after July 1…

Washington State Ferries (WSF) has tapped ABB to design and supply the propulsion systems for its new series of five hybrid electric ferries. ABB was previously selected for the project in 2020 after the original build contract was awarded to Vigor, but the competitive bid process was relaunched following disagreements between WSF and the shipyard over price and other contract terms.In May of this year, WSF invited shipyards across the country to bid on construction for the five new ferries.

Austal USA on Tuesday held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the official start of construction for its newest final assembly facility in Mobile, Ala.The infrastructure expansion, which will be to the south of Austal USA’s current waterfront facility, will include a new assembly building, waterfront improvements, and a new shiplift system. The project is scheduled to be complete and fully operational by summer of 2026.The construction of this new building and waterfront support area continues the expansion Austal USA began in March 2021 with the groundbreaking of the steel panel line.

The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national association representing the U.S. shipbuilding, maintenance and repair industry, today announced its annual member safety awards for the 2023 calendar year. This year, 18 shipyards are receiving awards for their achievements in safety. “Safety isn't just a priority; it's a fundamental pillar of our industrial base. These awards not only recognize excellence in safety practices but also show our industry's dedication to ensuring every worker returns home safely each day.

The United States must renew its commitment to a strong, reliable American maritime capability to confront emerging threats. China’s aggressive shipping expansion poses significant challenges to the United States and our allies. Global tensions have highlighted the vulnerability of maritime supply chains, and our domestic waterways remain a potential pathway for increasingly belligerent adversaries to cause harm.The Merchant Marine Act — commonly known as the Jones Act — is vital to defending American interests and sovereignty amid these complex challenges.

German shipowner Carsten Rehder announced it has signed an agreement with Indian shipbuilder Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. for the construction of 4+4 CORAL 7500 Multipurpose Dry Cargo Vessels.The CORAL7500 design by SEDS is optimized for the European short-sea trade, with high cargo flexibility and readiness for the future energy transition, Carsten Rehder said.The single cargo hold has been maximized for about 400.00-cubic-feet capacity and can be segregated with two bulkheads. The bulkhead panels may also be used as tween-decks.

Bollinger Shipyards recently kicked off its inaugural Shipfitter Bootcamp, a workforce development initiative alongside Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC), the South Mississippi Planning & Development District and AccelerateMS that will recruit, hire, and train the next generation of skilled shipbuilders. Through a blend of classroom instruction and hands-on experience, students will learn the essential functions that are required to become a Shipfitter in a 14-week program.

South Korea's Hanwha Group has agreed to acquire U.S. shipbuilder Philly Shipyard in a $100 million cash deal, the companies announced on Thursday.Under the deal, which is expected to close in Q4 2024, Hanwha Systems and Hanwha Ocean will purchase purchase of Philly Shipyard, Inc., the sole operating subsidy of Aker-owned Philly Shipyard ASA, based in Oslo.Kristian Røkke, Chairman of Philly Shipyard ASA, said, “After two decades of stewardship, it is with great honor that we transition the ownership from Aker to Hanwha.

When Richard Schwarz joined SAFE Boats International as chief financial officer in 2015, he brought to the company a healthy dose of experience in defense and aerospace manufacturing, primarily gained on the financial side of the business. About 2.5 years later, he transitioned to become chief executive officer of the Pacific Northwest boatbuilder, which constructs aluminum vessels for a diverse set of customers.“The mix changes from month to month, year to year, but the primary areas where our customers sit are state and local law enforcement…

With the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard FY 2025 budget requests offering uninspiring news for traditional shipbuilders, industry observers might be forgiven for checking out and dismissing 2024 as just another dull year in the frustrating business of government shipbuilding.But with an election season underway and an increasingly disorderly sea, the year may end up being far more exciting for industry than most U.S. shipbuilders expect.In fact, it might even be time to prepare for a “Remember the Maine” moment.

Deliveries will begin in 2028 if all goes well. Delays and escalating costs have bedeviled the procurement process up until now.Washington State Ferries on Thursday published an invitation to bid on building five new hybrid-electric ferries, an overdue achievement that promises to eventually bring more reliability to cross-Sound ferry service.It’s the first time in more than 50 years that the state will accept bids from shipyards nationwide to construct its vessels. Going out to bid on this contract also represents a major step toward electrification of the WSF fleet.

The Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) has collaborated with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited on the demonstration of an autonomous navigation system with dual navigation capabilities.The demonstration took place on the tug MT Andaman.The IRS team led by Mr. R. Srinivas, VP & HOD Electrical & Control System, conducted a thorough review of the autonomy concept, system documentation, software quality documentation and a detailed risk assessment in accordance with IRS Guidelines…

Uncle Sam wants you — to choose a career in welding. The chronic shortage of qualified welders has been well documented. The American Welding Society (AWS) even created a website — www.weldingworkforcedata.com — so that industry and the media could share accurate data. Currently, the U.S. needs 330,000 new welding professionals by 2028.While some may shrug at the shortage of welders in the offshore, marine and civil fabrication industries, the need for welders to shore up the U.S.

Pres-Vac Engineering has obtained certification of its high-velocity methanol valves under the IMO 1621 standard.The valves enable greater flexibility in ship design, accommodating long vent-pipes up to 128 meters for DN 65 size, with allowances for even longer pipelines. This development offers shipbuilders and owners unique options in creating more efficient and compliant dual-fuel systems, says Pres-Vac Engineering.The valves, including the PV-ECO and PV-VOC models, incorporate advanced technological features such as improved flow control and minimized gas emissions.

Classification society ABS announced it is partnering with South Korean shipbuilders HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co., Ltd. (HD KSOE) and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Co., Ltd. (HHI) to explore the technical feasibility for medium-voltage direct current (MVDC) power systems on ships.Under a newly signed memorandum of understanding (MOU), the partners will collaborate on design assessment, new technology qualification as well as the development of rule guidance to provide clear directives on technical requirements…

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has opted to extend its Sentinel-Class Fast Response Cutters (FRC) build program, exercising a contract option with Bollinger Shipyards for two additional vessels.The move brings the total number of FRCs awarded to Bollinger up to 67 vessels since the program’s inception. To date, the U.S. Coast Guard has commissioned 55 FRCs into operational service.“We’re incredibly proud of our long history supporting the U.S. Coast Guard that now stretches four decades,” said Bollinger Shipyards President and CEO Ben Bordelon.

The first-ever American-built, owned, and crewed offshore wind service operations vessel (SOV) was christened during a ceremony on Saturday in the Port of New Orleans.Edison Chouest Offshore's (ECO) recently completed ECO Edison will play an integral part of the operation and maintenance of Ørsted and Eversource’s South Fork Wind, Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind projects as the U.S. offshore wind industry continues to ramp up in the U.S. Northeast.Built at ECO in-house shipyards in Louisiana…

Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has hired TMC Compressors (TMC) to supply a complete marine compressed air system to a newbuild cable laying vessel being built for Prysmian.Under the contract, whose value was not disclosed, TMC will deliver a marine compressed air system consisting of control and service air compressors to the vessel.The company will manufacture the equipment in the Nordic region and deliver it to one of Vard’s shipyards in Norway.“This modern cable laying vessel will have a number of innovative features to enable sustainable subsea operations.

Bibby Marine has signed a shipbuilding contract with Gondan Shipbuilders to construct what is said to be the world’s first zero-emission, electric commissioning service operation vessel (eCSOV).The eCSOV will be built in Gondan’s Asturias shipyard in Spain and is scheduled to be delivered in 2026.Designed in collaboration with UK-based ship designers Longitude, the eCSOV, will feature a powerful battery system, complemented by dual-fuel methanol engines for emissions-free operations.

The industry consortium behind the Ocean Charger project, led by Vard, has completed the demonstration of the charging solution in a port as well the connection solution offshore, proving the technology designed to supply clean power to offshore wind vessels is ready for the market.By connecting vessels to the power grid in the wind farm and charging batteries regularly, the Ocean Charger solution is securing availability of emission-free vessel operations.The Ocean Charger has proved through the tests that it can power operations at the field without using any additional energy sources…

The U.S. Navy on Friday celebrated the keel laying of the lead ship of the Constellation class of guided-missile frigates, the future USS Constellation (FFG 62), at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Marinette, Wis.Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti participated in the ceremony along with Wisconsin governor Tony Evers and Fincantieri Marine Group CEO Marco Galbiati.Hundreds of FMM shipbuilders gathered with guests inside the shipyard’s massive new climate-controlled Building 34…

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division has delivered the amphibious transport dock Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29) to the U.S. Navy.Richard M. McCool Jr. is the 13th San Antonio-class ship delivered by Ingalls and is the final Flight I transition ship before Ingalls moves into production of the LPD Flight II line.“The LPD 29 delivery demonstrates how our shipbuilders are enabling our combined Navy and Marine Corps team,” said Kari Wilkinson, president of Ingalls Shipbuilding. “It is the most recent example of what U.S.

HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division has completed the dry dock portion of the refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74).Following the recent flooding of more than 100 million gallons of water into the dry dock, USS John C. Stennis was moved to an outfitting berth at the shipyard, where the remainder of the RCOH work and testing will be completed.During the dry dock phase of the RCOH, USS John C. Stennis received significant upgrades and began an extensive overhaul process, both inside and outside the ship.