US Built Refrigerated Liquefied Gas Carrier Launched

 

U.S. shipbuilder Vigor has launched The Harvest, the first complex liquefied ammonia transport barge built in the U.S. for Jones Act trade since 1982. The vessel was constructed to support the operations of The Mosaic Company, an integrated producer and marketer of concentrated phosphate and potash. The Harvest will be operated by a subsidiary of Savage Companies as part of an articulated tug and barge (ATB) unit.

 

“This is a significant project for both the maritime industry and our community,” said Vigor CEO, Frank Foti. “We’ve worked hard to bring together a family of companies designed to take our complex fabrication capabilities to the next level and bring new work to the Pacific Northwest.”

 

Over the last 23 months, the project supported approximately 1,500 American jobs and involved close to a million labor hours at Vigor facilities in Oregon and Washington and subcontractors throughout the region. Teams used 9,000 tons of American rolled steel to complete the 508’ x 96’ ATB tank barge.

 

The industries behind large marine vessels and complex metal structures in Oregon and Southwest Washington provide economic balance to the region and strengthen the middle class by employing the industrial artisans whose passion and skills are attracting new business to the area and creating family-wage jobs. 

 

Foti said, “[The NH3 barge project] combines Vigor’s capabilities in large vessel construction with decades of experience building complex structures like nuclear containment devices, dam lift gates and bridges. It’s proof that the industrial artisans who are a huge part of the Portland and SW Washington economies are the reason we are nationally competitive.”

 

According to the shipbuilder, successful completion of the first U.S. flagged liquefied gas carrier built in decades hinged on extensive project planning and management between Vigor, multiple contractors, designers and its customer, Savage. Careful integration of various complex systems was required to support the Harvest’s state-of-the-art, onboard re-liquefaction plant that keeps cargo cooled to -27 degrees Fahrenheit. Vigor subcontractor JH Kelly, based in Longview, Washington, was a key partner in this effort, providing the onboard electrical work as well as fabrication and installation of the cargo piping systems for the plant. 

 

Built to ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) and U.S. Coast Guard safety standards, the first-in-class Harvest was completed on an aggressive timeline.

 

Savage, a supply chain solutions company, has been steadily increasing its footprint in the marine industry.