Fincantieri has been awarded a contract to build two PSV vessels by Tidewater, the world’s largest provider of marine support services for offshore industries.
The ships, the first scheduled for delivery before the end of 2012 and the second within mid 2013, will be built at Sturgeon Bay shipyard (Wisconsin, USA), which is owned by Fincantieri Marine Group, a company in Fincantieri Group.
The ships are Platform Supply Vessels, used to provide services to drilling platforms and to support offshore activities.
Innovative characteristics of these vessels are their diesel-electric propulsion and their ability to operate in deep seas at Artic temperatures.
Designed in accordance with strict regulations regarding fire prevention and reduction of environmental impact, the 92.5 meter long, 19 meter wide vessels – which will be certified by the American Bureau of Shipping – will be able to reach speeds of over 14 knots.
Sturgeon Bay is one of four US shipyards in Fincantieri Marine Group and specializes in newbuilding of commercial ships and shiprepair services.
Sturgeon Bay shipyard, as Marinette yard, is undergoing considerable upgrading with the aim of increasing efficiency.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, said: “ This order from the world’s leading operator in offshore services confirms that our US shipyards are capable of making their mark also in the civilian sector. Mr Bono added: “In this period of crisis the contribution of our US companies to Fincantieri’s global results is even more important”.
Contracts already gained in the USA include 12 LCS – Littoral Combat Ships – for the US Navy, ten of which recently ordered with a 4 billion dollar contract, an oceanographic research vessel (Alaska Region Research Vessel – ARRV) ordered by the University of Fairbanks (Alaska), a further fish and oceanographic research vessel for NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), plus 105 RB-Ms vessels for the US Coast Guard, forty of which are under construction at Fincantieri’s ACE Marine shipyard.
Last but not least, hopes are high for the program Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC). In anticipation of the call for tender for the construction of a new fleet of hovercraft for the US Navy (80 vessels worth over 4 billion dollars) Fincantieri and the giant of the aerospace industry, Boeing, signed an agreement of cooperation in 2009.
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Source: Fincantieri,March 21, 2011; Image:Tdw