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AUSTAL USA WINS OPC AWARD WITH $3.3 BILLION POTENTIAL

THE COAST GUARD HAS AWARDED AUSTAL USA, MOBILE, ALA., a contract to produce up to 11 Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs). The initial award is valued at $208.26 million and supports detail design and long lead-time material for the fifth OPC, with options for production of up to 11 OPCs in total. The contract has a potential value of up to $3.33 billion if all options are exercised.

The Coast Guard revised its OPC acquisition strategy after the original prime contractor for the whole of the OPC program, Panama City, Fla.-based Eastern Shipbuilding, submitted a request to the Coast Guard’s parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security for extraordinary contract relief after its facilities sustained significant damage resulting from Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm, that struck in October 2018. In response, then Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan made the decision to grant the requested relief, but limited to the first four hulls.

Following that, the Coast Guard established a new competition for OPCs five and through 15, designated as Stage 2 of the overall program. In additional to Austal USA, companies that bid for it included Eastern, Bollinger and Huntington Ingalls Industries.

The Coast Guard aims to build 25 OPCs in total, suggesting that at some point there will be a Stage 3 of the program.

The Coast Guard says its requirements for OPC Stage 2 detail design and production were developed “to maintain commonality with earlier OPCs in critical areas such as the hull and propulsion systems, but provide flexibility to propose and implement new design elements that benefit lifecycle cost, production and operational efficiency and performance.”

That indicates that externally, the Austal-built OPCs will look a lot like the Eastern-built ships.

In a stock exchange announcement, Austal USA’s parent Austal Limited said that construction of the 110-meter OPCs would take place at Austal USA’s new $100 million steel shipbuilding facility in Mobile. CEO Paddy Gregg said the new contract was the third steel shipbuilding program awarded to Austal USA and acknowledged the expanded capability of the shipyard.

“This contract award is the result of our continued investment in our people and our facilities,” said Austal USA President Rusty Murdaugh. “We are thrilled for the opportunities this will bring to our local community and our tremendous supplier base, as this program will provide our shipbuilding team the stability for continued growth.”

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R.-Fla.) was less thrilled.

“Today’s decision is short-sighted,” Rubio said when the award to Austal was announced. “When I visited Eastern Shipbuilding last year, I saw first-hand their commitment to building reliable, state-ofthe-art ships. They have proven they can do the job and do it well. This decision will cost taxpayers more money and slow down the delivery of these critical vessels.”

Washington State Ferries to seek proposals for construction of 5 hybrid-electric Olympic class vessels

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Ukraine to get over 20 Metal Shark military vessels

TO HELP UKRAINE DEFEND ITS COASTLINE, waterways, and ports, the United States is providing it with a range of defense assets that includes 23 weldedaluminum military vessels built by Louisianabased shipbuilder Metal Shark.

Six U.S. Navy Metal Shark maritime combat vessels are among 18 boats being sent to Ukraine under a $450 million security assistance package announced last month.

Meanwhile, at Metal Shark’s Franklin and Jeanerette, La., shipyards, production is well underway on 17 additional vessels for Ukraine, including ten 38-foot Defiant pilothouse patrol vessels, four 38-foot Defiant center console patrol vessels, and three 36-foot Fearless high-performance military interceptor vessels. Each of these vessels is proven military platforms optimized for the Ukraine mission.

The boats are being built and delivered as part of a long-range foreign policy strategy years in the making, but recent events in Ukraine have caused an acceleration of the timelines. As a result, vessels will begin shipping immediately.

“Metal Shark has been working closely with the U.S. Embassy in Kiev since 2019 to develop the strategy now being implemented to support Ukraine’s maritime capabilities, so it is fulfilling to see that the vessels will arrive when they are most needed,” said Henry Irizarry, Metal Shark’s vice president of international business development. “Metal Shark provides next-generation, proven platforms to partner nations, but most importantly, we create long term partnerships with end users to train boat crews and provide seamless technical support to assure 24/7 operational readiness.”

“We have built an efficient production machine capable of delivering high quality, nextgeneration military vessels, faster, and at higher volume, than anyone else in the business,” said Metal Shark’s CEO Chris Allard. “Metal Shark stands ready and able to support our warfighters with game-changing lethality, delivered via conventional or unmanned platforms, anywhere in the world, whenever needed.”

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New agreement expands FMD’s turnkey services

BELOIT, WIS.-BASED FAIRBANKS MORSE DEFENSE (FMD) has finalized an agreement that will see it serve as the exclusive naval field service provider for The Ideal Electric Company of Mansfield, Ohio.

The Ideal Electric Company’s high-power, specialty electric motors, generators, and related equipment are installed on naval ships worldwide. Under the agreement, FMD will provide maintenance and global field services for Ideal Electric motors and generators that are already installed, or are to be installed, on naval ships worldwide.

“Fairbanks Morse Defense is constantly seeking new opportunities to expand the range of turnkey services that we can offer our marine defense customers and teaming up with the Ideal Electric Company to service their motors and generators while we’re already on board servicing our engines and other equipment makes this a great value add for the Navy,” said Jamie McMullin, president of FMD Services.

The agreement reinforces FMD’s ability to build, maintain, and service naval power and propulsion systems worldwide through six strategically located domestic centers and resources deployed globally.

For more than 100 years, FMD has provided products and services to the Navy. Today, FMD powers more than 80% of the Navy’s ships with medium-speed applications. Similarly, Ideal Electric, a 119-year-old company, has installed generators that are connected to FMD’s backup power engines on many Navy ship classes.

In recent years, FMD has expanded its array of best-in-class marine technologies, OEM parts and turnkey services through expansion and the acquisitions of companies that include Federal Equipment Company (FEC), Hunt Valve, Maxim Watermakers, Research Tool & Die (RT&D), Ward Leonard, and Welin Lambie.

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Jacksonville, Fla.-based Crowley Maritime and Esbjerg, Denmark-headquartered Esvagt have executed additional joint venture agreements related to their commitment to support purpose-built, Jones Act vessel development and availability for U.S. offshore wind production.

The new agreements, which follow one reached in 2021, will support the two companies’ joint efforts for service operation vessels (SOVs). The latest additions focus on the financial and development efficiencies in the vessel development process between the companies.

The venture was created to develop a best-inclass design and deliver wind-dedicated, U.S flag SOVs. Crowley will own and operate the vessels crewed with U.S. mariners, while Crowley and Esvagt will share in the financials of the venture.

“The enhancement of this venture will help bring these important service operation vessels to the U.S. offshore wind market to meet the nation’s clean, sustainable energy demands,” said Jeff Andreini, vice president, Crowley Wind Services. “As we increase our organizations’ shared capabilities, we will help propel the continued growth of maritime and logistics solutions to help solve the nation’s vessel capacity demands in a responsible and sustainable way.”

St. Johns Ship Building under new ownership

AMERICRAFT MARINE, a maritime subsidiary of the Logothetis family’s Libra Group, has announced the acquisition of St. Johns Ship Building.

Based in Palatka, Florida near Jacksonville, the shipyard specializes in the new construction and repair of a wide variety of steel and aluminum vessels, including ferries, tugs, deck and tank barges, landing crafts, and general cargo vessels. Its most recent orders include two 30-meter, hybrid-ready Incat Crowther designed offshore wind CTVs.

Americraft Marine is part of the privatelyowned Libra Group, whose subsidiaries own and operate assets in more than 50 countries. It says the acquisition “comes at a time of significant need for Jones Act-compliant vessels” and that “significant shipbuilding capacity will be needed over the next 10-15 years to support the upcoming demand for vessels that construct and service renewable energy infrastructure.”

Facilities at St. Johns Ship Building include a storm-protected 100-acre inland campus with an 850-ton floating dry dock. Americraft Marine intends to further bolster capacity through workforce trainings, leveraging the yard’s proven expertise with the goal of creating a best-in-class future-focused shipyard.

“As a group that has over 45 years of maritime heritage through our original subsidiary Lomar Shipping, as well as significant renewable energy experience through four global clean energy subsidiaries, we are proud to invest in the future of U.S. competitiveness and energy security,” said Libra Group chairman and CEO George Logothetis. “With seasoned leaders who have decades of experience in the maritime industry and existing client relationships, Americraft Marine and St. Johns Ship Building will build upon and bolster the U.S. fleet, meeting government and customer needs while supporting the nation’s economic and clean energy future.”

“Americraft Marine is proud to acquire St. Johns Ship Building, which has the right leadership and skilled workforce to accelerate the future of U.S. shipbuilding and advance the urgent need for Jones Act-compliant, future-focused U.S. vessels,” said Omear Khalid, CEO of Americraft Marine. “Our goal is simple: to build a best-in-class Jones Act-compliant shipyard. Americraft Marine will provide stable industrial jobs, invest in workforce training, and leverage St. Johns’ proven expertise as well as the historical maritime heritage of the Libra Group.”

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Sailing ship will turn ocean plastic pollution into energy

CLASSIFICATION SOCIETY BUREAU VERITAS has awarded its Approval in Principle (AiP) to an innovative sailing vessel designed to not only collect floating ocean plastic pollution waste but to process it.

Called the Manta, the 56 meters long, 26 meters wide and 62 meters high sailing ship will scoop in the waste between the manta-like jaws of its catamaran hull. It will process it in an on-board factory that includes a waste-toenergy conversion unit.

Due to set sail at the end of 2025, the vessel will be built to a design developed by Manta Innovation, the engineering design office of the SeaCleaners NGO, with the support of naval architects at France’s Ship-ST and Sembcorp Marine’s Bergen, Norway-based subsidiary, LMG Marin AS

The Manta will be powered by a combination of renewable energy technologies to minimize its carbon footprint and achieve 50 to 75% energy autonomy. It will also serve as a scientific laboratory for the observation, analysis and understanding of ocean plastic pollution and as an educational platform open to the public.

Bureau Veritas reviewed the overall structure, stability and security plans of the Manta, based on risk mitigation in relation to new technologies and requirements.

The SeaCleaners was founded by its president, Yvan Bourgnon, a veteran yacht skipper who is the holder of several world sailing records.

“Marine plastic pollution is a global ecological disaster which requires urgent action now both on land and at sea,” he says. “We are grateful that the Manta was awarded the AiP from Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore. This represents a major milestone for us and shows the solidity of our approach to tackle plastic pollution as we are about to enter a new development phase of the Manta with the upcoming launch of the call for tenders to shipyards.”

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Hydrogen-powered autonomous containership project gets funding

SEASHUTTLE, a project that aims to build two hydrogen-powered, remotely controlled and autonomous-ready containerships for delivery by 2025, has secured NOK150 million (just over $15 million) in funding from Norwegian state enterprise ENOVA.

The project, led by Rotterdam multimodal transport and logistics group Samskip and marine robotic ship specialist Ocean Infinity, plans to put two SeaShuttle ships into emissions-free operation between Oslo Fjord and Rotterdam. Each will be powered by a 3.2 MW hydrogen fuel cell.

The Samskip-Ocean Infinity partnership covers both the construction and operation of the ships, in a collaboration seeking to push forward towards zero-emission, efficient and safe, multimodal logistics.

“Securing this funding provides a platform to make emissions-free container shipping a reality,” said Are Gråthen, CEO, Samskip Norway. “Together, Samskip and Ocean Infinity will also accelerate their plans to advance autonomous ship technologies, and remote operation of ships and cargo handling equipment. These ships are the first part of an exciting collaboration with Ocean Infinity.”

In line with commitments made in the COP26 Clydebank Declaration, SeaShuttle would create what amounted to one of Europe’s first zero-emission “green corridors,” he added.

“Ocean Infinity’s enabling technologies can facilitate green corridors but also the broader decarbonization and transformation of maritime operations,” said Christoffer Jorgenvag, CCO at Ocean Infinity. “The emphasis today is on the SeaShuttle vessels, which are just part of Ocean Infinity’s overall strategy of unlocking innovation to deliver truly sustainable maritime operations.”

The funding means the partners can move forward to contract two new 500 TEU ships installed with a main propulsion solution that can be adapted to run on hydrogen fuel. Diesel electric propulsion plant will be on board as back up, although Gråthen emphasized: “We have faith that green hydrogen will be affordable and available in Norway.”

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