Sembawang Shipyard secures contracts worth S$215m

SINGAPORE : Sembawang Shipyard, a subsidiary of Sembcorp Marine, has secured one building and three upgrading contracts totalling S$215 million.


Sembcorp Marine said in a statement that the first S$123 million contract was awarded by Teekay Shipping (Australia) for the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) of a dynamically positioned blue water research vessel for Australia.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia's national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world, will operate the vessel on behalf of the Australian government for use by the Australian marine research community.

Upon completion and delivery in the second quarter of 2013, the vessel will be named RV Investigator and will provide a safe and advanced diverse marine science capability to Australia.

She will be based in Hobart, Tasmania and will operate from the tropical north to the Antarctic ice-edge and across the Indian, Southern and Pacific oceans.

Dr Andrew Johnson, group executive of Environment, CSIRO, said: "The award of this contract is an important part of a four-year process by CSIRO through the 'Future Research Vessel Project' to build a new and highly advanced research vessel.

"RV Investigator will significantly boost the oceanographic, geoscientific, fishery, and ecosystem research capability available to Australian marine researchers. The new vessel will deliver benefits to many Australian agencies and underpin science discoveries from Southern Hemisphere marine environments."

Besides this contract, Sembawang Shipyard was also recently awarded three major upgrading projects with a total contract value of S$92 million.

They comprise: 1) an upgrade of a dynamically positioned heavy-lift and pipelay vessel with a lifting capacity of up to 4,400 tons, 2) an LNG carrier longevity project, and 3) an upgrade of a drillship.

- CNA/al