News
$75m fast ferries deal
TIM MARTAIN - The Mercury (2009-10-11 16:49:25)
TASMANIA'S aluminium shipbuilding industry has received a boost with Austal securing a $75 million contract to build four fast ferries for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Two vessels will be built at Austal's Margate shipyard and the other two in Western Australia.
Austal Margate operations manager John van Meekeren said the Tasmanian shipyard specialised in small to medium-sized vessels.
"The contract was announced on September 14 and by building two here and two in WA, it will ensure we will have the whole contract completed within 12 months," he said.
"We have an automatic profile cutting machine now, which really speeds up the build because all the parts are cut automatically, not by hand any more."
Construction on the two 41m catamarans has started and the completed vessels are expected to be launched in May and June next year.
"They will be loaded on board a heavy-lift ship and taken to Trinidad and Tobago that way," Mr van Meekeren said. "The journey takes around 32 days, at the other end the crane puts them back in the water."
The fast catamarans are being built for Trinidad and Tobago's water taxi service, which aims to reduce road congestion with each vessel carrying up to 405 passengers at about 37 knots.
State Treasurer Michael Aird said the contract would boost the local industry and was an indication of the state's strong and diverse economy.
"This contract builds confidence in a long-term future for Austal at Margate and Tasmania's leading edge aluminium shipbuilding and marine engineering industry," he said.
Since buying the Margate shipyard, Austal's local operation has grown from 40 employees in March, 2007, to 120 working on the current contract.
Mr van Meekeren said Austal avoided standing down employees between contracts wherever possible.
"We concentrate on multi-skilling our workforce so if one trade isn't busy, they can help out with another one," he said. [go back...]
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