Just a few days after missing out on a role in the Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) project, Austal Limited took a great pleasure to announce the details of its capacity expansion plans at Henderson, Western Australia, and the Philippines on Monday, May 14, 2018. Started off in 2017, this expansion plan includes five large vessels over 80 metres in length that are collectively worth more than US$400 million.
Stating that the investment was primarily focused on the large ferry market, Austal chief executive David Singleton said, “The capital investment in the commercial operation will increase Austal’s ability to secure and deliver large, high-speed aluminium vessel contracts in highly cost effective shipyards.”
He also said, “The demand outlook in the market for large, high-speed aluminium vessels underpins Austal’s decision to focus its investment in this sector."
About US$6 million will be spent for the Henderson shipyard to enhance its launch facilities so as to make it enable to support large vessel construction and infrastructure upgrades for improving efficiency across the operations.
Currently, Austal’s Henderson operation is also constructing 109 metre long high-speed catamaran ferry for Mols Lines of Denmark and will shortly start constructing 117-metre long trimarans for Fred Olsen Lines, destined for the Canary Islands.
Aside from this, Austal will invest US$18 million to increase the capacity of its existing Philippines shipyard and upgrade the facilities including a new assembly hall that will be 120 metres long, 40 metres wide, and 42 metres high.
Austal has also recently commenced a small commercial shipyard operation in Vietnam, located in the highly industrialised shipbuilding and marine support area to the south of Ho Chi Minh City. This location is specially selected for providing additional high-quality aluminium construction support to Austal’s commercial operations both for modules for larger ships, as well as for building smaller high-speed aluminium vessels.
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