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Tuesday, July 11,
2000
FirstWave in alliance
with Singapore yard
FirstWave
has formed an alliance with Singapore's PPL Shipyard Pte Ltd
. This follows FirstWave's recently announced alliance with the
U.K.'s A&P Group. The PPL alliance, says FirstWave, will
capitalize on the multi-site facilities and expertise of both
companies in offshore rig new construction and complex conversions.
The alliance with PPL will allow both companies
to integrate marketing and share project management expertise
for the delivery of new construction and conversion services
on opposite sides of the globe. FirstWave and its alliance partners
are creating a seamless delivery network for offshore and marine
new construction, repair and maintenance to their global clients.
"In the areas of offshore rig repair,
conversions and new construction, our companies have considerable
mutual strengths. This alliance combines these strengths for
the benefit of our customers and gives them more options for
successful projects," said PPL 's managing director T.K.
Ong.
FirstWave president and COO Grady Walker
added, "This is a significant expansion of the network,
with a focus on offshore rig new construction and conversions.
PPL has the proven experience, know-how and track record for
these kinds of projects, as they again demonstrated with their
delivery of the Transocean Sedco Forex fifth-generation semisubmersible
`Cajun Express' on time and on budget."
FirstWave is the leading shipyard company
in the Houston-Galveston area. The company provides repair, conversion,
new construction, and related services for offshore rigs, barges,
boats, ships and other vessels in the offshore energy and marine
industries.
PPL Shipyard is the former Promet Pte Ltd.
It was renamed following a management buyout in 1997. The yard
specializes in the design and construction of offshore drilling
rigs including jackups and semisubmersibles. the fifth-generation
semisubmersible Cajun Express for Transocean Sedco Forex. The
company is also known for repair, upgrades and modifications
of existing rigs. PPL's Singapore yard has a total area of 35
acres and is situated on the southwestern coast of the island.
It has 700 m of sea frontage and 240 ms of wharf, serviced by
a 600 t crane and other facilities that include two large covered
workshops and five open fabrication areas,
$1.51 billion defense lifeline for British
yards
 The U.K.'s
Defense Secretary, Geoffrey Hoon, today approved procurement
of the first three Type 45 Anti Air Warfare Destroyers for the
Royal Navy, within a planned class of up to
12.
The MOD will negotiate a £1 billion
($1.51 billion) order for the construction of the first three
ships of the class with prime contractor BAE SYSTEMS later this
year. The program is expected to sustain up to 5,500 jobs in
BAE Systems Marine (which owns the former Kvaerner Govan shipyard
in Scotland), Vosper Thornycroft shipyards and in other defense
industries in the UK.
"The Type 45 will be the biggest and
most powerful air defense destroyers ever ordered for the Royal
Navy," said Hoon, "and their construction will be
a tremendous opportunity for British industry. When these new
ships enter service from 2007 they will represent a huge improvement
in capability over the Type 42 destroyers they will succeed.
An order for the construction of the second
batch of ships is expected to be placed with the prime contractor
around 2004.
The main armament of the Type 45 is the
collaborative UK/French/Italian Principal Anti Air Missile System
(PAAMS), which is designed to defeat salvo attacks by new generations
of anti-ship missiles.
The Type 45 equipped with PAAMS will provide
area defense against aircraft and missiles including modern anti-ship
missiles. In this role the Type 45 will support maritime assets
across the range, from aircraft carriers to logistics vessels.
In addition, the Type 45 will be a highly potent, multi-role,
general purpose platform capable of operations across the spectrum
of tasks from peace support to high intensity warfare. It will
also operate either the anti submarine version of the Merlin
helicopter, or Lynx.
BAE Systems Type 45 managing director,
Brian Phillipson, said the £1 billion contract will cover
design and development of the class with an initial build of
three ships.
As the prime contractor for the Type 45,
BAE Systems is responsible to the Defense Procurement Agency
for design, development, delivery and elements of support for
the class of ships. BAE Systems will be the design authority
for the entire ship, other than the Principal Anti-Air Missile
System which was ordered by the Ministry of Defense last year
under a separate contract. The company will be demonstrating
value for money and competitiveness across all areas of the program.
The Type 45 'D' Class destroyer will introduce
Integrated Electric Propulsion into the Royal Navy for the first
time. Benefits include a reduction in costs through-life because
of lower maintenance and fuel consumption costs. The propulsion
system gives greater flexibility to ship's electrical distribution
systems allowing for considerable growth in demand through life.
The Type 45 'D' Class program is breaking new ground in a number
of areas. With an initial displacement of some 7200 tonnes, the
new destroyers will be the largest to be built for the Royal
Navy since the Second World War. Phillipson explained that the
overall requirements for the ship include new standards of crew
accommodations, a comprehensive range of fighting and command
capabilities, and all electric propulsion. "With the defense
environment now one of considerable uncertainty and tight budgets."
he said, "we need a robust design which will last the ships
for their lifetime, without the necessity for major structural
rework in order to incorporate the changes of equipment which
are bound to be needed as defence requirements change during
the next 30 years."
An 'Incremental Acquisition Program', will
allow new weapons systems to be fitted without the need for a
substantial refit. The same approach is being adopted with design
of the supporting systems (e.g. electrical power), with growth
capacity and evolution options being built in - thus maximizing
the availability of these ships throughout their lives.
The build strategy being adopted, said Phillipson, is based
on the latest developments in advanced outfitting and modular
construction techniques. "This will mean that, while the
ships themselves will be assembled in the prime defense shipyards,
some of the major components and blocks can be competed for by
companies throughout the UK with the appropriate experience and
facilities. This strategy will also mean that the ships should
be substantially more cost effective than previous classes."
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