Vancouver Shipyards calls in STX to help it gear up for NSPS production

Written by Nick Blenkey

STX banner guyCanada’s Seaspan Marine Corporation has entered into a technology support agreement with Korean shipbuilding giant STX Offshore and Shipbuilding Company Ltd. Seaspan says the partnership will optimize Vancouver Shipyard’s planned facilities upgrades in support of the recently awarded $8 billion Non-Combat National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS) program.

STX Offshore and Shipbuilding currently produces approximately 60 vessels per year and has an annual steel throughput over 700,000 tonnes.  It plans to send a technical team to Vancouver Shipyards to review facility upgrades and provide recommendations for optimizing shipbuilding efficiency.

“This partnership marks a key milestone in the plan to upgrade our facilities and is the beginning of what we believe will be a long and successful relationship with STX,” said Brian Carter, Seaspan Shipyard’s President. “We are extremely happy STX has signed on with us and look  forward to evolving our facility into a world-class shipyard.”

“We are also extremely delighted to build long-term partnerships with Seaspan Shipyards and anticipate this technology support will lead to the enhancement of competitiveness of SeaspanShipyards and ultimately contribute to the Canadian Shipbuilding industry,” said Sungsoo Shin, Deputy President of STX Offshore and Shipbuilding.

The technology support provided by STX  will initially focus on optimizing shop layouts, material flow, and production methods and processes.

“The efficiency improvements STX finds will be reflected in final facility designs providing significant long-term benefits to both the Government of Canada and future commercial customers,” said Mr. Carter. “The improvements will also make Vancouver Shipyards more efficient and better able to compete internationally retaining shipbuilding jobs in B.C.”

April 16, 2012

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