US PSV contract for Fincantieri

The deepwater PSVs, to be built at Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, are designed by MMC Ship Design of Poland and will be operated by New Orleans-based Tidewater Marine. The ships will feature diesel-electric Z-drive propulsion, DP-2 systems, and will be classed to polar class 7, fire-fighting class 2 (FFV 2) system, and ENVIRO.

The first vessel is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2012, and the other in the second quarter of 2013.

“We are pleased with Tidewater Marine’s selection of our Bay Shipbuilding Company for construction of Tidewater Marine’s newest offshore Deepwater Class platform supply vessels,” said Fred Moosally, president & CEO of the Fincantieri Marine Group. “With the focus of winning strategic contracts and growing our commercial business, Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A., the parent company of the Fincantieri Marine Group, committed in 2009 to an aggressive upgrading program of both our Bay Shipbuilding Company and Marinette Marine Corporation shipyards to enhance our capabilities, efficiencies, and competitiveness.”

Fincantieri Marine Group comprises Marinette Marine, which is focused on the design and production of government ships; Bay Shipbuilding, specialising in newbuild commercial ships and in ship repair services, ACE Marine, a production plant specialising in aluminum construction, and Cleveland Ship Repair, which focuses on topside and dockside ship repair services, including vessel voyage and small ship repair services.