ST Engineering bags $185mn shipbuilding contract

VT Halter Marine, ST Engineering's US shipyard, has been awarded a shipbuilding contract from Honolulu-based Pasha Hawaii.

According to ST Engineering, the ship, which will be plying the Hawaii and US West Coast trade, is expected to be delivered in the second half of 2013. Work on the newbuild commences immediately.

The new ship, when operational, will allow the company to provide weekly service between the West Coast and Hawaii. VT Halter Marine also signed an option agreement for the construction of a second vessel, with some scope variation, for a base price of about $175m (US$137m).

This will be the second Roll-On/Roll-Off Car Truck Carrier built by VT Halter Marine for Pasha Hawaii based on a proven design by the Uljanik Shipy ard, Croatia. The Uljanik and VT Halter Marine engineering teams are collaborating with Pasha to finalise the new ship's design and engineering specifications to meet the highest level of operating efficiencies standard with reduced environmental impact.

The MV Jean Anne, Pasha's first vessel, was awarded to VT Halter Marine in 2003 and put into service in March 2005. The MV Jean Anne, now approaching her seventh year and her 150th voyage, was designated the "Ship of the Year" by American Ship Review in her first year of service. Her crew and vessel operations have been recognised by the Chamber of Shipping of America with awards for outstanding safety and environmental achievement.

"Building a second ship has always been part of our organisation's plan. The level of enthusiasm and customer support we received when we deployed our first vessel was well beyond our expectations. Our second vessel will both better serve the Hawaii/Mainland market and also provide increased frequency and superior reliability. A weekly sailing will also allow us to present even more tailored transportation solutions to our clients." ~ George Pasha, IV, CEO, Pasha Hawaii

"This contract is an extremely important one for our US operations as it reflects VT Halter Marine's strong credibility and track record among its customers. We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with Pasha Hawaii on their second, and possibly third, vessel, and we look forward to more collaborations with our valued customer in future." ~ NG Sing Chan, President, ST Marine