Australia picks Sembcorp Marine subsidiary to build $123mln ship

Sembawang Shipyard also secured three major upgrading contracts worth S$92 mln, including an LNG carrier longevity project.

In a statement, Sembcorp Marine said the newbuilding contract was granted by Teekay Shipping (Australia) Pty Ltd for the Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning (EPCC) of a blue water research vessel for Australia.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia’s national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world, will operate the vessel on behalf of the Australian Government for use by the Australian marine research community.

Upon completion and delivery in the second quarter of 2013, the vessel will be named RV Investigator and will be based in Hobart, Tasmania. It will operate from the tropical north to the Antarctic ice-edge and across the Indian, Southern and Pacific oceans.

David Parmeter, Managing Director of Teekay Shipping (Australia) Pty. Ltd said, “Sembawang Shipyard is our valued partner in Singapore and has strongly supported us throughout the due diligence process to CSIRO. We are confident that our close partnership and collaboration will lead to the timely and safe delivery of the state-of-the-art new research facility to comply with CSIRO’s stringent operating standards for multi-disciplinary research activities at sea.”

Andrew Johnson, Group Executive - Environment, CSIRO said “The award of this contract is an important part of a four-year process by CSIRO through the “Future Research Vessel Project” to build a new and highly advanced research vessel. RV Investigator will significantly boost the oceanographic, geoscientific, fishery, and ecosystem research capability available to Australian marine researchers."

Besides the newbuilding contract, Sembawang Shipyard was also recently awarded three major upgrading projects with a total contract value of S$92 million comprising: 1) an upgrade of a dynamically positioned heavy-lift and pipelay vessel with a lifting capacity of up to 4,400 tons from a leading engineering, procurement, construction and installation company, 2) a LNG carrier longevity project and 3) an upgrade of a drillship.