Fincantieri Marine Group’s (FMG) subsidiary Bay Shipbuilding Company (BSC) has been contracted by a US-based tank barge operator, Kirby Corporation, to construct articulated tug and barge (ATB) units.
Under the contract, BSC will build two 155,000-barrel capacity barges and two 6,000 HP tugs that will be operated as ATB units.
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BSC vice-president and general manager Todd Thayse said: “Bay Shipbuilding has built 22 ATB units over the past 15 years and is now under contract for several more.
“The new business from Kirby, combined with our current ATB orders, will further allow BSC to invest in our infrastructure.”
Kirby will deploy the vessels to transport petroleum and chemical products domestically. The company is already operating a number of similar ATB units that were constructed by BSC in the mid-2000s.
The delivery of the first ATB is scheduled to take place in the autumn of 2016 and the second unit will be handed over in summer 2017.
FMG president and CEO Francesco Valente said: “The recent capital investment by our parent company, Fincantieri, has transformed our US yards into modern, efficient shipbuilding powerhouses.
“The result is competitive pricing and a level of quality that is second to none.
“We intend to aggressively seek new business opportunities that will showcase America’s finest master craftsmen.”
FMG currently employs nearly 21,000 shipbuilding personnel in 21 yards on four different continents.
