Keppel Singmarine to build $200m Ice-class vessel for New Orient Marine

Keppel Singmarine has secured a contract from Luxembourg-based Maritime Construction Services' subsidiary New Orient Marine for the construction of an Ice-class, multipurpose vessel worth about SGD265m ($199.57m).

Keppel Singmarine has secured a contract from Luxembourg-based Maritime Construction Services’ subsidiary New Orient Marine for the construction of an Ice-class, multipurpose vessel worth about SGD265m ($199.57m).

New Orient Marine’s vessel will be constructed according to the proprietary design of Keppel Offshore & Marine’s (O&M) ship design and development arm, Marine Technology Development (MTD).

The vessel will be capable of operating in temperatures as low as -30°C. In addition, the new-build will also have an Ice-class Arc 5 notation, Class 3 dynamic positioning and diving support functions.

"There is a demand for modern, Ice-class, multipurpose vessels in the market and we believe this new state-of-the art vessel is ideally suited."

Maritime Construction Services director Knut Reinertz said: "There is a demand for modern, Ice-class, multipurpose vessels in the market and we believe this new state-of-the art vessel we are building with Keppel Singmarine is ideally suited to meet this need.

"We are able to leverage our experience as operators and charterers, together with Keppel Singmarine’s expertise and track record in the design and construction of Ice-class vessels, to expand our service offerings with this kind of specialised vessel."

Construction is expected to be completed in the middle of 2017. This new contract will be an addition to the three current Ice-class vessels construction contracts with Keppel Singmarine.

In July last year, two subsidiaries of Keppel O&M received contracts worth SGD368m ($295m) from Armada Kraken and Baku Shipyard.

One of these contracts allows Keppel Singmarine to carry out design, fabrication and outfitting works for a subsea construction vessel (SCV).