Western Australian shipbuilder Strategic Marine officially opened its multi-million dollar shipyard in Vietnam yesterday (February 24).
The new facility takes up 136,000 square metres at the Dong Xuyen Industrial Zone in Ba Ria Vung Tau province and is now a fully functioning shipyard with the capability to construct large steel and aluminium vessels.
Strategic Marine Chairman Mark Newbold told several hundred dignitaries and guests attending the grand opening that the Vietnamese yard had already won more than US$60.89 million in orders.
Mr Newbold said that Strategic Marine was also introducing an apprenticeship scheme. The program will see 55 Vietnamese apprentices undertake a two-year course in a range of specialised shipbuilding skills.
"The program has been designed to give Vietnamese trainees the theoretical and practical experience they need to become skilled welders, fabricators, electricians and refrigeration specialists," said Strategic Marine's Vietnam Managing Director Mark Schiller.
To date, the facility has completed construction of a 103-metre by 50-metre steel pontoon base for the Australian Marine Complex's US$39.7 million floating dry dock, which was shipped to Western Australia late last year.
The yard's most recent contract is to refit and extend a floating dry dock for STX Europe, a project that is expected to take three months to complete.
The shipyard is also well advanced with the construction and outfitting of two 143-metre dive support vessels for Singaporean client Marfield, as well as 40 oilfield service vessels, four landing craft and a new generation compact tractor tug for the Port of Napier in New Zealand.
The yard has nearly 20,000 square metres of machinery and workshop space, comprising five large fabrication workshops, five specialist workshops, a 5,000 square metre storage area and a 1,500 square metre paint shop.
In addition, a further 30,000 square metres has been given over to a heavy load laydown area and the yard's three slipways are capable of handling the construction of vessels up to 200 metres long and 60 metres wide with a tonnage of 15,000 tonnes to accommodate a variety of vessels.
