Austal USA has officially opened the company’s new state-of-the-art steel shipbuilding facility in Mobile, Alabama, enabling the simultaneous production of both aluminium and steel hulled ships, according to the company's release.
The first vessels to be built in the new steel facility will be two Navajo-class Towing, Salvage, and Rescue Ships (T-ATS) for the United States Navy, which were placed under a US$144 million contract in October 2021.
Austal Limited Chief Executive Officer Paddy Gregg said the opening of the new steel facility marked a significant development in Austal USA’s shipbuilding capabilities, allowing multiple steel vessel projects to be undertaken, in addition to aluminium vessels.
Financing for the new steel shipbuilding facility was provided in part by a Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III Agreement between the United States Department of Defense, and Austal USA. The agreement, valued at US$50 million, was announced in June 2020. Austal USA matched these funds and invested an additional US$50 million into the completion of the steel facility.
The new steel manufacturing facility includes the latest in computerised and robotic steel processing equipment to handle all the current and future demands of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard. A 6,000 square metre stock yard will be utilised for handling the raw steel and a 2,000 square metre paint facility will provide the ability to paint and blast simultaneously in two separate cells, or both cells can be combined providing the ability to paint super-modules.
The addition of steel shipbuilding capability complements the company’s well-established aluminium shipbuilding expertise, which includes the delivery of 15 Independence-class Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) and 12 Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transports (T-EPF) to the United States Navy. The company has a further seven ships currently under construction at the shipyard in Mobile, Alabama.