Bollinger Shipyards to refit NOAA ship Ronald H.Brown

Work is scheduled to be completed by summer 2024

Bollinger Shipyards has begun fabrication at its newly acquired Mississippi repair facility, Bollinger Mississippi Repair, in preparation to refit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”) Ship Ronald H. Brown, the largest ship in NOAA’s fleet. The overhaul is expected to extend the life of the vessel, first launched in 1996, by an additional 15 years. Work is scheduled to be completed by summer 2024, the shipbuilding company said.

“Here on the Gulf Coast, we’re intimately familiar with the breadth and importance of NOAA’s mission, so we’re proud to be entrusted to extend the service life of the Ronald H. Brown,” said Ben Bordelon, President and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards. “The refit will be performed by our team at our newly acquired Bollinger Mississippi Repair facility, which is capable of executing projects from simple to the most complex, and doing so with the highest levels of quality, support and service in our industry. We look forward to supporting the NOAA mission with a vessel that will continue to serve as a platform for cutting-edge research and exploration for many years to come.”

“NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown is a global class vessel supporting scientific research to increase our understanding of climate and the ocean,” said NOAA Commissioned Corps Capt. Amanda Goeller, Commanding Officer of NOAA Marine Operations Center – Atlantic. “These repairs, system overhauls and modernization will allow the ship to continue operating for many years to come.”

The refit of the 27-year-old ship will be performed at Bollinger Mississippi Repair in Pascagoula, Mississippi, adding an additional 15 years to the original 30-year expectant service life of the vessel. During the refit modification, the propulsion system will largely be replaced with new more environmentally friendly diesel generators, renewal of the bow thruster and propulsion motors, new switchboards, control systems, and alarms. Additional ship systems that are scheduled to be upgraded include the potable water plants, sewage plant, uncontaminated seawater sampling system, HVAC systems, tank level indicators, navigational components, radar renewals, overhead lighting, and ballast and exterior fuel tank vent renewals. Bollinger will replace much of the ship’s piping, along with steel as identified by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).

The vessel refit is scheduled to be completed and redelivered to NOAA in August 2024.

To perform the work, over 100 jobs will be created at Bollinger Mississippi Repair, where the company will be looking to hire Pipefitters, Pipe Welders, Shipfitters, Ship Welders, Riggers, Scaffold Builders, and other production support positions. Additional positions need to be filled to continue repair work on semi-submersible rigs and marine vessels on drydock and at the wet dock.

The ship is named to honor the late Ronald H. Brown, the first African American to serve as Secretary of Commerce. Brown made it his mission to generate jobs and provide opportunities for ordinary Americans, and he was an ardent supporter of the NOAA fleet. He was killed in a plane crash on April 3, 1996, while on a trade mission to Bosnia.

Bollinger Shipyards LLC has a 76-year legacy as a leading designer and builder of high-performance military patrol boats and salvage vessels, research vessels, ocean-going double hull barges, offshore oil field support vessels, tugboats, rigs, lift boats, inland waterways push boats, barges, and other steel and aluminum products from its new construction shipyards as part of the U. S. industrial base. Bollinger has 14 shipyards, all strategically located throughout Louisiana and Mississippi with direct access to the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River and the Intracoastal Waterway. Bollinger is the largest vessel repair company in the Gulf of Mexico region.