Days before this issue of Pacific Maritime went to print, news broke that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has awarded $8.75 million to 15 shipyards in 12 states—including Hawaii, Oregon and Washington—through the Small Shipyard Grant Program.
And since the awards were announced after the issue was nearly complete and the interior pages nearly completely filled, this column is the once place where there was still room to include the news, which is why you’re reading about it here.
The funds, which include nearly $2.4 million to businesses in the three above-mentioned states—are to help awardees modernize, increase productivity, and expand local employment opportunities while competing in the global marketplace, according to MARAD.
Among the 2024 MARAD small shipyard grant awardees are:
Bremerton, Wash.-based boat manufacturer Inventech Marine Solutions, which is receiving $378,079 for an electric clean paint booth project with blast and spray booths.
Tacoma, Wash.-based ship repair business Motive Power Marine, which was granted $559,687 for site electrical upgrades, and electric air compressor and a12,000-lb capacity telehandler reach forklift.
Astoria, Oregon’s WCT Marine & Construction, a vessel build and outfitting business, was granted $874,297 for a 450-ton vessel transporter, and
Honolulu-based shipbuilding and repair company MARISCO, Ltd. is to receive $584,563 for an electric air compressor and plasma cutter.
In addition, a number of companies plan to establish or expand their operations in the United States as the result of recent actions by the Biden administration, according to a July 29 news release by the White House. The businesses include South Korea-based HD-Hyundai, one of the world’s largest shipbuilders, which has committed to accelerate its efforts to support the U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding program through cooperative initiatives with U.S. companies and educational and vocational exchange programs.
The Secretary of the Navy recently announced a new educational partnership between HD-Hyundai, the University of Michigan and Seoul National University, which will establish a shipbuilding design and engineering exchange program enabling civilian and Navy engineers to learn in HD Hyundai’s Korean shipyards.
Also, Bollinger Shipyards of Louisiana, the first and only shipbuilder in the United States to design and build a heavy polar icebreaker in over 50 years, is expected to play a “critical” role in the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort, also known as “ICE Pact,” and its efforts to strengthen the polar capabilities of the United States and its allies through the creation of a fleet of polar icebreakers.
U.S., Canada and Finland announced their intent to create the “ICE Pact” – a trilateral arrangement to collaborate on the production of icebreakers, alongside allies and partners, labor and industry on July 11.
Additionally, as a result of Biden administration efforts to strengthen the U.S. shipbuilding industry, Davie, Canada’s largest shipbuilder, Davie Shipbuilding, intends to make a new long-term commitment to American shipbuilding, according to the White House.
Pending final site and partner selection, this would include a major investment in a U.S. shipyard, officials said.
Davie also owns Helsinki Shipyard in Finland, which has built over 50% of the world’s icebreaker fleet.
Lastly, Konecranes, a Finnish-based port equipment manufacturer, has announced plans to establish and grow a consortium of U.S. partners, including steel structure providers and other manufacturers, to build ship-to-shore cranes in the United States to serve North American ports.
Konecranes estimates that every STS crane built in the United States will require the production of 1,500 tons of U.S.-made steel and over 100,000 labor hours for the whole value chain.
The full list of 2024 small shipyard grant awardees and information about the projects that were granted funding is available at https://tinyurl.com/bdhxee5k.
Managing Editor Mark Nero can be reached at (619) 313-4351 or mark@maritimepublishing.com