Penguin and ST Marine win award for three rescue vessels

ALUMINIUM shipbuilding expert, Penguin International has jointly won a contract with ST Marine from Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs for the supply of three rescue vessels.

Penguin disclosed after Monday trading that the contract is for a heavy marine fire vessel, a heavy marine rescue vessel and a marine rescue vessel. It involves the design, construction and system maintenance of the three vessels.

Construction of the vessels is anticipated to commence in mid-2017, with delivery expected in 2019.

Penguin's announced contract confirmed The Business Times report on Aug 25 tipping ST Marine to land a newbuilding contract for the three new vessels. The three vessels are the first to be awarded by Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), four years after it assumed the fire-fighting function within Singapore's waters.

ST Engineering in a separate announcement said that ST Marine and its US shipyard VT Halter Marine Inc have secured including the award for the three rescue vessels in the fourth quarter, new contracts worth S$138 million.

In addition, VT Halter Marine was awarded a contract by the Department of Transportation in the Commonwealth of Virginia to design and construct a 499-passenger or 70-vehicle Jamestown ferry to replace a current vessel. Construction of the ferry is expected to be completed in April 2018.

ST Marine also won several ship repair contracts for vessels such as a passenger ferry, trailing sunction hopper dredger, chemical and oil tankers.

ST Marine president Ng Sing Chan said: "Working with other industry partners such as Penguin International Limited, this project will also ensure that the local marine eco-system is sustained to provide the best services to our valued customers."