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STURGEON BAY, WISCONSIN – Executives from Seaside LNG, Polaris New Energy and their guests gathered at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding today to christen the recently constructed LNG bunker barge Clean Everglades.

The vessel is the sister ship to the LNG barge, Clean Canaveral, which was delivered by FBS two years ago and has made more than 65 successful LNG bunker deliveries. Similar in design and appearance, the articulated tug barge will hold 5,500 cubic meters of LNG.

“The previous FBS-built LNG barge was delivered on schedule during the global pandemic, which was quite an accomplishment,” said Jan Allman, FBS' Vice President and General Manager. “We are ready to deliver the Clean Everglades six weeks ahead of schedule, thanks in part to a clean, brilliant design and the motivated, experienced shipbuilders here at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding."

FBS was contracted by Seaside LNG to build a 5,500 cubic meter (CBM) LNG bunker barge. Seaside LNG has the largest fleet of Jones Act-compliant LNG barges operating in the United States.

“Polaris New Energy is excited to continue to expand the LNG bunkering infrastructure in the United States” said Tim Casey CEO of Seaside LNG. “The delivery of the Clean Everglades will give us the ability to expand our LNG bunkering business to the Gulf of Mexico. Partnering with the talented and professional staff at FBS has produced a second exceptional vessel.”

Demand for LNG to fuel the maritime sector is growing rapidly with orders for LNG vessels eclipsing 30% of the fleet orderbook. LNG is the leading solution in the maritime sector as the industry advances its sustainability goals to meet growing emissions reductions goals.

The 5,500 cubic meter ATB is fitted with four 1,375 CBM IMO Type C tanks. It will utilize a cargo handling system designed and developed by Wartsila. The vessel is 340’ overall length, 66’ beam, and 32’-10” deep. The ATB is also an Oceans Classed ABS barge.

About Seaside LNG and Polaris New Energy

Seaside LNG provides LNG production and maritime transportation logistics to meet the growing demand for LNG, a cleaner alternative fuel, to customers in the maritime, aerospace and transportation industries. Seaside owns 50% of JAX LNG, a small-scale (360,000 gallons/day) LNG production facility operating two trains in Jacksonville, Florida, and a 100% ownership stake in an LNG bunkering barge operation through Polaris New Energy (PNE). PNE, the bunkering arm of Seaside LNG, maintains the largest fleet of Jones Act-compliant bunkering vessels in the United States, including Clean Canaveral, Clean Jacksonville and tug Polaris, and Clean Everglades and tug Tortuga. PNE’s bunkering operation is compatible with several vessel types, including cruise ships, containerships, tankers, and car carriers. For more information, visit www.seasidelng.com.

About Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding

Located in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (FBS) is an industry leader in the construction, conversion, and repair of large ships – tracing its rich history back more than 100 years. The diversified FBS portfolio includes articulated tug-barge units, dredges and dredging support equipment, automated loading carriers, ferries, and offshore support vessels. On the repair side, FBS is an expert at managing critical deadlines in the repair and sustainment of bulk carriers and other Great Lakes Fleet ships.

Shipbuilding facilities at the 63-acre plant include a large graving dock, a U.S. Navy-certified drydock, and lifting capacity to meet the most demanding requirements. Erection buildings are climate-controlled and equipped with sophisticated computer-aided manufacturing equipment. Fincantieri’s skilled workforce has extensive shipyard construction experience, in-house engineering, and a management team focused on client satisfaction and on-time delivery.

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding is an operating unit of Fincantieri Marine Group (FMG), the United States division of global shipbuilding giant, Fincantieri. www.fincantierimarinegroup.com

Media Contacts

Fincantieri Marine Group: Eric Dent, eric.dent@us.fincantieri.com, 202-603-3263
Seaside LNG: Jennifer Petree, pr@petreepartners.com, 713-269-3776

STURGEON BAY, WIS. – Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding began construction yesterday on a 289-foot service operation vessel (SOV) for a Crowley-ESVAGT joint venture that will house and transport technicians to maintain U.S. offshore wind farms.

This vessel, for the joint venture CREST Wind, will operate under a long-term charter with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. Today marked the ceremonial start of construction for the vessel, and senior leaders from the partner companies around the country came to Door County to witness the first pieces of steel being cut and welded.

“We are excited to get started on this important vessel,” said Marco Galbiati, CEO of Fincantieri Marine Group. “The work that this vessel will support is critical to energy solutions here in the United States.”

“This vessel will support America’s goals of cleaner, renewable energy by providing an innovative, reliable and safe environment for those servicing the wind turbines off the U.S. coast,” said Bob Karl, senior vice president and general manager of Crowley Wind Services. “We congratulate the women and men who led us to this milestone for this modern, high performing vessel that will help support next-generation energy solutions.”

SOVs are purpose-built vessels used to accommodate and transport wind-farm technicians to service and maintain wind turbines at sea. Crowley is an innovative U.S. maritime, energy and logistics solution company serving the offshore wind market, while Denmark-based ESVAGT is the leading provider of SOV services in Europe.

“We are delighted to help bring a leading SOV concept to the US market together with our partners and are looking forward to supporting the high-quality construction of this innovative vessel.” said Kristian O. Jakobsen, ESVAGT’s deputy CEO and head of operations.

The SOV will feature state-of the art technologies to augment safety, workability and comfort to support the operation and maintenance of wind installations. It will have modern accommodations for 80 crew and technicians. Consistent with federal law, the vessel will be U.S.- built and flagged. The ship will utilize the HAV 832 SOV design, made by HAV Design AS, of Norway, and it is considered one of the best in the industry.

The vessel is scheduled to enter service in 2026, when it will support the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project.


Rendering of the future Service Operation Vessel designed by HAV Design AS.

Images from the steel-cutting ceremony, Sep. 20, 2023, at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, Sturgeon Bay, Wis. High res versions with captions can be downloaded at https://flic.kr/p/2p4qAdp.

About Fincantieri Marine Group

Fincantieri, one of the world’s largest and most diversified maritime companies, employs more than 21,000 shipbuilding professionals in 18 shipyards on four continents. Fincantieri operates in the United States through its subsidiary Fincantieri Marine Group. This company, which serves commercial and government customers, including the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, has three shipyards (Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and Fincantieri ACE Marine) located in Wisconsin on the Great Lakes.

About Crowley

Crowley is a privately held, U.S.-owned and -operated maritime, energy and logistics solutions company serving commercial and government sectors with $3.4 billion in annual revenues, over 170 vessels mostly in the Jones Act fleet and approximately 7,000 employees around the world – employing more U.S. mariners than any other company. The Crowley enterprise has invested more than $3.2 billion in maritime transport, which is the backbone of global trade and the global economy. As a global ship owner-operator and services provider with more than 130 years of innovation and a commitment to sustainability, the company serves customers in 36 nations and island territories through five business units: Crowley Logistics, Crowley Shipping, Crowley Government Solutions, Crowley Wind Services and Crowley Fuels. Additional information about Crowley, its business units and subsidiaries can be found at www.crowley.com.

About ESVAGT

ESVAGT is a dedicated provider of safety and support services for the offshore energy industry. ESVAGT was founded in 1981, and has a fleet of more than 40 vessels and approximately 1200 employees offshore and onshore. ESVAGT pioneered the SOV concept with its clients in 2010 and is today the largest operator of state-of-the-art SOVs and associated services – a backbone for the offshore wind industry. ESVAGT continues to develop the most innovative, safe, and efficient solutions and is a committed enabler of the green transition. Additional information about ESVAGT, its business units and subsidiaries here: www.esvagt.com.

Partners expand customized training program to meet the growing maritime workforce needs. 

NORTHEAST WISCONSIN (July 10, 2023) – Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (FBS) and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) are expanding their partnership to advance the maritime manufacturing industry and meet growing workforce demand within the region. 

“This partnership is important as we continue to grow, hire and retain the best workforce in the region,” said FBS Vice President and General Manager Jan Allman. “When it comes to upskilling our employees, we believe it is important to have community-based training with experienced, highly-skilled instructors like those at NWTC.” 

In fall 2022, the partners designed a specialized training program for FBS employees to advance their welding and ship/pipe-fitting techniques. Since the launch, 97 participants have successfully completed this five-week course offered through the NWTC Sturgeon Bay campus. This course serves as an entry point on a path to becoming a skilled, professional tradesperson with a family-sustaining job. In all, 106 participants completed a total of almost 15,000 hours of training in the past year.

With the success of this pilot training program, the partners have solidified a one-year contract and expanded in areas of higher student capacity, longer course curriculum, and more.

“The maritime industry supports thousands of jobs in Northeast Wisconsin each year and is a multi-billion-dollar industry statewide,” said Jim Draeger, NWTC dean of corporate training and economic development. “Strengthening our area workforce through customized training is vital to our region’s economic growth. NWTC is thrilled to continue our work with FBS and build an industry-leading workforce.” 

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding has years of work underway and planned, such as building additional LNG bunkering barges and critically important SOVs, which are vessels that transport technicians to service and sustain power-producing wind turbines at sea. FBS also assists sister-shipyard, Fincantieri Marinette Marine, by building large hull sections of Constellation-class frigates for the U.S. Navy. 

As part of Fincantieri Marine Group, FBS built its rich shipbuilding history in Wisconsin over more than a decade. The FBS shipyard in Sturgeon Bay is a 63-acre, custom-built facility designed for efficient new construction, major conversions, repairs, and sustainment of commercial and government vessels.

NWTC is designated a Center of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education, by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration. As the only designated Center of Excellence on the Great Lakes, the College is committed to serving the region’s booming shipbuilding industry. The College also operates the North Coast Marine Manufacturing Training Center®, offers maritime safety training, and contracts training for Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Marinette

“NWTC has the flexibility and agility to quickly meet industry needs through customized training with our business partners, as evident by our continued partnership with FBS. Our college is excited for future growth with the FBS training program to mirror our many successes with all industries across the district,” said Draeger.

FBS offers a wide variety of rewarding career opportunities, and seeks more candidates for their skilled trades, supporting labor, engineering, and management positions. To learn more about open positions and to apply, visit fincantierimarinegroup.com/careers

For more information about starting a career in shipbuilding or upskilling your workforce through Corporate Training and Economic Development at NWTC, visit nwtc.edu.

Point of contact: 

Eric Dent | Director of Communications | (202) 488-4783 | eric.dent@us.fincantieri.com

About Fincantieri Marine Group

Fincantieri, one of the world’s largest and most diversified maritime companies, employs more than 21,000 shipbuilding professionals in 18 shipyards on four continents. Fincantieri operates in the United States through its subsidiary, Fincantieri Marine Group. This company, which serves commercial and government customers including the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, has three shipyards (Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and Fincantieri ACE Marine) located in Wisconsin on the Great Lakes.  

Follow Fincantieri Marine Group on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Matteo Cremona, Fincantieri Marine Group Project Manager accepts the “Green” Certification from David Bolduc, President of Green Marine at the Green Marine GreenTech Conference in Seattle.

WASHINGTON, DC – Last week Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) and Fincantieri ACE Marine (FAM) received recognition for their continued efforts in environmental sustainability at the Green Marine GreenTech conference in Seattle.

Green Marine is a voluntary environmental certification program that encourages maritime enterprises to adopt measurable actions that go beyond regulatory obligations. For Fincantieri Marine Group, joining Green Marine was an easy decision. Both Wisconsin shipyards were the first in the state to join.

For their second-year certification both Fincantieri shipyards demonstrated high-level performance and commitment to reducing air pollutants, spill prevention, storm water and waste management, environmental leadership and community relations.

“Sustainability remains an important aspect of our company culture,” said Marco Galbiati, CEO of Fincantieri Marine Group. “Continuous improvement extends into how well we respect the water, the ground, and our surrounding communities. We cannot be complacent or accept a ‘good enough’ attitude, and that is a shared perspective among Green Marine participants.”

Fincantieri Marine Group employees like Makayla Jacobs also have personal reasons to consider when it comes to environmental sustainability.

"I am a huge outdoorswoman -- hunting, fishing, hiking, and camping – these are huge passions of mine,” said Jacobs, an environmental engineer at the Marinette shipyard. “I think it’s cool to show others that the place where I work also helps support and care for the environment like I do.”

Fincantieri Marine Group continues to analyze, evaluate and implement industry best practices for future investment and implementation in the area of sustainability. FMG also has a strong partner in Fincantieri SpA, their parent company, who is globally renowned for environmental stewardship and their commitment to sustainability.

For more information:
Eric Dent, APR
Director of Communications
Fincantieri Marine Group
(202) 488-4783
Eric.dent@us.fincantieri.com

About Fincantieri Marine Group

Fincantieri, one of the world’s largest and most diversified maritime companies, employs more than 21,000 shipbuilding professionals in 18 shipyards on four continents. Fincantieri operates in the United States through its subsidiary Fincantieri Marine Group. This company, which serves commercial and government customers, including the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, has three shipyards (Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and Fincantieri ACE Marine) located in Wisconsin on the Great Lakes.

Follow Fincantieri Marine Group on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Last side-launch initiated by launch system creator, James Mackie
Under near perfect weather conditions earlier this month, Fincantieri Marinette Marine launched the final Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship in its traditional dynamic side-launch fashion. At the trigger poised to initiate the process was a familiar person, wearing his signature style shirt and trying unsuccessfully to contain his exuberance.

James Mackie, clad in one of his preferred “aloha” shirts - one with a maize-colored Michigan “M” embroidered on the chest pocket - was excitedly smiling as he arrived several hours ahead of the ceremony. He knew his way around the shipyard, but he also noted how much the facilities had changed over the years.

And Mackie should know. The 72-year-old Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. native came to Marinette in 1976, after graduating from University of Michigan. Mackie joined the engineering team working in what was at the time, a dirt shipyard with only a few buildings on its 50-acre riverside lot.

Walking along the shipyard’s waterfront in 2023, Mackie recalled what the shipyard looked like in the 1970s. “I am absolutely blown away [at the improvements made]. I love what you’ve done.”

When Mackie began working at then-Marinette Marine Corp., one of his first major projects was to design a system capable of launching vessels of various sizes and shapes into the Menominee River adjacent to the shipyard. What he built has become a critical component of each vessel’s history…its first dramatic plunge into the aquatic world.

Mackie admitted to being cautiously concerned for the initial launch back in late 1977. “Man, was I nervous!” he offered. He was confident in the calculations and work completed. The evening prior to the first launch, one of the shipyard leaders, Jim Derusha, summoned Mackie to meet him at the shipyard after hours. Mackie obliged and hurried to the now-dark shipyard to find the vice president of operations hopping out of his familiar red truck in socks - no shoes - to take one last look at preparations and the system.

As he recalled this meeting, Mackie said that he and Jim Derusha walked through the entire system, confirming calculations and covering contingencies. In the end, Derusha looked Jim in the eye and declared, “We are ready.” Mackie was relieved to have his boss’ confidence, but until they had a successful launch, Mackie continued to carry an invisible-but-weighty burden on his shoulders.

To make matters worse, Mackie remembered a vivid nightmare he had the week of the first launch in which the ship launched in the wrong direction and ended up on land. Physics and the force of gravity would obviously prevent that from ever happening, but the pressure of getting it right was important to Mackie, and he knew how many people were counting on him.

Mackie and the team orchestrated the initial launch, and his system was a resounding success. At the conclusion of the launch, Harold Derusha, then-president of Marinette Marine, came to Mackie, shook his hand, looked at him and said, “Now get back to work.”

Jim laughed as he recalled this moment. Memories seemed to swirl in his mind and his eyes glistened from pride of hard work realized.

Mackie retired from the Marinette shipyard in 2005, after 54 successful launches on his system. He was later invited back to help launch the first Navy Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship, the USS Freedom (LCS 1), in 2006, as well as the final launch April 15, 2023, of the future USS Cleveland (LCS 31).

To say that Mackie relishes every launch is an understatement. The launch of LCS 31 marked the 70th vessel to enter service by way of his launch system. And he was there again to start the process that allows gravity to take the ship into water. As anticipated, Jim was his usual self, jumping up and down and yelling, ‘Go! Go! Go!’ The launch system worked flawlessly again.

In 2008, Mackie decided to “un-retire” and join the shipbuilding team at Austal USA in Mobile, Ala. There, he is a naval architect and dockmaster, and it’s no surprise that his teammates there appreciate his knowledge, experience and unquestionable love of shipbuilding.

Many Marinette Marine employees who knew Mackie flocked to the launch area in hopes of catching up with him. Jim was happy to see so many Marinette friends from decades past, and conversations typically turned to the next ship launch system: the shiplift under construction by Pearlson Shiplift Corp. Coincidentally, Jim went to college with two of Ray Pearlson’s sons. He maintains great respect for the Pearlson family and their maritime accomplishments.
Mackie remembered being impressed with Raymond Pearlson’s original shiplift design, as well as his personal drive to gain support and build a business around his brilliant invention. He thinks that the decision to use one at Marinette was a prudent call.

“You made a wise decision in going with the shiplift,” said Mackie. He emphasized the reduced risk and recovery aspects. “My ship launch system cannot do that,” he regretfully concluded with a wry smile.

Justin Slater, currently serving as the director of sales and marketing at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, was hired by Mackie years ago at FMM. Slater describes him with similar terms as others use: brilliant, humble, personable, and overwhelmingly competent. “He is quite a character, but also, he is one really smart gentleman,” Slater added.

“We are in a very unique industry,” said Mackie. “Most people see a ship and they have no clue about what it takes to build them, let alone what it takes to get them in the water.”

But Fincantieri does. We know that shipbuilding is a team sport, and when your team is comprised of people like Jim Mackie, you are destined for calculated success.

A few weeks ago we posted a couple of short videos on social media about Mr. James Mackie, a former Marinette employee who designed the side-launch system in Marinette back in the 1970s. Our digital team was able to catch up with Jim when he attended the final launch using this system, however there was so much interest in Jim and his experiences building the launch system that our team put together this video which tells more of his interesting story (and backstories).

One of the most important aspects of the final side launch is our future method of launching ships will use a shiplift to put vessels into the water. We will also have the capability to recover vessels, or take them from the water and back to land for inspections or additional work. It was a big decision to take on the expense of building the largest ship lift in the U.S., but we knew we were going to build larger vessels for the U.S. Navy, namely Constellation-class Frigates. And a shiplift made sense. So we ended up hiring Pearlson Shiplift Corp., largely because they are the best in the world at this.

As we talked with Jim Mackie, he made us aware of a connection between Jim and the Pearlson family and their business. Small world, eh?

We hope you enjoy learning more about Jim and his experiences with our ship launch system.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Department of Defense announced that Fincantieri Marinette Marine was awarded a $526 million contract to build a fourth Constellation-class Frigate.

FMM received the contract for the first-in-class Constellation-class frigate in April 2020, and since the Navy has exercised three options for follow-on vessels.

Construction on the first frigate began in late August last year in Marinette, Wis., and FMM is scheduled to deliver that ship, the future USS Constellation, in 2026.

“We at Fincantieri Marine Group are proud to lead the Constellation program, and along with our partners and suppliers, we remain committed to building tomorrow’s Navy,” said Marco Galbiati, CEO of FMG.

For more information:
Eric Dent, APR
Director of Communications
Fincantieri Marine Group
(202) 488-4783
Eric.dent@us.fincantieri.com

About Fincantieri Marine Group

Fincantieri, one of the world’s largest and most diversified maritime companies, employs more than 21,000 shipbuilding professionals in 18 shipyards on four continents. Fincantieri operates in the United States through its subsidiary Fincantieri Marine Group. This company, which serves commercial and government customers, including the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, has three shipyards (Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and Fincantieri ACE Marine) located in Wisconsin on the Great Lakes.

Follow Fincantieri Marine Group on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

WASHINGTON D.C. – Fincantieri’s top leaders traveled to Washington D.C. and Wisconsin last week to meet with their U.S.-based business leaders, shipbuilders and government officials.

Fincantieri’s CEO Pierroberto Folgiero and Chairman Claudio Graziano spent several days in Washington D.C. meeting with key U.S. leaders and participated in strategic discussions with Fincantieri Marine Group. They also managed a visit to Northeast Wisconsin to meet American shipbuilders working on several navy vessels, including the first-in-class USS Constellation (FFG 62).

This was both Folgiero and Graziano’s first visit since they assumed their positions in May 2022. Folgiero stated that one of his main the reasons for the visit was to reaffirm the company’s commitment to the U.S. Navy. Fincantieri Marinette Marine earned the contract to build the future frigate in April 2020, initially a $795 million for the initial ship, with options for nine additional. The value of the contract and all options is approximately $5.5 billion. Since the original contract, the Navy has exercised options and ordered two additional frigates from FMM.

“This was my first visit to Wisconsin as CEO,” said Folgiero. “Chairman Graziano and I were impressed with what we saw, the energy of the people, the atmosphere, and the Marinette shipyard is one of the most modern I have ever seen.”

Marco Galbiati, who heads up Fincantieri’s U.S. business units, added that visits like this are important. “We get the opportunity to show our leaders our facilities and our vessels, but most importantly, a chance to meet our people.”

Another of Folgiero’s key points was to ensure the American team understands the importance of their efforts with the Constellation-class frigates as it relates to the company’s strategic five-year plan. “The world is watching, so now we must focus and execute.”

Images are available at our Flickr site: https://www.flickr.com/photos/94217107@N03/ or search “Fincantieri Marine Group”

For more information:
Eric Dent
Director of Communications
Fincantieri Marine Group
(202) 488-4783
Eric.dent@us.fincantieri.com

About Fincantieri Marine Group

Fincantieri, one of the world’s largest and most diversified maritime companies, employs more than 21,000 shipbuilding professionals in 18 shipyards on four continents. Fincantieri operates in the United States through its subsidiary Fincantieri Marine Group. This company, which serves commercial and government customers, including the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, has three shipyards (Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and Fincantieri ACE Marine) located in Wisconsin on the Great Lakes.

WASHINGTON D.C. – Fincantieri Marine Group reached agreement on a contract with CREST Wind, a joint venture between Crowley and ESVAGT, to design and build a 288-ft. HAV 832 Service Operation Vessel (SOV).

SOVs are purpose-built vessels used to transport technicians to service and sustain operation of wind turbines at sea. Crowley is a U.S. maritime, energy and logistics solution company serving the offshore wind market while Denmark-based ESVAGT is the leading provider of SOV service in Europe. HAV Design AS, a leading designer of SOVs in Norway, designed this specific vessel.

Fincantieri Marine Group will have the team at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (FBS) along with Crowley’s on-site construction management group to complete the building of the Jones Act-compliant vessel to service offshore wind operations in the U.S. FBS will build the vessel at its shipyard in Sturgeon Bay, Wisc., and it will go into service in 2026. The vessel will serve the Dominion Energy wind farm off the coast of Virginia under long-term charter to Siemens Gamesa.

“We are proud to be associated with important ‘green’ projects like this,” offered Marco Galbiati, CEO of Fincantieri Marine Group. “The SOV market is one of the most interesting and important markets for our company.”

Bob Karl, senior vice president and general manager for Crowley Wind Services added, “The SOV for CREST Wind will bring the latest innovations and performance capabilities to support the emerging clean energy sector in the U.S. -- combining ESVAGT European designs and operating practices with Crowley’s safety and operational expertise of the premier U.S. vessel operator.”

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding is currently building several LNG bunkering barges, including for Crowley, in addition to supporting the government work of sister-yard, Fincantieri Marinette Marine, where the Navy’s new Constellation-class frigates are under construction.

“We are excited to partner with CREST in the construction of this SOV,” said Craig Perciavalle, Vice President of FBS. “The incredible shipbuilding professionals here at FBS are eager to successfully execute this important strategic program and to continue to solidify our position as a premier shipbuilding supplier in the offshore wind market.”

Kristian O. Jakobsen, Deputy CEO of ESVAGT said, “The partnership between Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and CREST has been developing for some time, and it has been a great pleasure to cooperate with such dedicated and accommodating professionals from FBS, and we look forward to continue the journey together within the green energy transformation in the U.S.”

For more information about available positions at Fincantieri and Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, please visit: www.fincantierimarinegroup.com/careers.

For more information:
Eric Dent
Director of Communications
Fincantieri Marine Group
(202) 488-4783
Eric.dent@us.fincantieri.com

David DeCamp
Director of Communications
Crowley
(904) 727-4263
David.DeCamp@Crowley.com

About Fincantieri Marine Group

Fincantieri, one of the world’s largest and most diversified maritime companies, employs more than 21,000 shipbuilding professionals in 18 shipyards on four continents. Fincantieri operates in the United States through its subsidiary Fincantieri Marine Group. This company, which serves commercial and government customers, including the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, has three shipyards (Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and Fincantieri ACE Marine) located in Wisconsin on the Great Lakes.

About Crowley

Crowley is a privately held, U.S.-owned and -operated maritime, energy and logistics solutions company serving commercial and government sectors with more than $2.9 billion in annual revenues, over 170 vessels mostly in the Jones Act fleet and approximately 7,000 employees around the world – employing more U.S. mariners than any other company. The Crowley enterprise has invested more than $3 billion in maritime transport, which is the backbone of global trade and the global economy. As a global ship owner-operator and services provider with more than 130 years of innovation and a commitment to sustainability, the company serves customers in 36 nations and island territories through five business units: Crowley Logistics, Crowley Shipping, Crowley Solutions, Crowley Wind Services and Crowley Fuels. Additional information about Crowley, its business units and subsidiaries available here: www.crowley.com.

About ESVAGT

ESVAGT is a dedicated provider of safety and support services for the offshore energy industry. ESVAGT was founded in 1981, and has a fleet of more than 40 vessels and approximately 1200 employees offshore and onshore. ESVAGT pioneered the SOV concept with its clients in 2010 and is today the largest operator of state-of-the-art SOVs and associated services – a backbone for the offshore wind industry. ESVAGT continues to develop the most innovative, safe, and efficient solutions and is a committed enabler of the green transition. Additional information about ESVAGT, its business units and subsidiaries here: www.esvagt.com.

Crowley Maritime Corporation partners with Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding to support Shell Trading (US) Company.

Background

Shell and Crowley have committed to reducing fuel emissions and are partnering with Fincantieri Marin Group to achieve their mission.

While research is still ongoing as to the ideal clean fuel, Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) is currently the leading commercially viable alternative to heavy fuel oil (HFO). Orders for LNG-powered ships are rising, with large cargo ships being the number one driver. Not surprisingly, the demand for LNG bunkering barges is also increasing.

The Future for LNG and Alternative Marine Fuels

Learn more about marine fuel emissions legislation.

DONWLOAD GUIDE

The Challenges

The Solution

Crowley Maritime Corporation partnered with Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding on the largest LNG bunkering barge built in the United States.

When complete, this 416-ft vessel will offer a capacity for 12,000 m3 (3.17 million gallons) of LNG. It will be the second LNG bunker barge Shell has added to its fleet under a long-term charter in the US.

“The new bunker barge will extend Crowley’s commitment to delivering cleaner, innovative solutions to help the shipping industry continue on the path to de-carbonization,” said Tucker Gilliam, Vice President of Crowley Shipping.

Timeline for LNG Bunkering Barge Delivery

Why Choose Fincantieri Marine Group?

Fincantieri has designed and constructed two large articulated tug-barges (ATB) for Crowley and was chosen to build this transformative vessel.

LNG Bunker Barge Experience and Expertise
“Our growing expertise and partnerships in the LNG transportation business are recognized by the industry and position us well in this growing market. We are pleased Crowley selected our team at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding to execute this important and highly visible project.” Todd Thayse, Vice President & General Manager of Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding.

The Crowley LNG bunker barge is the third Fincantieri has designed and constructed. Polaris New Energy’s Clean Canaveral had its inaugural run in March 2022. A second LNG bunker barge for Polaris New Energy is being built concurrently with Crowley’s.

Fincantieri Facilities
LNG bunker barges are built at the Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (FBS) in Sturgeon Bay, WI.

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding has climate-controlled manufacturing facilities allowing manufacturing to continue year-round, independent of weather conditions. The shipyard is equipped with a U.S. Navy-Certified Floating Drydock, a Graving Dock, ample Waterfront space, and lifting capacity to meet the most demanding requirement.

We recently completed a $250 million capital expansion plan, including updates and improvements for the FBS facility, including a new floating drydock, computer-aided manufacturing equipment, and climate-controlled manufacturing facilities.

FBS has the capacity to build additional LNG bunker barges in parallel with the existing order book.

The Outlook for LNG Bunkering Barges

Learn more about the outlook for LNG bunkering barges.

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About Fincantieri Marine Group

Fincantieri Marine Group is the U.S. subsidiary of one of the world’s largest shipbuilders. Established in the late 1700s, Fincantieri is legendary for designing and building military vessels, highly specialized support vessels, ferries, cruise ships, and mega yachts.

Services include new construction, repair, maintenance, and conversions in state-of-the-art shipyards that operate year-round.

For more information about LNG bunkering barge construction contact:

Justin Slater
Director of Sales and Marketing
Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding
605 North 3rd Avenue
Post Office Box 830
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
Office: 920-746-3373
Justin.Slater@us.fincantieri.com

ADDRESS

Headquarters Washington DC
655 15th St NW, Suite 450
Washington, DC 20005
Fincantieri Marine Group - GBO
2465 Marina Circle
Green Bay, WI 54304
ACE Marine
201 S Pearl Street
Green Bay, WI 54303
Marinette Marine
1600 Ely Street
Marinette, WI 54143
Bay Shipbuilding
605 N 3rd Avenue
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
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