COMMERCIAL NEWS - Ausmarine 2010 attracts Austal

Australian aluminium shipbuilder, Austal, has confirmed its participation in the forthcoming Ausmarine 2010 exhibition, to be held in Perth between November 23 and 25.

The Western Australian company said it will use the exhibition to meet with vessel owners and operators from the region, listen to their requirements and then use its significant experience and in-house design capability to develop suggested solutions. Austal also expects the show to provide a welcome opportunity to meet with local and international suppliers.

Austal said of interest to operators in the offshore industry will be its range of rugged, reliable and efficient workboat platforms, including its recently launched Wind Express series, which are specifically tailored to enhance offshore windfarm support operations.

Baird Publications chairman Neil Baird said securing the support of a major Australian shipbuilder was a big boost for the show, which was already shaping as the largest Ausmarine ever.

“Baird has had a strong association with Austal for many years and has watched with interest the growth and success of the company over the past two decades and is in fact, a shareholder in Austal,” said Baird. “We are very pleased that an industry leader such as Austal has again chosen Ausmarine to showcase its platforms.”

Austal said that on the commercial side, its vessels are currently operating in Australia’s ferry, cruise, dive liveaboard, charter yacht, and harbour cruise industries. In the government sector, it says it has delivered 40 patrol vessels to the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service as well as the police forces of NSW and Queensland.

“We welcome the return of the exhibition to our home turf,” commented Austal’s COO, Andrew Bellamy. “We hope it will provide additional impetus for many of our past, present and future customers and suppliers to visit WA and gain a firsthand appreciation of our capabilities and product offerings. These range from relatively small passenger vessels and patrol boats right through to large car ferries and naval platforms.”

Along with vessel design and manufacture, Austal said it has now established itself as a major provider of vessel maintenance and support. With facilities in Fremantle and Darwin, the company said it is well placed to provide service and support to operators, particularly those operating offshore vessels and patrol boats in Australia’s northern and western waters.

Austal said its capabilities in this regard were recently demonstrated through refit work on the 82m diving support vessel Nor Australis. The project involved sending a team of its engineers and naval architects to Karratha in Australia’s North West were their work successfully reduced noise and vibration onboard the vessel, resulting in improved working conditions for the crew, it said.

Austal is located at stand H103 throughout the exhibition.

For more info, visit www.bairdmaritime.com