Malta Shipyards $74m ?Fjell? conversion sea trials this week

Fairstar Heavy Transport NV yesterday announced that sea trials for its semi-submersible heavy transport ship, Fjell, which was converted by the Malta Shipyards, will start at the end of this week. The project is estimated to cost $74m . The Fjell is expected to sail on 16 May on its maiden voyage to Trapani to transport and launch a newly built chemical product tanker.
The Fjell is the second semi-submersible heavy transport ship conversion performed by Malta Shipyards following the Fjord which was completed in March last year.
The Fjord and Fjell projects were in the centre of controversy at the end of last year, when practically all of Malta Shipyards’ employees were given an early retirement offer to leave the company as the privatisation process ensued.
The shipyards were deemed overmanned for a potential buyer. It has since become known that the bids tendered for the shipyards, even though supposedly made more attractive through the reduced labour force, were below expectations. The General Workers Union, which represented the majority of shipyard workers, had claimed that the contract entered into with Fairmount led to the closure of the shipyards.
In a statement issued yesterday, Fairmount announced that the Fjell sea trials will begin with basin manoeuvres in the shelter of Valletta and then move in to the open sea. Over the course of three days all of the operating systems will be tested under the scrutiny of representatives of Det Norske Veritas (DNV).
Upon returning to Malta, the Fjell will execute a submerging test, culminating in receiving final Class Approval from DNV.
“The Fairstar Team has performed once again under extreme pressure. The Fjell will soon be joining the Fjord as two of the most modern, technically advanced semi-submersible heavy transport ships in the world today. We are grateful to Malta Shipyards for their assistance in achieving this important milestone prior to our scheduled sail away on 16 May,” said Willem Out, managing director Fleet.
Earlier this year, Fairstar announced that it has a contract with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in Korea. Under the terms of this contract Fjell is scheduled to arrive in Angola on 20 May. The Fjell will transport various Pazflor FPSO parts from Labito, Angola to the DSME yard in Okpo, Korea. Total transit time including loading and unloading is expected to be approximately 75 days. The total contract amount is $6.65m.
“Fjell will make a significant contribution to earnings this year. We are actively pursuing a variety of other cargoes that we can deliver prior to our commitment in Angola in May. Our focus will be around the Mediterranean in order to minimise mobilisation costs once Fjell has departed Malta. Fjord is fully booked for 2009 and we are confident that the combined utilisation rate for Fjord and Fjell will achieve 80 per cent for the year,” Fairstar chief financial officer, Mark de Haas, had said.