NAVANTIA starts the construction of the first AOR for the Australian Navy
19 June 2017 |
Today, NAVANTIA started at its Fene facilities the building of the first auxiliary oiler replenishment ship (AOR) B217 for the Australian Navy with the ceremony of the cutting of the first steel plate for the 220-3 block.
The contract, which was signed between NAVANTIA and the Australian Government on May 9th, 2016, includes the design and construction of two AORs, with the option for a third, as well as their maintenance for an initial five year period.
The two vessels, which are based on the “BAC Cantabria” vessel built by NAVANTIA for the Spanish Navy and which are adapted to the Australian requirements, will be built at the shipyards which NAVANTIA has at the Ferrol Bay.
This contract entails three Million workhours for this area, as well as 35,000 hours resulting from the manufacture and the supply of the main engines, diesel generators and gearboxes, which will be made at the Cartagena shipyard. To the above must be added the 35,000 hours resulting from the Integrated Platform Management System. With regard to its impact on employment, about 1,800 direct and indirect jobs will be generated every years up to 2020, the date for the delivery of the second unit. From these jobs, more than 330 would be direct employees, more than 530 employees of the ancillary industry, and more than 900 would be indirect employees generated by other suppliers.
About NAVANTIA:
NAVANTIA constitutes a world reference in the design, construction and integration of warships with a high-technological content, as well as ship repairs and upgrades. Besides, its activity lines include the design and manufacturing of combat and command and control systems, integrated platform management systems, firing control systems, propulsion engines and the Life Cycle Support for all its products. Although its main activity is in the naval field, NAVANTIA also designs and manufactures systems for the Army and the Air Force.
NAVANTIA belongs to Grupo SEPI, a corporate holding which includes a total of 15 state-owned companies in which it has direct, majority shareholding participations, with a workforce of more than 73,000 professionals in 2015; the Spanish state-owned television and radio corporation, Corporación Radiotelevisión Española, which is attached to SEPI, and one public foundation. Equally, SEPI has direct minority shareholdings in a further nine companies, and indirect shareholdings in more than one hundred companies.