Rio Grande Shipyard Begins Construction of Transpetro Handymax Vessels

Rio Grande Shipyard held the keel-laying ceremony for the first of four Transpetro Handymax vessels on Thursday, Oct. 15, six months after steel processing for the hull began. The ceremony, attended by shipyard workers and Transpetro representatives, marks a new phase in the construction of the vessels.

A longstanding tradition in shipbuilding, the ceremony symbolizes the beginning of a vessel’s construction. The Rio Grande naval complex will build four Handymax vessels ordered by Transpetro under the Mar Aberto Program, an initiative aimed at renewing and expanding the Petrobras System’s owned fleet.

The keel serves as the ship’s “backbone” and provides the foundation from which construction begins. Keel laying is a centuries-old tradition regarded as a symbol of protection and good luck for the vessel and its crew.

The milestone marks another step forward in work on the Handymax vessels, which has mobilized more than 500 professionals at Rio Grande Shipyard this year. Since April, steel for the hulls has been processed at Ecovix’s manufacturing facilities according to the schedule agreed with Transpetro.

“Today demonstrates the strength and capabilities of Rio Grande Shipyard. It is the culmination of responsible work by our entire team in building these four vessels — the first of several we will deliver to Transpetro over the coming years,” Ecovix CEO Robson Passos said.

“The construction of these vessels marks a milestone in the resumption of Transpetro’s investment in its owned fleet. The project reinforces the company’s strategy of expanding its operational capacity to meet market demand and keep pace with the growth of oil production in Brazil,” said Jones Soares, Transpetro’s director of Maritime Transportation.

Transpetro Handymax Vessels to Carry Clean Petroleum Products

The Transpetro Handymax vessels, which will expand the company’s logistics capacity, will have a deadweight capacity of 16,000 tonnes. They will be capable of transporting clean petroleum products including marine diesel, S10 diesel, S500 diesel and aviation gasoline.

More than 65% of the equipment required for construction has already been purchased. In July, 11,000 tonnes of steel from Indonesia were unloaded at the shipyard to support the project.

In total, Ecovix will build 13 vessels for Transpetro over the coming years: four Handymax vessels through the Marenova Consortium; five pressurized tankers for transporting LPG and petroleum products; and four medium-sized MR1 (Medium Range) vessels.

The different shipbuilding projects are expected to generate up to 5,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Source: Ecovix

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