Rolls-Royce wins a $50m Australian shiplift contract

Tuesday, 19 December 2006

Rolls-Royce is to provide the Government of South Australia with an A$50m shiplift which will be a key element of a major new shipbuilding and ship repair development at Techport Australia.

The Syncrolift® will have capacity for ships of up to 9,300 tons, including the Royal Australian Navy's new generation of Air Warfare Destroyers which will be built by ASC at Techport Australia in Adelaide.

Rolls-Royce will team with a variety of South Australian businesses to build the 156- metre-long Syncrolift for Techport Australia, under development by the Government of South Australia.

It will go into service in 2009 and will include a ship transfer system from Norwegian company TTS which will move vessels between the Syncrolift and maintenance/build berths on shore.

Techport Australia will be designed to permit a future increase of the Syncrolift to 210 metres, with capacity for Panamax-size ships.

Bob Moore, Rolls-Royce Chief Executive in Australia, who attended the signing ceremony today, said: “This is a significant project for both the Royal Australian Navy and also the economy of South Australia. We look forward to working with local businesses on what is one of the largest Rolls-Royce shiplift programmes for many years.”

Pat Marolda, Rolls-Royce President - Naval, said: “'This contract also marks another key milestone in our own growth in Australian naval business. Last month we won a contract worth more than A$50m, in a team with Kellogg Brown & Root, from the Australian Department of Defence to support four Royal Australian Navy amphibious and afloat ships for seven years with options for a further five.”

Another Syncrolift is already in operation at ASC, next to Techport Australia, which services Collins Class submarines. The RAN operates another Syncrolift at its Darwin Naval Base.

Rolls-Royce is a world-leader in shiplift and transfer systems with 230 installations operating in 68 countries. More than two million ships have been lifted by Syncrolift systems since the first was installed in 1957.