The Norwegian shipbuilding industry has the capacity needed to build the Royal Norwegian Navy’s new standardized vessels. Together with Norwegian partners, Green Yard can produce 10,000 tons of steel modules and hulls annually.
Green Yard Kleven in Ulsteinvik has long experience in building advanced vessels. Together with Norwegian subcontractors and partners, the group has the capacity to produce steel modules and hulls equivalent to three to four standardized vessels every year.
And Green Yard is not alone. Several Norwegian shipyards and offshore yards have significant capacity to build steel modules, hulls and complete vessels.
– Norway does not lack the capacity to build these vessels. We have the yards, the expertise and the supplier industry required. Now it is a matter of putting that capacity to use, says Hans Jørgen Fedog, CEO of Green Yard.
Shorter delivery time and more efficient construction
When hulls and steel modules are produced in Norway, outfitting can begin while the hull is still being built. Piping, cabling and technical equipment can be installed in the sections before assembly.
Production can also be distributed among several Norwegian yards, so that sections are built in parallel and assembled and outfitted at one or more yards. This opens for shorter delivery times, better control of progress and efficient use of the combined Norwegian capacity.
– The Norwegian shipbuilding industry has long experience with this construction method. By working together we can deliver more vessels faster, while strengthening expertise and capacity along the entire coast, says Fedog.
Norwegian ship building is Norwegian readiness
The procurement of the standardized vessels is a historic opportunity to strengthen Norway’s maritime industry and national readiness.
The ability to produce hulls and complete vessels is essential to maintaining the expertise and capacity to build, maintain and repair ships in Norway.
– Maritime production capacity is an important part of Norway’s readiness. We cannot make ourselves dependent on foreign yards to build our own naval vessels, and at the same time expect that capacity to be available when we need it most, says Fedog.
An analysis by Menon Economics shows that Norwegian hull construction for the standardized vessels could generate around NOK 9.6 billion in value creation and ripple effects, more than 6,000 full-time equivalent jobs and around NOK 2.8 billion in public revenue.
The tender must secure Norwegian production
The Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency has now presented the competition model for the new standardized vessels. Green Yard believes it is essential that the tender documents set clear and verifiable requirements for Norwegian production and value creation.
– It is not enough for the vessels to carry Norwegian equipment if the hulls and large parts of the yard work are carried out abroad. If this procurement is to strengthen Norwegian readiness, it must also secure real production at Norwegian yards.
– The capacity is here. The expertise is here. Now the authorities must make sure it is used. Norwegian readiness is not built abroad, Fedog concludes.