Sunday, August 11, 2019

FIRST TWO JONES ACT SHIPS ON THE ASSEMBLY PAD

By Port of Brownsville
Port Matters

Keppel AmFELS is building ships at the Port of Brownsville, introducing a new industry to the state of Texas.

To facilitate the construction of deep-draft vessels at Keppel’s shipyard, the port partnered with the company to build a Public Vessel Assembly and Erection Pad. The project was completed July 31.

The assembly pad, measuring 292 ft. long and 1,102 ft. wide, is used to assemble Jones Act vessels to transport cargo along the U.S. coast from one domestic port to another. The Jones Act is a federal law regulating maritime commerce in the U.S. The law requires goods shipped between U.S. ports to be transported on ships that are built, owned and operated only by U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

The U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration awarded the port a $1.8 million grant for the construction of the pad. The total cost of the project was $5.3 million.

On April 30th, Keppel AmFELS held the ceremonial keel laying for the M/V George III and the cutting of the first steel plates for the M/V Janet Marie, the first two vessels being built at the Port of Brownsville.

The two container ships will join Pasha Hawaii’s fleet and serve the Hawaii/U.S. trade lane. Delivery of the vessels is expected in 2020. The secured contract with Pasha is worth more than $400 million and is a departure from Keppel AmFELS focus in the repair and construction of oil exploration vessels and offshore platforms and rigs.

The technical work required to build these vessels is estimated to create 700 new skilled jobs.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

skilled jobs from where?? TSC?

Anonymous said...

great foreign workers will be hired
they charge less and dont require health benefits
h2 visas
the port is full of workers from tampico

Anonymous said...

Anony 10:30am:

What types of jobs, exactly, were A & M and TSTC offering in their new facility to be built by the Port? Do you know? I don't think they were offering the type of jobs you're thinking of.

Anonymous said...

From matamoros LOL

Anonymous said...

A&M and TSTC were or are or will be offering training on jobs that are NOT available in this area. They just want the money just like the cameron county elected officials and their request for pay raises. DOWN HERE NOTHING CHANGES and we are so stupid we keep re-electing estos idiotas

Anonymous said...

You can thank the BEDC for this accomplishment Juan.

Anonymous said...

Accomplishment or raqueta? Seems there's a bunch of people not happy with this ACCOMPLISHMENT! Coming from the port and bedc you have to look twice...

Anonymous said...

This great accomplishment where and when is it going to be built?
WHERE: Who know!
WHEN: Soon very soon...

Anonymous said...

Sometime in the near future right after they raise your taxes - got it???

Anonymous said...

August 11, 2019 at 3:00 PM

and the oil fields in midland what nobody works down here - oh food stamps oooook

rita