Steel raised at Osborne Naval Shipyard

The new landscape of the Australian Osborne Naval Shipyard is taking shape with steel now being raised into place for the Hunter-class construction yard.

“It’s estimated the $535 million Osborne South project will create up to 600 jobs,” Christopher Pyne, Minister for Defence, said.

As informed, the steel raising for the new shipyard involves the elevation of more than 8,000 tons of structural steel fabricated by local South Australian companies, Samaras Structural Engineering and SA Structural Steel, two of the fifty-eight local suppliers involved in this project.

“The facilities being constructed are uniquely designed and built to facilitate the delivery of nine Hunter class frigates and to support a continuous naval shipbuilding program for future vessels,” according to Pyne.

“This was the latest step in the government’s plan to ensure Australia develops word-leading naval shipbuilding facilities,” as explained by Mathias Cormann, Minister for Finance.

“Progress at the Osborne South Shipyard is critical to ensure we meet our ambitious timeline to start the frigate program in 2020,” Cormann said.

The achievements at Osborne South are part of the government’s A$90 billion commitment to navy capability and national shipbuilding.

The government also signed the head contract for the Hunter-class frigate project with ASC Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of BAE Systems. The contract provides a framework for the design and build of nine Hunter-class frigates for the Royal Australian Navy.