ALMACO News

January 7, 2008

ALMACO awarded a Total Modernization Management contract for Bibby Maritime’s 336-cabin accommodation vessel worth over USD 20 million

Under the Total Modernization Management concept, ALMACO will deliver the total outfitting and steel construction for the accommodation vessel, which is currently an empty steel pontoon with a steel top-side structure but no outfit, equipment or machinery installed. The project involves widening the vessel by approximately 5.5 m. The existing top-side accommodation structure will be split longitudinally in half, leaving the port-side part of the structure in its existing place. The starboard-side of the structure will be relocated more over the extended hull section on the starboard-side, allowing an area in between the top-side structures where light wells will be created. The total quantity of new steel installed will be over 730 tons. The project also involves internal outfitting to include rooms with en-suite facilities, public rooms including restaurant, mess room, bar and galley, installation of passenger and service elevators, and an HVAC system to suit worldwide trading. The number of cabins to be installed is 336. The vessel will also be fitted with adequately sized generator sets with redundancy, sewage treatment plant, hot and cold domestic water systems, ballast and bilge systems, fire detection, and sprinkler and alarm systems.

ALMACO guarantees efficient work processes and reliable quality by utilizing its mobile organization and worldwide supplier and partner network. The materials will come from several suppliers: the preassembled modular cabins and the public area linings from our partner Huanan Building Materials (Shenzhen); the steel will be provided by Yiu Lian Dockyards; the machinery will come from our European suppliers. ALMACO’s project organization will comprise 50 people, with the project management team located onsite.

ALMACO will provide the complete design for the project. ALMACO’s Finland office will supply the design for the cabins and public spaces, and ALMACO’s France office will provide the design for the provision stores and the galleys. ALMACO’s partner on the engineering side will be the naval architect firm Foreship. Foreship has been closely involved in the feasibility phase of the project and will handle the basic design and a large part of the detail design.

The project will be executed in cooperation with ALMACO’s partner yard Yiu Lian Dockyards, the biggest ship repair yard in China. Yiu Lian Dockyards is ideally equipped with workshop facilities, a block assembly area and emergency centers.

The British owner Bibby Maritime Limited will benefit from the ALMACO Total Modernization Management concept that allows owners to handle a modernization project as if it were a new building project. The owner places one order that covers all aspects of the project. The concept guarantees ship owners straightforward communication and project management as the project is handled by ALMACO from planning to final execution.

Bibby Maritime Limited will also benefit from ALMACO’s M2 Project Management tool, which gives authorized parties 24/7 access via the internet to all project-related information, such as progress reports and published documentation. Bibby Line Limited will be able to review and approve all documentation as the project develops.

For further information, please contact:

Mikael Hedberg
Executive Vice President and COO
Phone: +1-561-212 8195
E-mail: mikael.hedberg@almaco.cc

Bibby Line Group, founded in 1807 by John Bibby in Liverpool and still present there to this day, is a business-to-business services group involved in shipowning and operation, shallow water accommodation, offshore oil field services, contract logistics, financial services, memorial parks, employment law and health & safety advisory services, and retail. Bibby Line Group consists of six divisions: Marine, Contract Logistics, Financial Services, mhl support Ltd, Colney Wood Burial Park, and Costcutter. ALMACO’s contract is with Bibby Maritime Limited Bibby Maritime Limited, part of the Marine division, which specializes in ownership and operation of floating accommodation Coastels.

Foreship Ltd. is a ship engineering company that provides services for Ship Owners, Shipyards and Maritime Suppliers, specializing in ship design for ferries, RoRo vessels, cargo ships, tankers, and cruise vessels and smaller vessels. Foreship is well known for its expertise in large-scale refurbishment projects and in newbuilding structural classification design.