Philip Smart | Adelaide

The head of German shipbuilder Lürssen has talked up ASC Shipbuilding’s Adelaide facilities and those of its Western Austalian partner Civmec, in his first visit to ASC on Wednesday.

Peter Lürssen joined Forgacs Marine And Defence executive chairman Jim Fitzgerald and ASC CEO Mark Lamarre for a tour of the Adelaide Techport facility, and later reaffirmed that Lürssen and the Civmec-owned Forgacs saw no issues with building the first two Sea 1180 Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) in Adelaide before transferring the program to Perth, should their bid be successful.

“Shipbuilding is meant to be shared over various places”

Lürssen, along with fellow German shipbuilder Fassmer and The Netherlands' Damen, are competing to build 12 Offshore Patrol Vessels from 2018 under Sea 1180.

“ASC has enormous facilities,” Lürssen said. “ASC has staged a phenomenal comeback from previous difficulties and they’re now really on track to become a world class shipbuilder. In the naval sector we are building frigates, patrol boats, corvettes, offshore patrol boats, any kind of navy ships. So we feel that ASC is a very competent partner in this venture and we’re looking forward to especially to enhance the Australian aspects of the program.”

He said the change of shipyard will present few difficulties.

“Of course it’s always nice if you can build as many ships as possible in a row. But it is not really a problem to have a break after two ships, simply because shipbuilding is meant to be shared over various places and having two ships completed and delivered in South Australia and then the remainder [in Perth] will not put any additional cost on to the program.

“And we shouldn’t forget, the OPV design as it stands is a fully developed design and the only design adaptations necessary are the ones to comply with Australian safety and health regulations, of which, with regards to our design there are no major changes and they’re not very large in number.”

In April Civmec announced it had begun building an 18-storey high ship building and maintenance facility at its Western Australian Henderson base. The new facility will be large enough to house complete Air Warfare Destroyers or Frigates as well as Offshore Patrol Vessels.