Bardex Wins Order for 25,000-Tonne Shiplift at Newport News Shipyard in the United States

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 23, Bardex Corporation was selected to supply an OmniLift shiplift system for the River Port shipyard in Newport News, Virginia, United States. The equipment has a maximum lifting capacity of more than 25,000 tonnes and will be deployed at the shipyard's new dry dock facility. It will subsequently be operated by East Coast Repair & Fabrication (ECR), with commissioning scheduled for completion in September 2028.

This OmniLift will be custom-designed for the Newport News shipyard, featuring 48 lifting stations each with a rated lifting capacity of 640 tonnes, and a lifting platform measuring approximately 137 meters × 33.5 meters. The system uses linear chain jack technology to raise and lower vessels through multi-point synchronous control, does not use wire rope as the primary load-bearing medium, and is equipped with a motion control system to achieve platform levelness control and coordinated operation of all lifting points.

Bardex's scope of supply for this project covers engineering design, equipment manufacturing, control systems, installation support, commissioning, personnel training, and subsequent full life-cycle services. The project has now entered the engineering design phase, and the equipment will subsequently proceed through manufacturing, installation, and on-site commissioning in sequence.

The new shiplift facility will also be connected to a rail-based vessel transfer system and will be supported by the construction of multiple onshore hardstand berthing work areas. After vessels are lifted out of the water by the shiplift, they can be transferred by rail to different onshore work positions, enabling the shipyard to carry out repair, maintenance, and conversion work on multiple vessels simultaneously without occupying the shiplift platform for extended periods.

Once the system is in service, the River Port shipyard will be able to undertake repair and maintenance tasks for larger vessels and support the launch of modular sections for U.S. Navy vessels. ECR currently has approximately 84 acres of shipyard facilities in Newport News as well as two large deep-water piers, with pier lengths of approximately 1,100 feet and 1,000 feet respectively and a water depth of approximately 40 feet.

River Port is a company under S23 Holdings, and ECR is an affiliated company. ECR's existing business includes U.S. Navy vessel repair, commercial vessel repair, conversion, and industrial manufacturing. The newly built shiplift will directly serve its Newport News base's subsequent vessel repair and naval vessel support operations. After the project is completed, the new dry dock facility is also planned to obtain certification from the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).