The second phase of work on Eastern Shipbuilding Group’s (ESG) Nelson Street government shipbuilding facility got underway in Florida this month, promising major infrastructure improvements to build up its abilities to construct and deliver ships.
Meant to shore up the Department of Defense’s (DoD) own shipbuilding goals, it will include the addition of 1,000 linear feet of bulkhead and berthing space to aid multiple vessel deliveries annually. Along with that will come associated heavy weather mooring infrastructure, extending the launch way by 120 to accommodate larger vessels and dredging for the shipyard turning basin.
“This infrastructure improvement project represents a major investment in our government shipbuilding capabilities,” Joey D’Isernia, chairman and CEO of ESG, said. “The increased capacity and shipyard enhancements will allow us to better support the Navy’s initiative to expand the shipbuilding industrial base in order to meet the demands of the national defense strategy.”
ESG works on vessels like the U.S. Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutters, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Class Hopper Dredge, factory trawlers and automated multipurpose offshore support vessels among them. This expansion will help it to better meet the requests of the U.S. Navy and other government agencies.
At present, the project is expected to conclude in the summer of 2025.