A&P Falmouth has won a multi-million pound contract with the Italian ship owner Grimaldi.
The new contract was won against stiff competition from several shipyards throughout Europe. It marks a milestone in A&P’s ten-year partnership with Grimaldi, taking the total number of Grimaldi ships repaired by the A&P Group to 50, the majority of which have been in Falmouth.
It will see A&P Falmouth constructing four huge rudders – weighing 42 tonnes each – for Grimaldi’s multipurpose container ships Grande San Paolo, Grande Buenos Aires, Grande Francia and Grande Nigeria.
The state-of-the-art multipurpose container/roll on roll off vessels carry cars, trucks, other vehicles and container cargo around the world.
Manufacture of the rudders has now begun and the first of the four vessels will arrive in Falmouth in late April for full survey and maintenance work, and to have her new rudder installed. The three other vessels will follow over the summer period, and A&P expects up to 150 staff covering all trades to work on the ships while they are in dry dock.
A&P Falmouth commercial director David Daniel said: “This is a significant new contract for us and we are delighted to be working with Grimaldi once again.”
The last Grimaldi vessel to undergo repairs at A&P Falmouth was the Grande Africa in August 2011.
