Page 16: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 2005)

16 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News

Amphibious Ships Project (JP 2048). JP 2048 involves the construction of two amphibious ships between 200-250 m in length and approximately 25,000 tons displacement.

John Rothwell, Austal's Executive

Chairman, said, "A project the size of JP 2048 provides an opportunity for the involvement of many parts of industry and no single company will be able to deliver on all requirements. Optimal program results will only be delivered from a well-planned collaborative effort involving many segments of Australian industry, including a wide range of

SMEs and subcontractors."

To maximize the involvement of

Australian industry, Austal and

Raytheon are collaborating with the

Industry Capability Network Western

Australia (ICNWA), part of the WA

Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), to facilitate the collection and assessment of supplier data through the

ICNWA's 'Project Connect' web-based technology. ICNWA also provides access to an extensive network of

Australian industry contacts. Australian companies seeking to work with the

Austal-Raytheon Amphibious Ships

Team on JP 2048 are invited to visit www.projectconnect.com.au and regis- ter their interest.

Washington Passes

New Oil Spill Measure

Gov. Christine Gregoire on May 6, 2005, signed bills that will establish an

Oil Spill Monitoring and Oversight

Council to provide independent over- sight of the state's oil-spill program and a new Washington Academy of Sciences to advise state government on scientific questions. "We are taking positive action today to ensure that our waters are pro- tected from pollution," Gregoire said at a bill signing ceremony held in Tukwila. "The new advisory council represents a partnership of industry, government and local communities in our efforts to pre- vent oil spills."

The new 16-member oil-spill council will: • Provide early consultation with government decision makers regarding the state's oil-spill prevention, prepared- ness and response programs, and Promote opportunities for the pub- lic to become involved in oil-spill response activities.

The new academy is expected to be formed by 2007.

Panama Canal Authority

Customizes GHS

A longtime user of GHS (General

HydroStatics, ship stability software), the Panama Canal Authority took advan- tage of the flexibility of this software to develop a special interface for use by its

Boarding Officers. This was done in conjunction with a training session at the offices of Creative Systems in Port

Townsend, Wash., covering advanced modeling techniques. The Panama

Canal uses GHS to calculate interior volume of hull and superstructure for assessing the tonnage of ships passing through the canal. It is expected that the training along with the new interface will reduce the time it takes to create vessel models and calculate tonnage.

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