On 25 Oct 2023 the keel laying ceremony for the 2nd Generation Marine Rescue Vessel Blue Dolphin took place.
SCDF Deputy Commissioner Daniel Seet tack welding the keel plate. (Photo: HTX)
On 25 October 2023 an important ceremony took place at Penguin International Shipyard in Tuas, Singapore. As Tan Teck Chuan, the Director of HTX’s Platform Systems Sustainment Centre, explained, this ceremony “celebrated the achievement of a major milestone – keel laying for the 2nd Generation Marine Rescue Vessel Blue Dolphin.”
What is a keel, and what is a keel laying ceremony? The keel is the spine of a ship, and the ceremony marks the milestone in the shipbuilding process when the completed keel lays the foundation for the rest of the hull to be constructed around it.
The Blue Dolphin’s keel and part of the hull. (Photo: HTX)
Following the plate cutting ceremony on 11 July 2023 when the steel plates for the construction of Blue Dolphin were cut, operational users from Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), and project team from HTX and Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) convened several design review meetings with the shipbuilders from Penguin International Shipyard, during which key improvements were proposed to Blue Dolphin’s design.
These improvements include changes to the ship’s layout to improve crew ergonomics and operation workflow; maximise deck and storage spaces; and enhance crew and passenger safety. A solar panel system will also be installed on the bridge top to provide up to two hours of additional power for lighting and power sockets in the accommodation spaces.
With the completion of the design review process, the keel laying ceremony could take place. To mark this milestone, SCDF Deputy Commissioner Daniel Seet, Mr. Tan, and other dignitaries signed the keel laying certificate. Deputy Commissioner Seet also performed a symbolic tack weld on the keel plate.
SCDF Deputy Commissioner Daniel Seet (middle), HTX Director Tan Teck Chuan (second from left), and other dignitaries with their copies of the signed keel laying certificate. (Photo: HTX)
It’s time to sign the keel! (Photo: HTX)
The Blue Dolphin project team assemble! (Photo: HTX)
As Mr. Tan shared, the keel laying ceremony was not just an opportunity “to show appreciation and encouragement to the Project Management Team (SCDF, HTX and DSTA) and the industrial partner (Penguin Shipyard International) for their contributions,” it was also an opportunity to encourage the team to “persevere with the challenges ahead.”
The next milestone will take place in August 2024, when the completed vessel is launched to sea. Following a year of testing, Blue Dolphin is expected to be officially delivered to the SCDF in June 2025.