Philly Shipyard, formerly Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, is a commercial shipyard located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States on part of the site of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. The commercial yard began after the United States Navy had ended most of its operations at the site. The yard is a listed company on the Oslo Stock Exchange and part of the Aker Group controlled by Kjell Inge Røkke. The yard targets producing ships within the Jones Act for domestic shipping, primarily product tankers and container ships. The yard was started as a cooperation between Kværner and the City of Philadelphia, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Government of the United States. Rebuilt and opened in 2000, the yard delivered its first ship in 2003: MV Manukai, a container cargo ship for Matson Line and the first of four sister vessels built for Matson through 2006. In 2005, control of the yard passed to Aker, which bought the troubled Kværner firm. Aker American Shipping ASA was formed and listed on the Oslo Bors. In 2007, Aker American Shipping was split into two companies - the shipbuilding company, Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, and the ship owning company, Aker American Shipping. In January 2013, the shipyard completed construction of fourteen product tankers for subsidiaries of American Shipping Company, Overseas Shipholding Group and Crowley. On September 29, 2011, Aker Philadelphia signed a contract with SeaRiver Maritime Inc. for the construction of two Aframax oil product tankers for delivery in 2014. At 820 ft. in length and measuring over 115,000 tons deadweight, they will be the largest ships yet built by the yard. On August 14, 2013, Philly.com reported that Aker signed a joint business venture with Crowley Maritime Corp of Jacksonville, FL to construct 8 product tankers with an option for 4 additional tankers. The venture was valued at $500 million and is expected to continue work at the yard through 2017. On November 6, 2013, Aker Philadelphia Shipyard announced an agreement to build two container ships, named the Aloha class, for Matson, Inc. On June 10, 2014, the shipyard announced the planned establishment of Philly Tankers, a Jones Act Shipping Company. The shipyard has firm contracts to build two eco-design product tankers and options for two additional new builds. On June 11, 2014, Aker Philadelphia Shipyard has delivered the first of two aframax tankers to SeaRiver Maritime, Exxon Mobil Corporation's U.S. marine affiliate. This tanker is 820 feet long and designed to transport 800,000 barrels of Alaskan North Slopecrude oil from Prince William Sound, Alaska to the U.S. West Coast. Also, this vessel is equipped with double hull protection, the latest navigation and communications equipment, and an energy efficient engine. On September 30, 2015, Aker Philadelphia Shipyard delivered the Ohio, the first of four next generation 50,000 dwt product tankers that it is building for Crowley Maritime Corporation. On October 1, 2015, the shipyard began production activities on two 3,600 TEU "Aloha Class" containerships that it is building for Matson Navigation Company.The contracts for the vessels were originally signed in 2013 for a total value of $418 million. On December 1, 2015, at an extraordinary general meeting, shareholders of Aker Philadelphia Shipyard ASA approved a proposal to change the company’s name to Philly Shipyard ASA. Accordingly, Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, Inc., the sole operating subsidiary of AKPS, likewise changed its name to Philly Shipyard. On December 23, 2015, Philly Shipyard completed the construction of the Texas for Crowley Maritime Corporation. Texas - it's the 22nd vessel built by Philly Shipyard. It's the next generation 50,000 dwt product tanker. On April 15, 2016, the shipyard delivered the Louisiana. Louisiana - joins sister ships Ohio and Texas, which were received by Crowley in 2015. The 600-foot tanker has a carrying capacity of 14.5 million gallons of crude oil or refined products. In March 2019 the shipyard delivered a container vessel for the Hawaii trade but has no new vessel orders. As of July 2019 the yard had one short-term contract for the refit of a Maritime Administration cargo ship. In a report to their investors, they outlined an effort to pursue the repair and building of US government vessels. In April 2020, TOTE Services signed a contract for the construction of up to five National Security Multi-Mission Vessels, with the first two delivered in Spring and Winter 2023 for a cost of US$630M. TOTE is managing the purchase for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration. In prospect are the three remaining NSMVs, with series production estimated to be worth $1.5B.
