Chantiers de l'Atlantique
Encyclopedia
STX Shipbuilding
STX Offshore & Shipbuilding is a South Korean shipbuilding company. It is the world's fourth largest shipbuilder, owning STX Europe, Europe's largest shipbuilding group. It has built about 700 ships over the last 40 years in Busan and Jinhae....
and one of the world's largest shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
s, based in Saint-Nazaire
Saint-Nazaire
Saint-Nazaire , is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.The town has a major harbour, on the right bank of the Loire River estuary, near the Atlantic Ocean. The town is at the south of the second-largest swamp in France, called "la Brière"...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It was owned by Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
since 1984, and was acquired in 2006 by STX Europe, a subsidiary of STX Shipbuilding
STX Shipbuilding
STX Offshore & Shipbuilding is a South Korean shipbuilding company. It is the world's fourth largest shipbuilder, owning STX Europe, Europe's largest shipbuilding group. It has built about 700 ships over the last 40 years in Busan and Jinhae....
.
In 2008, the French Republic became a strategic substantial minority-shareholder with 33.34% of the shares.
The largest ocean liner, and for a while also the largest passenger ship -until the 2006 launch of -, the RMS Queen Mary 2
RMS Queen Mary 2
RMS Queen Mary 2 is a transatlantic ocean liner. She was the first major ocean liner built since in 1969, the vessel she succeeded as flagship of the Cunard Line....
, was built at the shipyard and completed in late 2003 and delivered to Cunard Line
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
in January 2004.
Its location near Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, at the mouth of the Loire and the deep waters of the Atlantic makes sailing large ships in and out easier.
History
Ateliers et Chantiers de la LoireAteliers et Chantiers de la Loire
Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire was a French shipbuilding company of the late 19th and early 20th century.ACL was formed in 1881 in Nantes by Jollet Babin to take advantage of the expansion of the French Navy....
and Chantiers de Penhoët merged in 1955 to form Chantiers de l'Atlantique. The yard started by building ships for the French transatlantic line Compagnie Générale Transatlantique
Compagnie Générale Transatlantique
The Compagnie Générale Transatlantique , typically known overseas as the French Line, was a shipping company established during 1861 as an attempt to revive the French merchant marine, the poor state of which was indicated during the Crimean War of 1856...
. In 1961, it built the trans-Atlantic superliner
Superliner (passenger ship)
A superliner is an ocean liner of over 10,000 gross tons. The term was coined in the late 19th century, when ocean liners were rapidly increasing in size and speed...
, then the world's longest passenger vessel.
After the construction of the last Compagnie Générale Transatlantique liner and the closure of the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
, the yard began building large tankers, including Batillus
Batillus
Batillus was a supertanker, built in 1976 by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire for the French branch of Shell Oil. The first vessel of homonymous Batillus class supertankers...
, Bellamya
Bellamya
The Bellamya was a supertanker, built in 1976 by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire for the French branch of Shell Oil. It was the second Batillus class supertanker...
, Pierre Guillaumat
Pierre Guillaumat
Pierre Guillaumat was a Minister of National Education and Minister of the Armies under French President Charles De Gaulle and founder of the Elf Aquitaine oil company in 1967. He was the son of French general Adolphe Guillaumat....
and Prairial
Prairial (ship)
The following ships are named Prairial:*Prairial , one of the Batillus class supertankers*A submarine of the French Navy, sunk in a collision in April 1918.*Prairial , a frigate of the French Navy...
. A new dry dock (Basin C) was planned for the construction of tankers over 1,000,000 tonnes but this fell through with the re-opening of the Suez Canal.
Crystal Serenity
Crystal Serenity is a cruise ship, owned by the cruise line, Crystal Cruises. Crystal Serenity was built in 2003 in STX Europe in St. Nazaire...
of Crystal Cruises
Crystal Cruises
Crystal Cruise Lines, most commonly seen as Crystal Cruises, is a Japanese luxury cruise line founded in 1988 and notable for its two medium-sized, high-end ships, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, which each hold about 1,000 guests. The line is a wholly owned subsidiary of the large Japanese...
in July 2003.
The yard built the giant superliner RMS Queen Mary 2
RMS Queen Mary 2
RMS Queen Mary 2 is a transatlantic ocean liner. She was the first major ocean liner built since in 1969, the vessel she succeeded as flagship of the Cunard Line....
for the Cunard Line
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
in 2003. Shortly after construction a gangway connecting the ship to the dry dock collapsed killing 16 people.
Aker Yards
Aker Yards
STX Europe AS, formerly Aker Yards ASA, a subsidiary of the South Korean industrial chaebol STX Corporation, is the largest shipbuilding group in Europe and the fourth largest in the world. With headquarters in Oslo, Norway, STX Europe operates 15 shipyards in Brazil, Finland, France, Norway,...
and Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
announced on 4 January 2006 their intention to join forces in shipbuilding and create together one of the world leaders in this industry, focused on high-value-added ships, including world-class cruise ships.
The parties plan to establish a new company consisting of the shipyards in Saint-Nazaire and Lorient. Aker Yards would own 75% of this new company and Alstom would commit itself to keep the remaining 25% until 2010. The transaction would enable continuity in management and the actions taken as part of the “Marine 2010“ performance improvement and cost reduction programme already under implementation in Alstom Marine.
Ships built
Ships built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique include:- Sans Souci class 4 sloops, designed as seaplane tenders, but built as escorts, all launched in 1940., launched in 1961, the world's longest passenger ship from 1961 to 2004, became the SS Norway.
- MS RenaissanceMS RenaissanceMS Renaissance was a 1966 built cruise liner. She was built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique for Compagnie Francaise de Navigation, a subsidiary of Paquet Cruises...
, a French cruise liner that entered service in 1966 for service on the Marseilles-Haifa route., Entered service in 1935, world's largest ship until Cunard's Queen Elizabeth, held Blue Riband. Capsized in New York Harbor, 1942. Scrapped in NJ, 1946. - Batillus class supertankersBatillus class supertankersThe Batillus-class supertanker is a class of the biggest ships by gross tonnage ever constructed. At , and 414-metres, the four vessels were built in the Louis Joubert Lock, and launched from the shipyards of Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint Nazaire, France at the end of the 1970s.The only other...
, 4 ships launched 1976-9 - MS Dreamward entered service in 1992.
- MS Windward entered service in 1993.
- MS Paul Gauguin currently sailing in French Polynesia.
- Grand MistralGrand MistralMS Grand Mistral is a cruise ship currently sailing for Iberocruceros and formerly owned by Festival Cruise Line.- External links :*http://www.iberocruceros.com/flota/grand-mistral.aspx...
entered service in 1999. Nowadays, it is operated by Ibero Cruceros. - Crystal SerenityCrystal SerenityCrystal Serenity is a cruise ship, owned by the cruise line, Crystal Cruises. Crystal Serenity was built in 2003 in STX Europe in St. Nazaire...
entered service in 2003 - Queen Mary 2 floated in 2003 is the longest, tallest, widest, and at 151,400 gross tons, it's also the largest Ocean LinerOcean linerAn ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
ever. - GTS MillenniumMillennium (ship)GTS Millennium is the flagship of the Millennium Class of cruise ships, operated by the Celebrity Cruises line. Her sister ships are Constellation, Infinity, and Summit.She was built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique in St. Nazaire, France...
built in 2000 and sailed by Celebrity CruisesCelebrity CruisesCelebrity Cruises is a cruise line founded in 1988 by the Greek Chandris Group. In 1997, Celebrity Cruises Ltd. merged with Royal Caribbean International to become Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which operates Celebrity, Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises and CDF...
. - Seven Seas MarinerSeven Seas MarinerSeven Seas Mariner is a cruise ship for Regent Seven Seas Cruises . She was the first all-suite, all-balcony ship in the world, and was awarded "Ship of the Year" in 2002 by Ocean and Cruise News. Also, she was the first to offer dining by the famous Le Cordon Bleu of Paris in one of the onboard...
launched in 2001 and operated by Regent Seven Seas Cruises (formerly Radisson Seven Seas Cruises). This is the world's first all balcony luxury cruise ship. - Part of MS Baltic PrincessMS Baltic PrincessMS Baltic Princess is a cruiseferry owned by the Estonia-based ferry operator Tallink. She was built by Aker Finnyards Helsinki New Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland in 2008...
launched in 2008. - The MS Thomson SpiritMS Thomson SpiritMS Thomson Spirit is a cruise ship owned by the Holland America Line and operated under charter by the United Kingdom-based Thomson Cruises. She was built in 1983 at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in France for Holland America Line as MS Nieuw Amsterdam...
, then the MS Nieuw Amsterdam was finished by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in 1984, for the Holland America LineHolland America LineThe Holland America Line is a cruise shipping company. It was founded in 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company , a shipping and passenger line. Headquartered in Rotterdam and providing service to the Americas, it became known as Holland America Line...
. - Royal Caribbean InternationalRoyal Caribbean InternationalRoyal Caribbean International is a Norwegian and American cruise line brand based in Miami, Florida and owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.. With 42 ships in service under 5 different brands and one more under construction, it controls a 25.6% share of the world cruise market...
s MS Sovereign of the Seas, the largest cruise shipCruise shipA cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
in the world from 1988 to 1990. - Norwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Cruise Line is a company operating cruise ships, headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. It began operations in 1966 under the name Norwegian Caribbean Line. The company is best known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, which means that there are no set times or...
s Norwegian Epic, built in 2010 and currently the worlds second largest cruise ship, behind the Oasis-class and ahead of Freedom-class ships of RCI. - MV GastorMV GastorThe MV Gastor and the MV Nestor were two LNG carriers built at the French shipyard Chantiers de l'Atlantique in St. Nazaire. The two ships are sister-ships.-History:...
and MV Nestor: two LNG carrierLNG carrierAn LNG carrier is a tank ship designed for transporting liquefied natural gas . As the LNG market grows rapidly, the fleet of LNG carriers continues to experience tremendous growth.-History:...
s built in 1976-1977 for the DutchNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
NSU (later NedlloydNedlloydNedlloyd was a Dutch shipping company, formed in 1970 as the Nederlandsche Scheepvaart Unie in a merger of several shipping lines:*Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland *Koninklijke Rotterdamsche Lloyd...
) and Ocean Group. The large drydock, that was later used for the Queen Mary 2, was specially built for the building of supertankers in the 1970s, among which these two ships . The drydock was never used again until the QM2 was being built. - SS ShalomSS ShalomSS Shalom was a combined ocean liner/cruise ship built in 1964 by Chantiers de l'Atlantique, St Nazaire, France for ZIM Lines, Israel for transatlantic service from Haifa to New York. In 1967 she was sold to the German Atlantic Line, becoming their second SS Hanseatic...
ZIM Israel Flag-Ship 1964 - Coral PrincessCoral PrincessThe Coral Princess is a cruise ship owned and operated by Princess Cruises line. The vessel, along with sister ship Island Princess, was launched in 2002. The Coral Princess and Island Princess are the only two Panamax ships operated by Princess Cruises. She holds the highest paid toll to pass...
launched in 2002 by Princess CruisesPrincess CruisesPrincess Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line, based in Santa Clarita, California in the United States. Previously a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises PLC, the company is now one of ten cruise ship brands operated by Carnival Corporation & PLC and accounts for approximately 19% share... - Island PrincessIsland PrincessIsland Princess is a cruise ship for the Princess Cruises line. She is the sister ship to the Coral Princess and together they are the only Panamax ships in Princess's fleet. Built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique - France. The ship features a combined diesel and gas turbine electric powerplant. This...
launched in 2003 by Princess CruisesPrincess CruisesPrincess Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line, based in Santa Clarita, California in the United States. Previously a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises PLC, the company is now one of ten cruise ship brands operated by Carnival Corporation & PLC and accounts for approximately 19% share...
. She is a sister ship to Coral PrincessCoral PrincessThe Coral Princess is a cruise ship owned and operated by Princess Cruises line. The vessel, along with sister ship Island Princess, was launched in 2002. The Coral Princess and Island Princess are the only two Panamax ships operated by Princess Cruises. She holds the highest paid toll to pass...
. - Ocean PrincessOcean PrincessOcean Princess may refer to the following cruise ships:* Ocean Princess , operated by Princess Cruises 2000—2002.* Ocean Princess ,...
, formerly Tahitian Princess, was launched in 1999. - Pacific PrincessPacific PrincessMS Pacific Princess is a cruise ship owned by Princess Cruises and operated by Princess Cruises and P&O Cruises Australia. She was built in 1999 by the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St...
was launched in 1999 and is a sister ship to Ocean PrincessOcean PrincessOcean Princess may refer to the following cruise ships:* Ocean Princess , operated by Princess Cruises 2000—2002.* Ocean Princess ,...
. - MV Adonia, formerly Royal Princess, was launched in 2001.