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Chantiers de l'Atlantique

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Chantiers de l'Atlantique is a shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. It is one of the world's largest shipyards, constructing a wide range of commercial, naval, and passenger ships. It is located near Nantes, at the mouth of the Loire river and the deep waters of the Atlantic, which make the sailing of large ships in and out of the shipyards easy.

Chantiers de l'Atlantique
Company typePrivate
IndustryShipbuilding
Founded1862; 162 years ago (1862)
HeadquartersSaint-Nazaire, France
RevenueIncrease €2.39 billion[1] (2023)
Increase €183 million[1] (2023)
OwnerFrench state: 84.3%
Naval Group: 11.7%
Employees: 2.1%
COFIPME: 1.6%[2]
Number of employees
3,738[1] (2023)
WebsiteChantiers de l'Atlantique

The shipyard was owned by Alstom from 1976 onwards, became Alstom-Atlantique, and was later part of Aker Yards when Aker Group acquired the Alstom Marine business in 2006.[3][4] In 2008, the South Korean company STX Corporation acquired Aker Yards, and the shipyard became part of STX Europe (formed by the renaming of Aker Yards).[5]

After the bankruptcy of STX Corporation, the shipyard was acquired by the French government and reverted to its original name of Chantiers de l'Atlantique.

Normandie under construction

History

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The giant ocean liner Queen Mary 2 under construction
 
Russian amphibious assault ship Sevastopol awaiting delivery, December 2014

The current Chantiers de l'Atlantique yard evolved from the Ateliers et Chantiers de Saint-Nazaire Penhoët, Saint-Nazaire, France, famous for building the transatlantic liners: France, Île de France, and Normandie.

 
The oil tanker Batillus at the end of its construction in Saint-Nazaire, being refueled by the Port-Vendres

It was renamed to its current name in 1955 by the merger of Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire and Ateliers et Chantiers de Penhoët. In 1961, it built the transatlantic ocean liner France, the world's longest passenger vessel only overall, but not at the waterline.[6] After the construction of the last Compagnie Générale Transatlantique liner and the closure of the Suez Canal, the yard began building large tankers, including Batillus, Bellamya, Pierre Guillaumat and Prairial. A new dry dock was built for this purpose and allowed the construction of tankers exceeding one million tonnes, but it remained mainly unused except for the construction in 1975–1976 of the sister ships Gastor and Nestor and then again idle until construction of Cunard's liner Queen Mary 2.[7]

Between 1985 and 1998, the shipyard built several cruise ships for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL). In 1987 the first of these ships, Sovereign of the Seas, was delivered, and was the first mega cruise ship in the world. Subsequent deliveries to RCCL included Monarch of the Seas, Majesty of the Seas, Nordic Empress, Legend of the Seas, Splendour of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, and Vision of the Seas.[citation needed] In 2003, the shipyard also delivered Crystal Serenity to Crystal Cruises and Queen Mary 2 to Cunard.[8] During the construction of RMS Queen Mary 2, a gangway to the dry-docked ship collapsed, killing sixteen people.[9]

On 4 January 2006 Aker Yards purchased the Marine Division of Alstom, which included the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard.[3][4] In March 2007 Aker ASA divested its interest in Aker Yards, with South Korean STX Corporation acquiring a 39.2% stake in Aker Yards in October. By 3 November 2008 STX Corporation had acquired a controlling stake in the company, renaming it to STX Europe.[5] The same year, the French government purchased a 33.34% stake in the shipyard.[10]

After the bankruptcy of STX Corporation in 2016, STX France was put up for sale, and the Italian state-owned shipyard Fincantieri showed interest in acquiring STX France.[citation needed]

In September 2017, after difficult negotiations and a brief nationalization of the shipyard by the French government, the involved parties reached an agreement, with Fincantieri acquiring a 50% stake in STX France, and the remainder being held by the French Naval Group and the French government. A month later, it was announced that the Saint-Nazaire shipyard would regain its original name, Chantiers de l'Atlantique.[11]

 
The shipyard in 2018

In 2022, a new crane entered service during the construction of Celebrity Ascent, replacing the older crane from 1967.[12]

Ships

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Notable passenger liners built by at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique yard (former Ateliers et Chantiers de Saint-Nazaire Penhoët) include:[13]

Passenger ships
Ship name (as built) Year delivered Built for Current status Notes
1910s
  SS France 1912 Compagnie Générale Transatlantique Scrapped 1936
1920s
  SS Paris 1921 Compagnie Générale Transatlantique Burned and Capsized at Dock 1939, Scrapped 1947
  SS Ile de France 1927 Compagnie Générale Transatlantique Scrapped 1959 Was used as a "movie prop" in the film The Last Voyage, prior to scrapping.
1930s
MS Lafayette 1930 Compagnie Générale Transatlantique Burned, scrapped
  SS L'Atlantique 1931 Compagnie de Navigation Sud Atlantique Burned, and scrapped
SS Champlain 1932 Compagnie Générale Transatlantique Sunk WWII
  SS Normandie 1935 Compagnie Générale Transatlantique Burned and Capsized at Dock 1942, Scrapped 1948 It was the world's largest ship until Cunard's Queen Elizabeth, held Blue Riband. Capsized in New York Harbor, 1942. Scrapped in NJ, 1946.
  SS Pasteur 1939 Compagnie de Navigation Sud-Atlantique Sank 1980 on way to scrap yard
1950s
SS Bretagne 1952 Société Générale de Transport Maritimes Scrapped 1963
MS General Mangin 1953 Cie de Nav Fraissinet et Cyprien Fabre Scrapped 1986
  MV Jean Mermoz 1957 Cie de Nav Fraissinet et Cyprien Fabre Scrapped 2008
1960s
  SS France 1962 Compagnie Générale Transatlantique Scrapped 2008 Launched in 1961, the world's longest passenger ship from 1961 to 2004, became the SS Norway.
 
 MS Ancerville 1962 Compagnie de Navigation Paquet Hotel Ship A former passenger ship built in 1962, integrated as part of Sea World, a multi-purpose complex in Shenzhen, China since 1983.
  SS Shalom 1964 Zim Israel Navigation Company Sank on way to Scrap Yard 2001 Israel flagship (1964).
  MS Renaissance 1966 Compagnie Francaise de Navigation Scrapped 2010 A French cruise liner that entered service in 1966 for service on the Marseilles-Haifa route.
  MV Yaohua 1967 China Ocean Shipping Company Possibly Hotel Ship Last ship to be launched from slipway at St. Nazaire[13]
1980s
  MS Nieuw Amsterdam 1983 Holland America Line Scrapped 2018
  MS Noordam 1984 Holland America Line Scrapped 2022
  MS Sovereign of the Seas 1987 Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Scrapped 2020 Was the largest cruise ship in the world from 1988 to 1990, and its sister ships, MS Monarch of the Seas and MS Majesty of the Seas.
  Danielle Casanova 1989 SNCM In service Sailing nowadays for Corsica Linea as the Mediterranee.
  MS Star Princess 1989 Sitmar Cruises/Princess Cruises Scrapped 2021 Ordered for Sitmar Cruises as the Fair Majesty[13]
  Bretagne 1989 Brittany Ferries In Service Car ferry launched in 1989. Sails on the Portsmouth to Saint-Malo route. Brittany Ferries Ex-Flagship.
1990s
  Nordic Empress 1990 Admiral Cruises/Royal Caribbean Cruise Line In Service Ordered as Future Seas for Admiral Cruises.[13]
  Monarch of the Seas 1992 Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Scrapped 2021
  Majesty of the Seas 1992 Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Laid up
  Dreamward 1992 Norwegian Cruise Line Scrapped 2022
  Windward 1993 Norwegian Cruise Line Scrapped 2022
  Legend of the Seas 1995 Royal Caribbean Cruise Line In Service
  Splendor of the Seas 1996 Royal Caribbean Cruise Line In Service
  Napoleon Bonaparte 1996 SNCM In Service Sailing nowadays for Grandi Navi Veloci as the Rhapsody.
  Rhapsody of the Seas 1997 Royal Caribbean Cruise Line In Service
  Paul Gauguin 1997 Services Et Transports / Radisson Seven Seas Cruises In Service
  Vision of the Seas 1998 Royal Caribbean Cruise Line In Service
  R One 1998 Renaissance Cruises In Service
  • 8 sister ships
  R Two 1998 Renaissance Cruises In Service
  • 8 sister ships
  R Three 1999 Renaissance Cruises In Service
  • 8 sister ships
  R Four 1999 Renaissance Cruises In Service
  • 8 sister ships
  Mistral 1999 Festival Cruises In Service
2000s
  R Five 2000 Renaissance Cruises In Service
  • 8 sister ships
  R Six 2000 Renaissance Cruises In Service
  • 8 sister ships
  Millennium 2000 Celebrity Cruises In Service
  R Seven 2000 Renaissance Cruises In Service
  • 8 sister ships
  R Eight 2000 Renaissance Cruises In Service
  • 8 sister ships
  Infinity 2001 Celebrity Cruises In Service
  Summit 2001 Celebrity Cruises In Service
  Seven Seas Mariner 2001 Radisson Seven Seas Cruises In Service This is the world's first all balcony luxury cruise ship.
  European Vision 2001 Festival Cruises In Service
  European Stars 2002 Festival Cruises In Service
  Constellation 2002 Celebrity Cruises In Service
  Coral Princess 2003 Princess Cruises In Service
  MSC Lirica 2003 MSC Cruises In Service
  Island Princess 2003 Princess Cruises In Service
  Crystal Serenity 2003 Crystal Cruises Laid up
  Queen Mary 2 2004 Cunard Line In Service Floated in 2003, is the longest, tallest, widest, and the largest ocean liner, and at the time of her construction, the largest passenger ship, and is currently the only ship to undergo regularly scheduled transatlantic crossings.
  MSC Opera 2004 MSC Cruises In Service
  MSC Musica 2006 MSC Cruises In Service
  MSC Orchestra 2007 MSC Cruises In Service
  MSC Poesia 2008 MSC Cruises In Service
  MSC Fantasia 2008 MSC Cruises In Service
  MSC Splendida 2009 MSC Cruises In Service
2010s
  Norwegian Epic 2010 Norwegian Cruise Line In Service
  MSC Magnifica 2010 MSC Cruises In Service
  MSC Divina 2012 MSC Cruises In Service
  MSC Preziosa 2013 MSC Cruises In Service
  Europa 2 2013 Hapag & Lloyd In Service
  Harmony of the Seas 2016 Royal Caribbean Cruise Line In Service
  MSC Meraviglia 2017 MSC Cruises In Service
  Symphony of the Seas 2018 Royal Caribbean Cruise Line In Service
  Celebrity Edge 2018 Celebrity Cruises In Service
  MSC Bellissima 2019 MSC Cruises In Service
  MSC Grandiosa 2019 MSC Cruises In Service
2020s
  Celebrity Apex 2020 Celebrity Cruises In Service
 
 MSC Virtuosa 2021 MSC Cruises In Service
  Wonder of the Seas 2021 Royal Caribbean International In service World's third largest cruise ship as of 2024 (236,857 GT)
  Celebrity Beyond 2022 Celebrity Cruises In service
  MSC World Europa 2022 MSC Cruises In Service First in new class of MSC vessels
  MSC Euribia 2023 MSC Cruises In Service
  Celebrity Ascent 2023 Celebrity Cruises In service
  Utopia of the Seas 2024 Royal Caribbean International In Service First LNG powered ship of the class
Ilma 2024 Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection Delivered

Other ships built at the yard

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A plaque inside Coral Princess

Future ships on order

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Ships on order[14]
Ship name (as built) Delivery date Built for Tonnage Current status Notes
MSC World America 2024 MSC Cruises 205,700 Ordered
Celebrity Xcel 2025 Celebrity Cruises 140,600 Ordered
Luminara 2025 Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection 37,000 Ordered
MSC World Asia 2026 MSC Cruises 205,700 Ordered
Corinthian 2026 Orient Express 30,000 Ordered
(Unnamed) 2027 Orient Express 30,000 Ordered
(Unnamed World Class) 2027 MSC Cruises 205,700 Ordered
(Unnamed Oasis Class) 2028 Royal Caribbean International 231,000 Ordered

References

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  1. ^ a b c "2023 Non-financial performance statement". calameo.com. Chantiers de l'Atlantique. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  2. ^ "History". Chantiers de l'Atlantique. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Aker Yards and Alstom Marine Complete Transaction". Asdnews.com. Archived from the original on 21 September 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Aker Yards and Alstom Marine plan to join forces". Alstom.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Aker Yards to be renamed STX Europe". Reuters. 3 September 2008. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  6. ^ "SS France, SS Norway". Maritime Matters. Archived from the original on 2 January 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  7. ^ Megastructures: Queen Mary 2. Retrieved 12 September 2020 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ Discovery Knowledge Building The Queen Mary 2 PART1 [Documentary] FreeHDFilms. Dailymotion. 12 March 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  9. ^ "Inquiry into cruise liner deaths". BBC News. 15 November 2003. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  10. ^ "2012 Investment Climate Statement - France". June 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  11. ^ "Saint-Nazaire : Retour du nom " Les Chantiers de l'Atlantique "".
  12. ^ "Saint-Nazaire : le THP est entré en service avec le montage du Celebrity Ascent" (in French). 3 November 2022.
  13. ^ a b c d Baul, Patrick J. (2003). Half Century of Cruise Ships in Saint-Nazaire. France: Coop Breizh Publications. ISBN 2-84346-167-7.
  14. ^ "Cruise Ship Orderbook". Cruise Industry News. 6 January 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
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