The following is text of a news release from VT Halter Marine:
(PASCAGOULA, Miss.) — VT Halter Marine Inc. held a dedication ceremony Friday to unveil its new blast and paint facility that will allow ship sections to be prepared, blasted and painted in a controlled environment. The ceremony included a keynote speech given by Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.
“The installation of this new blast and paint facility is to incorporate cutting edge technologies in our marine construction programs. We are now able to apply a diverse range of protective coatings regardless of the weather conditions,” said Rob Mullins, chief executive officer of VT Halter Marine.
Located at the northeast corner of VT Halter Marine’s shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., the facility consists of a 304-by-120-foot main building with adjacent spaces for blasting, and painting of small parts of large ship sections with dual independent grit recovery, and cleaning processes to enable reuse of abrasive media. It can accommodate ship sections as large as 105 feet wide by 80 feet long by 40 feet high, weighing up to 500 tons each.
The facility is also designed for 24/7 operation in all weather conditions, and utilizes 100 percent LED lighting to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprint.
