Congresswoman Chellie Pingree says skills to repair Stena Forth can also be used to develop wind and ocean energy
 
A 748-foot ultra deepwater oil drilling ship will come to Maine later this month where it will be repaired while at anchor in Penobscot Bay.  The Stena Forth is designed to drill deepwater exploratory wells up to 10,000 feet deep while using six thrusters to hold the ship in place.  Due to engineering problems, the thrusters, made by Rolls Royce, are being replaced just a year after the ship was put into service. 

Cianbro Construction will do the work on the Stena Forth while it is anchored off Rockland.  The ship is expected to arrive June 17 and work will take 1-2 weeks.
 
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree welcomed the work that the job will bring to Maine, but also said she looks forward to the development of wind and ocean energy projects here.
 
“Maine has some of the most qualified and experienced marine engineers and workers in the world,” Pingree said.  “The repairs on the Stena Forth will support jobs here in Maine and I look forward to the day when those skills will be put to work building and repairing equipment for wind and ocean energy projects instead of working on drill rigs.”
 
Pingree said she believes that the same kinds of skills that attracted this repair job to Maine will give the state the advantage in developing ocean-based energy projects.
 
“We have a long history of working in difficult conditions on and around the ocean,” Pingree said.  “That is the kind of experience that will give Maine the edge in developing new sources of clean energy.”