Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Shipbuilding |
Founded | 1862 |
Headquarters | Saint-Nazaire, France |
Revenue | €2.39 billion [1] (2023) |
€183 million [1] (2023) | |
Owner | French state: 84.3% Naval Group: 11.7% Employees: 2.1% COFIPME: 1.6% [2] |
Number of employees | 3,738 [1] (2023) |
Website | Chantiers de l'Atlantique |
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.
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.
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.
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]
In 2022, a new crane entered service during the construction of Celebrity Ascent, replacing the older crane from 1967. [12]
Notable passenger liners built by at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique yard (former Ateliers et Chantiers de Saint-Nazaire Penhoët) include: [13]
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 |
| |
R Two | 1998 | Renaissance Cruises | In Service |
| |
R Three | 1999 | Renaissance Cruises | In Service |
| |
R Four | 1999 | Renaissance Cruises | In Service |
| |
Mistral | 1999 | Festival Cruises | In Service | ||
2000s | |||||
R Five | 2000 | Renaissance Cruises | In Service |
| |
R Six | 2000 | Renaissance Cruises | In Service |
| |
Millennium | 2000 | Celebrity Cruises | In Service | ||
R Seven | 2000 | Renaissance Cruises | In Service |
| |
R Eight | 2000 | Renaissance Cruises | In Service |
| |
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 |
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 |
Saint-Nazaire is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France, in traditional Brittany.
The Oasis class is a class of seven Royal Caribbean International cruise ships. The first two ships in the class, Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, were delivered respectively in 2009 and 2010 by STX Europe Turku Shipyard, Finland. A third Oasis-class vessel, Harmony of the Seas, was delivered in 2016 built by STX France. A fourth vessel, Symphony of the Seas, was completed in March 2018. As of March 2022, the fifth Oasis-class ship, Wonder of the Seas, was the largest cruise ship in the world. A sixth ship, Utopia of the Seas, slightly larger than the previous one, followed in July 2024, with a seventh to follow in 2028.
SS L'Atlantique was a French liner owned by the Compagnie de Navigation Sud-Atlantique, a subsidiary of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (CGT). When completed in 1931 she was the largest, swiftest, and most luxurious liner on the route between Europe and South America.
STX Europe AS, formerly Aker Yards ASA, was until 2012 a subsidiary of the South Korean STX Offshore & Shipbuilding.
The Batillus-class supertankers were a class of supertanker ships built in France in the late 1970s, with four ships of this class built between 1976 and 1979. Three of the ships were scrapped after less than ten years of oil transport service each, with the fourth one scrapped in 2003.
Norwegian Epic is a cruise ship of the Norwegian Cruise Line built under NCL's F3 Project by the STX Europe Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. When built she was the third largest cruise ship in the world.
MSC Sinfonia is a cruise ship owned and operated by the Italy-based MSC Cruises. She was built in 2002 by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France for the now-defunct Festival Cruises as MS European Stars. She was the last ship built for Festival Cruises.
STX Finland Oy, formerly Aker Yards Oy, was a Finnish shipbuilding company operating three shipyards in Finland, in Turku, Helsinki and Rauma, employing some 2,500 people. It was part of STX Europe, a group of international shipbuilding companies owned by the South Korean STX Corporation.
RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is a British ocean liner. She has served as the flagship of the Cunard Line since January 2004, and as of 2024, is the only active, purpose-built ocean liner still in service. Queen Mary 2 sails regular transatlantic crossings between Southampton and New York City, in addition to short cruises and an annual world voyage.
Gastor and Nestor were two LNG carriers built at the French shipyard Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire. Although delivered in 1976 both ships only entered real service in 1993, after their sale to Bonny Gas Transport Bermuda Shell, a subsidiary of Nigeria LNG Limited. Under their original names, the ships never transported any cargo.
Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire (ACL) was a French shipbuilding company of the late 19th and early 20th century. The name translates roughly to English as "Workshops and Shipyard of the Loire".
MSC Meraviglia is a cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises, built at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France, by STX France. MSC Meraviglia is the lead ship of MSC's new "Vista Project" vessels, the Meraviglia class, with MSC Bellissima following in 2019. Each vessel has a passenger capacity of 4,500. When it entered service in June 2017, it was the sixth largest cruise ship in the world, behind Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class cruise ships and AIDAnova.
The Ateliers et Chantiers de France was a major shipyard that was established in Dunkirk, France, in 1898. The shipyard boomed in the period before World War I (1914–18), but struggled in the inter-war period. It was badly damaged during World War II (1939–45). In the first thirty years after the war the shipyard again experienced a boom and employed up to 3,000 workers making oil tankers, and then liquid natural gas tankers. Demand dropped off in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1972 the shipyard became Chantiers de France-Dunkerque, and in 1983 merged with others yards to become part of Chantiers du Nord et de la Mediterranee, or Normed. The shipyard closed in 1987.
Ateliers et Chantiers de Penhoët was a shipyard established in 1861 by the Scottish engineer John Scott in Saint-Nazaire, France. It was owned by the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique from its founding to 1900. The shipyard was managed by Scott until 1867 when management was transferred to Compagnie des Chantiers et Ateliers de l'Ocean and its successors until the yard temporarily closed in 1871 before reopening a decade later. In 1955 it was combined with Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire to form Chantiers de l'Atlantique. It also had a shipyard in Grand-Quevilly, near Rouen, during the 1920s.
Symphony of the Seas is an Oasis-class cruise ship owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International. She was built in 2018 in the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, the fourth in Royal Caribbean's Oasis class of cruise ships.
The Edge class is a class of cruise ships operated by Celebrity Cruises, a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. The class is constructed by Chantiers de l'Atlantique of France. At present, there are four active Edge-class ships: the lead vessel of the class Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Beyond, and Celebrity Ascent. Celebrity Apex was scheduled to begin operations in April 2020, but entry into service was delayed until June 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Celebrity Ascent is the newest ship to debut and welcomed its first guests in November 2023. A fifth ship, Celebrity Xcel is currently under construction.
Celebrity Apex is an Edge-class cruise ship operated by Celebrity Cruises, a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Constructed at Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France, she is the second vessel in the company's Edge class of ships, following the delivery of her sister ship, Celebrity Edge, in 2018. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, her debut sailing was from Athens on June 19, 2021 to the Greek Islands.
MSC Virtuosa is a Meraviglia-Plus-class cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises. Built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France, she is the second ship in the Meraviglia-Plus class and sister ship to MSC Grandiosa. Originally scheduled to debut on 8 November 2020, her delivery and entry into service was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She was delivered to MSC Cruises on 1 February 2021 and entered service in May 2021.
The World class is a class of cruise ships being built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique of France for MSC Cruises. There are four vessels planned, with the lead vessel, MSC World Europa, delivered in 2022.
MSC World Europa is a World-class cruise ship of MSC Cruises. LNG-powered, she was built by the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, and as of June 2024 is the world's eighth largest passenger ship and the largest cruise ship in the world that is not owned by Royal Caribbean International currently. MSC World Europa began public operations from 20 December 2022 in a 9-day roundtrip from Qatar after serving as a hotel ship in Doha during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. She became MSC's first World-class ship and will be joined by three sister ships in 2025, 2026, and 2027, respectively.