Seatrium signs contract to convert five floating power plants
Engineering has begun on the Whale Class vessels, giving Singapore yard suppliers a defined work programme; the first Tuas arrival is targeted for December 2027.
Seatrium and Karpowership have signed a contract for Seatrium to convert and integrate five Whale Class Powerships, or floating power plants, moving beyond their 2025 letter of intent. The 23 October announcement gives Singapore maritime suppliers a committed project to plan around, while the first vessel is only targeted to reach Seatrium's Tuas Boulevard yard in December 2027.
The agreement covers major conversion and equipment-integration work on five vessels. Seatrium said engineering was already under way when it announced the contract on 23 October. Its scope also includes mechanical completion and pre-commissioning. The company did not disclose a contract value.
A defined yard programme
The shift from a letter of intent to a signed five-vessel contract matters to Singapore's maritime supply chain. Equipment suppliers, engineering firms and yard-service providers can now assess a defined programme rather than only a potential project. The named scope gives prospective suppliers equipment integration, mechanical completion and pre-commissioning workstreams to compare with their capacity. The announcement does not identify new subcontract awards or say which suppliers will participate.
The Powerships are floating power plants designed to connect to electricity grids. The Whale Class is described as hydrogen-ready, with multi-fuel generation systems and onboard substations. Those are vessel-class capabilities, not power already being supplied by these five vessels.
First vessel is a 2027 target
Seatrium expects the first vessel in the series to arrive at its Tuas Boulevard Yard in December 2027. That is a yard-arrival target, not a delivery or operating date. Engineering has begun; physical conversion of the five vessels remains ahead.
The August 2025 letter of intent covered three floating storage and regasification unit conversions and potential integration of up to six new-generation Powerships; this signed contract covers five Whale Class conversions. Seatrium says it has delivered seven earlier FSRU conversions for Karpowership since 2018, with two more secured this year. Those are separate projects.
