Portugal’s Navalrocha Shipyard reported a series of deals in 2020 as it prepares for a packed orderbook in the coming months
Navalrocha commercial director Sergio Rodrigues said the shipyard recorded several landmark projects including completing its first multi-million euro refit for a seismic survey vessel and managing its first BWTS installation. The projects were accompanied by other deals involving bunker tankers, cruise vessels, tugboats, four-masted schooners and catamaran leisure yachts.
Mr Rodrigues said “Following several landmark projects in the first half of 2020 we are now looking to the future with optimism and a busy orderbook for the third and fourth quarters of the year. While these are uncertain times, our sights remain firmly fixed on remaining active and driving growth in key markets. Our orderbook for the second half of 2020 involves a steady stream of projects including three high profile BWTS installations, as we further cement our position as a specialist in this area.”
In January 2020 the shipyard worked on a refit for the ultra-modern 14 streamer 3D/4D seismic vessel, Polarcus Naila, owned by Dubai-based marine geophysical company Polarcus.
“The Polarcus project helps highlight one of our yard’s significant advantages, which is the scale of our graving docks,” said Mr Rodrigues. “This opens the door to many more projects involving seismic survey vessels and ships with similar dimensions such as OSVs, PSVs and AHTSs. The deal came shortly after we delivered our first ever BWTS project for the Paxoi bunker tanker capping off a highly memorable period in the shipyard’s history.”
In February the yard installed an Alfa Laval BWTS on Andros, an MM Marine Inc managed bunker tanker. Navalrocha engineers fabricated new pipes before the vessel arrived after requesting 3D CAD drawings from the vessel management team and prefabrication work involved anti-corrosion treatment with the application of zinc coating through deep carbonisation. Navalrocha has also completed a pierside project for cruise vessel SeaDream II.
Mr Rodrigues said the shipyard, located in the sheltered Tagus Bay, offers an alternative to companies looking to avoid the congested Strait of Gibraltar or Mediterranean. “The scale of the operation, with three dedicated drydocks, also places us at an advantage ensuring every project receives priority treatment from a 70-strong workforce and cluster of sub-contractors based on site.”
Further dockings scheduled in the coming months include three container vessels, two cruise ships, a chemical tanker and a research vessel.
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