Doha: Qatar’s marine company Nakilat has secured vessel building and operations contracts for the Port of Ras Laffan, the company said yesterday.
The joint venture contracts are with shipbuilder Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar (NDSQ) and towage operator Nakilat SvitzerWijsmuller (NSW). NDSQ has signed to build seven vessels — two 60-tonne bollard pull (BP) azimuth stern drive (ASD) tugs; two 45-tonne BP ASD tugs; two 15-tonne BP twin-screw mooring boats and one pilot boat — which will be ready for service by autumn 2014/spring 2015.
NSW will then operate the seven vessels at the Port of Ras Laffan on a 14-year contract with Qatar Petroleum, Nakilat said in a press release yesterday. NSW already operates a fleet of 25 vessels at Ras Laffan and a further five vessels at Halul Island, performing about 12,500 tug jobs per year in the Port of Ras Laffan. In addition to the new order for the Port of Ras Laffan, NDSQ is constructing 19 workboats for use at the Port of Mesaieed.
Nakilat Managing Director and Chairman of NDSQ and NSW, Muhammad Ghannam, said: “We are delighted with the continued confidence in the services that our joint ventures are providing in Qatar. NSW will ensure that the Port of Ras Laffan will continue to receive first class harbour services at increased capacity using vessels built in Qatar by NDSQ.”
Ghannam also thanked the Minister of Energy and Industry H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada for supporting the operations of Nakilat and its joint ventures at the Port of Ras Laffan and at Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard.
Director of Industrial Cities Abdulaziz Jassim Al Muftah said: “The growth of NSW’s services in the Port of Ras Laffan and of NDSQ’s activities at Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard confirm Ras Laffan Industrial City’s position as a leading LNG terminal and marine hub. “QP is committed to the development of Qatar’s energy infrastructure and marine capabilities, and to a bright future for our country’s economy and industrial sectors.”
NDSQ is a joint venture between Nakilat and Dutch shipbuilder Damen and is based at Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard in Ras Laffan, Qatar. It began operations in 2010 and builds ships in steel, aluminum and fiber reinforced plastic (FRP), up to 170m in length. NSW is owned 70 percent by Nakilat and 30 percent by Svitzer Middle East Limited.
The vessels operated by NSW include tug boats, pilot boats, line boats and crew boats. Nakilat is a Qatari marine company providing the critical transportation link in Qatar’s LNG supply chain. Its LNG shipping fleet is the largest in the world, comprising 56 LNG vessels. Nakilat also manages and operates four LPG carriers via two joint ventures, N-KOM and NDSQ,
The Peninsula
