Qatari shipbuilder lays keels for two tugs for NSW
Qatari shipbuilder Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar (NDSQ) has laid the keels for two 16m-long Stan Tugs, part of a seven-vessel order for marine services provider Nakilat SvitzerWijsmuller (NSW).
A small ceremony to mark this important step in the shipbuilding process was held at NDSQ’s facilities at Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard in Qatar’s Port of Ras Laffan.
The two twin-screw Stan Tugs have a bollard pull of 15 tons and will be used for mooring vessels visiting the Port of Ras Laffan.
NDSQ is also currently building five other vessels for the NSW order: two 28m-long Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) Tugs, two 31m-long ASD Tugs and one 22m-long glass reinforced plastic (GRP) Pilot Boat. The Stan Tugs, the ASD Tugs and the Pilot Boat will be delivered to NSW for use at Ras Laffan.
Upon the occasion of the keel-laying ceremony Eng. Abdullah Fadhalah Al Sulaiti, Managing Director of Nakilat and Chairman of NDSQ and NSW, said: “This milestone further confirms the solid contribution that NDSQ’s shipbuilding operations are making towards the State of Qatar’s industrial sector. I take this opportunity to thank HE Dr.
Mohammed Bin Saleh Al Sada, Minister of Energy & Industry and Chairman of Nakilat for his crucial and excellent support of the shipyard’s success. I would also like to express appreciation for Qatar Petroleum’s contribution to our operations and for the support we receive from the management, port staff and employees of Ras Laffan Industrial City.”
NDSQ is a joint venture between Nakilat and Dutch shipbuilder Damen and is based at Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard in Ras Laffan, State of Qatar. NDSQ began operations in 2010 and builds ships in steel, aluminum and fiber reinforced plastic (FRP), up to 170m in length.
NSW is owned 70 per cent by Nakilat and 30 per cent by Svitzer Middle East Ltd. The vessels operated by NSW include tug boats, pilot boats, line boats and crew boats.
NSW offers a range of services including towing, escorting, berthing, pilot support, line handling services afloat and ashore, emergency response, and marine maintenance support.
Nakilat is a Qatari marine company providing the essential transportation link in the State of 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 strategic joint ventures, Nakilat-Keppel Offshore & Marine (N-KOM) and NDSQ, Nakilat operates the ship repair and construction facilities at Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard.