Water taxis could be built locally for Mowasalat. Nakilat-Damen Shipyards Qatar (N-DSQ), a joint venture between Qatar Gas Transport Company (Nakilat) and Dutch shipbuilder ‘Damen Shipyards’, plans to manufacture water taxis for the public transport company.
“We intend to supply water taxis to Qatar. We have the cutting edge technology at our newly built state-of the-art facility to manufacture water taxis and water vessels in a wide range of size and speed,” Jan-Wim Dekker, Managing Director of N-DSQ, told reporters during a media tour of the facility on Thursday.
“We have been talking to Mowasalat, but have not signed any contract so far,” he said. “We have had meetings with concerned authorities, but speaking anything about it would be too
early… As of now I can only say that we can do it, and we would like to do it.” N-DSQ, established in 2010, is part of the Erhama bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard facility in the port of Ras Lffan Industrial City. Nakilat owns 70 percent stakes in N-DSQ, the Damen Group 30 percent.
Manufacturing processes at the N-DSQ are gong on in full swing. The company has a contract to supply a fleet of 17 support vessels for the upcoming Mesaieed Port. So far, it has delivered nine and is looking forward to more orders for water vessels, including passenger ships and yachts.
“We are busy meeting local requirements and trying to establish a good track record. Last year we delivered six vessels and this year we made three deliveries very recently. We are working on 17 more support vessels for the port. They are in different stages of production and will be delivered
later this year,” Mohammed Ghannam, Managing Director of Nakilat, said.
“We are very optimistic due to our strategic locations. Damen is an established name in the industry. We have orders to build superyachts and are receiving enquiries from GCC and other states
in the region.”
N-DSQ has an installed capacity to manufacture over 25 vessels from 100 metres to 170 metres every year, including commercial, naval and pirate intercepting ones. The facility, built at an estimated cost of over $3bn, includes ‘N-KOM’, a joint venture of Nakilat and Singapore-based ‘Keppel Offshore & Marine’, providing repair, upgrading and conversion services to all kinds of water vessels, including tankers, and LPG and LNG carriers. The facility has the capacity to undertake all kinds of repairs on over 150 ships of different size every year.
“We repair all kinds of water vessels, including tankers and LNG carriers. Our geographical location and proximity with Saudi Arabia provide us with a competitive advantage. It is cost-efficient and time-saving,” said Abu Bakar bin Mohammed Nor, CEO of N-KOM.Apart from two VLCC-sized dry-docks (11- and 12-metre depth) fitted with dock arms and jib cranes
with lifting capabilities ranging from 30 to 100 tonnes, N-KOM is embarking on the construction of two floating docks with lifting capacities of 6,500 and 80,000 tonnes.
Source :
Qatar Chronicle
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