BALKAN OJSC BUILDS UP MOMENTUM AND BROADENS COOPERATION

Balkan Shipbuilding and Repair Yard Open Joint-Stock Company is building up momentum and expanding cooperation with local and foreign companies. Since its inception (in May of 2019) with the share capital of the Türkmendeňizderýaýollary Agency, the company’s specialists have restored (performing various types of repair work) more than 40 vessels, 10 of which are foreign.

A towing and crane vessel named Ceren-E belonging to At-Abraý Business Company and a tugboat named Marzhan (GAC Marine S.A.) are now undergoing necessary repairs. Extensive repairs will be carried out to a ship named Bossan, also belonging to GAC Marine S.A.

The enterprise’s professionals have signed several memoranda of cooperation in the area of shipbuilding and repair with Ak Bars Shipbuilding Corporation (Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation); Derya Group Mekanik Inşaat Taahhüt Tersane San. ve Tic. A. Ş. (Republic of Turkey); United Shipbuilding Corporation (Russian Federation); and the Korea Marine Equipment Research Institute (Republic of Korea).

Not only will the dockyard repair vessels and ensure safe maritime navigation, it will make good use of its production capacities to build new ships and develop the country’s merchant fleet. In particular, a tender will be invited soon for purchasing building materials and spare parts for a floating dredge that will serve the needs of the State Committee for Water Management of Turkmenistan.

The shipyard boasts all necessary facilities for the building and repair of ships. It also provides storage and office space to its partners, and leases out equipment, tools, cranes and other machinery. The shipyard workers assemble metalwork components of varying sizes used in building piers in the Avaza National Tourist Zone, repair metal storage containers and railway carriages, provide plasma-cutting services (up to 100 mm thick steel plates), and carry out orders from allied industries.

The shipbuilding facility is one of the oldest enterprises in the city of Turkmenbashi on the Caspian coast. It opened in 1941 when the two Russian shipyards from the cities of Taganrog and Rostov were evacuated to the maritime region.

Nowadays, the oldest shipbuilding and repair yard has taken a new lease of life thanks to the reconstruction and integrated construction of the Turkmenbashi international seaport. It has been transformed into a modern enterprise taking advantage of the latest technologies and equipment. Not only does the shipyard repair and build vessels, oil tankers, offshore platforms, tugboats, boats, but fabricates different types of metalwork. It boasts an assembly area used for large block portions of ships, and workshops for abrasive cleaning and painting of hull structures, among others. The dockyard is specially equipped to process several thousands of tons of steel used in shipbuilding and ship repair.

Efforts are being made now to train highly-qualified shipbuilding specialists. Most of the shipyard workers have SAW, GTAW and TIG qualifications and Level II Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) certifications. The widespread adoption of best practices in operations of Balkan Shipbuilding and Repair Yard Open Joint-Stock Company will boost the efficiency of freight and passenger transport services.