Feature 1
Ha Long builds on experience
The northern yard is extending its portfolio of ships offered and its
management will be integral in wider shipbuilding expansion plans.
E
stablished in 1976 on just 20hectares
of land, with the assistance of the
Polish Government, Vinashin’s
Ha Long Shipbuilding Co was the first of
Vietnam’s yards to build vessels of above
3000dwt.
By 2000, the northern yard was
building oil tankers and general cargo
ships of around 3600dwt, but significant
investments were in the pipeline that were
about to transform Ha Long into a builder
of much larger tonnage for an international
clientele.
Since that time, two new slipways have
been initiated, one of which is complete
and of around 50,000dwt capacity, making
the Quang Ninh province yard eligible to
participate in Vinashin’s breakthrough
order from Welsh shipowner Graig,
covering a series of 53,000dwt double hull
bulk carriers, the ‘Diamond 53’ class – the Ha Long Shipbuilding Co general director, Nguyen Duc Than.
largest ships to be delivered from Vietnam
to date.
The yard has a confirmed nine-ship share The second ship in the series, Blue Shipbuilding Corp, increasing its number
of the orders from Graig for these 190m long, Diamond, was due delivery in December of subsidiary companies from seven to 10.
32.26m wide, and 17.5m high ships, designed 2007, while the third in the series, White For the moment, however, the shipbuilder
in a collaboration between Denmark’s Carl Diamond, was launched in November. These has been concentrating on gaining the
Bro Design Co and Graig itself, and built two ships are due for final delivery to Ofer experience it needs to take forward its
under the supervision of Norway’s DNV. Shipping. The fourth ship was under block current workload.
However, this number is expected to rise to erection at time of writing, and is the first Ha Long Shipbuilding Co general director,
15 ships, as options are taken up, according of three due to find its way into the fleet of Nguyen Duc Than, described the steep
to sources close to the owner. Croatian owner Atlanska Plovidba. The learning curve that had faced the yard in
These double bilge ships feature 5.9m remaining three confirmed ships are also set delivering the first of what are comparatively
diameter screw-propellers, five holds, and to be taken over by Ofer. complex bulk carriers to Graig. He said that
four cranes apiece. They include minor The yard’s second slipway will offer capacity the sheer speed of development of the yard,
refinements over the Diamond 53 ships of 70,000dwt, and is already equipped with which over a five year period saw employee
under construction in China, with extra a 400tonne lift capacity crane. It is due to numbers swell from 1000 to 5000, had
brackets included on the hatch coamings, be completed by second quarter 2008, after proved challenging.
for example, and a changed engineroom which it will play host to construction of eight ‘It took time to train our new workers,’
layout. 4900 unit capacity pure car and truck carriers he said. ‘It also took time to put the
Ha Long delivered the first of its for Ray Car Carriers, of Israel, in a deal which management system in place and for our
commitment to Graig in June 2007, in the also includes options for eight more vessels. engineers to acquire the experience to
shape of Florence. Infamously, this ship Work has already begun on the first of these arrange production effectively. Especially
took on water at the point of launching, US$50 million, Panamax-beam ships. difficult was the supply of equipment: we
with damage caused when it came off the Also under construction is a new have to import nearly all of the equipment
slipway. However, having been patched up, 50,000dwt capacity drydock. and materials we use and there have been
the ship is operating satisfactorily and is Next year, reflecting the reorganisation occasions when mistakes have been made,
now trading with Turkish shipowner Deniz of the wider Vinashin Group, the Ha Long when either spare parts or documentation
Nkliyat Vesanayi. yard will change its name to Ha Long have been missing.’
The Naval Architect January 2008 19
NA Jan - p19+20.indd 19 04/01/2008 15:22:59
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