Nakilat-Damen to provide 19 vessels to QP

Qatar Gas Transport Company (Nakilat) on behalf of Nakilat amen Shipyards Qatar (N-DSQ) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Qatar Petroleum (QP) for the provision of 19 vessels including harbor tugs, pilot and service boats at the port of Mesaieed. Mesaieed Industrial City Acting Director Maliq Omer Ismail Al Dafea said, this MoU with Nakilat-Damen Shipyards Qatar will provide the Port of Mesaieed with essential high quality vessels, with the further benefit of realizing the vision of the Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani to build these vessels in Qatar at its new marine industrial area.
QP Directorate of Mesaieed Industrial City issued late last year a tender for the provision of harbor tugs, pilot and service boats at Mesaieed Port. Subject to the outcome of the tender, the successful bidder was required to build all the vessels needed for the contract at the ras Laffan Port N-DSQ facilities.
Nakilat Managing Director, Muhammad Ghannam and Maliq Omer Ismail Al Dafea signed the agreement at the Doha Exhibition Centre.
Ghannam said, the MoU with QP for the construction of harbor tugs, pilot and service boats and other equipment is an historic milestone for N-DSQ. It is a large contract that will supply a variety of vessels of different types and sizes at the new purpose built shipyard that is ideally suited to this type of construction.
He added that this contract is also consistent with Qatar drive to expand and develop its industrial base by creating a new marine industries and services sector.
Later, speaking to reporters Ghannam said the first delivery of vessels will be in 18 to 36 months, but he would not disclose the value of the deal, saying he value of the deal will be determined later because we are still working on engineering and other such details.
With this agreement, the Nakilat-Damen and Nakilat- Keppel Offshore and Marine (N-KOM) joint ventures have now a total of 25 vessels tied up in terms of orders in just two days.
The state-of-the-art shipbuilding facility, Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar currently under construction in the Port of Ras Laffan is to play a key role in positioning Qatar as an internationally-recognised centre of Excellence for shipbuilding, refit and conversion.
The facility is a joint venture between Nakilat and Damen Shipyards Qatar Holding B.V, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Dutch group Damen Shipyards. Nakilat and Damen agreed early this year on a 70/30 joint venture company to manage and operate the 15-hectare shipyard, which is being built on reclaimed land
Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar will specialise in the construction of all types of vessels up to 120m in length, including commercial vessels such as tugs, offshore supply vessels, coastal tankers and ferries. Naval and coastguard vessels and luxury yachts, which can be custom or semi-customised steel or aluminum vessels, will be its other core specialties.
We are still working on the shipyard. We are ready to start construction in few months and we will start doing the dry dock by the end of the year in Ras Laffan Port, said Ghannam. The entire shipyard technical facility for all the practical purposes will be finished by the end of this year.
He added that everything will be functional and a complete shipyard in Qatar to meet all the requirements from shipping, marine work by the end of this year.