Expansion adds to shipyard’s flexibility

HAT-SAN SHIPYARD I PROFILE

ADDS TO SHIPYARD’S

Hat-San Shipyard eyes the market with confidence, having recently heavily invested in expanding its operations, by more than doubling its workspace capacity. The Turkish shipyard’s global reputation for quality remains key to fuelling its future order stream, whether for conversion, new builds or ship repair projects. Andy Probert spoke to Özgün Oruç, Repairs Division, Marketing Manager.

Hat-San Shipyard’s motto ‘Cooperating Friendly’ is a testament to the positive culture that thrives throughout the workforce and as an acknowledgement of its commitment to clients’ projects on a friend-first, business-second approach. It is a philosophy that acts a foundation upon which the shipyard has flourished.

Parent company Pekar Group began its association with shipping when it bought the current 50,000 sqm shipyard from its previous owners in 2007, one of the later ones to be trading from Yalova, a city in north-western Turkey, near the eastern coast of the Sea of Marmara.

Backed by investment

Within a year, Pekar Group has invested in a 180m x 52m slipway with a lifting capacity of 300 tons and 6,000 sqm closed spaces featuring five gantry cranes and state-of-the-art steel cutting and block production facilities.

In 2014, the second phase heralded a 180m x 30m floating dock, a second slipway of 170m x 24m, and two piers of 215m and 150m in length. Closed block production areas were extended and outfitted with new cranes.

Within the last three years, Pekar Group has doubled the operational workspace of Hat-San, having acquired 60,000 sqm of land next to the facility.

“The infrastructure enables Hat-San to respond to its three pillars of business: ship repairs, conversions and new builds simultaneously,” confirmed Özgün Oruç, Repairs Division, Marketing Manager.

A 406m pier has been created within the new yard area, increasing the total pier length to 2,500m. Other investments include additional cranes, new high-tech workshops, service buildings and a new 250m long Panamax-size floating dock in April 2022 to help improve docking capacity. The yard added a 20,000 sqm enclosed workshop for steel cutting, fabrication and related activities.

HAT-SAN SHIPYARD I PROFILE

In totality, Hat-San now boasts five slipways, two floating docks, four piers and one quay, which Mr Oruç acknowledged “strengthens our hand in our ability to respond to clients’ projects.”

Diversity of work

Hat-San’s first job under the new ownership was a new build bunker tanker for a Turkish owner. But it has since made a mark in the ship repairs and floating deck space, with prior projects including Handysize vessel conversions, refitting a live fish carrier for a Norwegian owner, and an oil product tanker. The shipyard has also built four purse seiner/trawler hulls for Norwegian owners in cooperation with a shipyard in Norway.

Hat-San created a floating dock for the Turkish Navy, operational since 2020, and another one, a 180m x 30m unit, with a 10,000-ton lifting capacity, for Denmark’s Orskov Shipyard. This increased dock capacity and is utilised to service large fishing vessels, offshore supply vessels, and short sea vessels.

The shipyard has enjoyed a long and successful association with Karadeniz Energy Group since 2014. Hat-San has completed seven conversion projects leading to the creation of power ships, including the world’s biggest, which has a capacity of 500 MW and was deployed to serve in Ghana, Africa.

Mr Oruç commented: “Hat-San has also converted two offshore support vessels and two floating barges for the Karadeniz Group to become highly mobile power ships.”

Recently Hat-San completed a conversion project for a Britishİtalian joint venture. This was a barge conversion project intended for use in launching new naval builds.

On the conversion side, the shipyard has installed dozens of ballast water treatment systems and scrubber conversions to Tier III requirements, and remains one of its busiest areas of business.

The yard, which presently employs 250 people directly and 1,500 sub-contractors, has also experienced a high level of activity on its ship repair side, thanks largely to the addition of the new floating dock.

Mr Oruç said: “Since acquiring the new yard space, our employee numbers have also increased by 25%, and business growth has spiked by 50%. On the repair side, we are very busy. Work is ongoing for a large international clientele, prominent among them are Greek ship owners.

“We are also in dialogue with several owners for new builds, and hopefully, these will come good despite industry challenges.”

The shipyard is also hoping to reel in new clients and established customers, having exhibited at the recent Posidonia exhibition and with intentions to be present at SMM in Hamburg, Germany, in September.

Seeking new opportunities

Having navigated the pandemic’s restrictions, Hat-San has incurred minimum delays on shipping projects and is now focused on continuing to plot a cautious route through the challenges of the prevailing global economy and external impacts, such as the Ukraine conflict and high inflation.

“It has meant becoming more flexible and adaptable to these difficult times, so there are still opportunities out there that we seek to grasp,” he added. “In the next three years, we will consider creating another Panamax floating dock to increase our potential for more new builds and ship repairs.”

Mr Oruç emphasised that the yard’s and the parent company’s culture of harmonious working had helped foster good relations among the staff.

“Our motto is “Cooperating Friendly”, which essentially means our customers directly experience this,” he said. “In business relations, customers benefit from a friendly and positive approach. We readily adapt or react to any problems quickly, and feedback suggests that clients like our transparent approach and are more inclined to work with us in the future.”

The company’s mission is to maintain international standards, ensure client satisfaction, protect their staff’s health and safety, while implementing technological developments in the marine industry.

He concluded: “Having doubled our workspace, increaseddocking capacities and enhanced facilities in general, we are confident in building on Hat-San’s renown for quality in every project and will further enhance our global reputation.” n