Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
R10bn deals for shipyards
Six SA Navy patrol vessels to be built by local companies
TWO SOUTH African shipbuilding companies have landed projects collectively valued at R10 billion to build 6 patrol vessels for the South African Navy.
This is set to create hundreds of jobs.
Damen Shipyards Cape Town and the Durban-based Southern African Shipyards are the first in the history of the country’s maritime industry to land such lucrative contracts.
Details of when work will begin on the vessels are yet to be finalised.
Armscor announced last week it had appointed the firms, following a multi-source tender process from prospective shipyards it had solicited in 2014, for the supply of three offshore patrol vessels and three inshore patrol vessels as well as hydrographic survey capability for the South African Navy.
Hydrographic survey capability includes high-resolution multi- beam and single- beam bathymetry and a variety of geotechnical sampling and coring techniques.
Damen has been commissioned to build the six vessels and Southern African Shipyards has been commissioned for the hydrographic survey capability.
Damen Shipyards Cape Town is a long established shipyard and a member of the global Damen Shipyards group.
Sam Montsi, a shareholder and chairman of Damen, said the “blue economy” provided a fantastic opportunity to help grow South Africa’s economy and create employment.
“Protecting our shores with quality vessels is mandatory if we are to preserve ocean resources for our people and facilitate their taking full advantage of what the oceans have to offer,” Montsi said.
He said Damen offered internationally recognised technology and design and had experience in managing naval contracts around the world.
“We have programmes to ensure these projects deliver not just world-class vessels to enable the navy to meet its mandate but also result in enhanced local skills, technology transfer and supplier development.”
Southern African Shipyards chief executive Prasheen Maha- raj, whose company is midway through building a fleet of nine tugs for the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) , said the large new projects were a lifeline to the maritime sector.
Maharaj said many desperately needed jobs would not only be preserved but additional jobs would be created along with the development of a local Black Economic Empowerment supply chain.
“This is Operation Phakisa in action. SAS, the largest shipyard in Southern Africa, located at Durban’s port, has shown South Africans have the expertise to build world class military vessels.
“We look forward to continuing on our proven excellence by delivering on time and within budget as we have demonstrated with the recent TNPA tug project,” he said.