NDSQ Holds Naming Ceremony for Giant Steel Barge (Qatar)

History was made at Ras Laffan as HE the Minister for Energy and Industry Dr Mohammed Saleh Al Sada unveiled the name of the 140m steel barge Al Ghatroushah, the first project to be completed by Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar (NDSQ) and the first vessel of its kind constructed entirely in Qatar.

The barge’s name was revealed by His Excellency at a formal ceremony held at NDSQ’s facilities at Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard on the Port of Ras Laffan’s Southern Breakwater.

Qatari dignitaries and top level management from the shipyard’s owner Qatar Petroleum, NDSQ, Nakilat and a host of companies from Qatar’s marine sector attended the event, which was held aboard the barge.

Local and international journalists also witnessed the ceremony to celebrate the naming of this 140-metre load-out and recovery barge, a milestone in the development of Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar (NDSQ), a shipbuilder specializing in the construction of high-value vessels up to 170-metres in length.

The 6,500-tonne load-out and recovery barge took 1.6 million man-hours to complete and not a single Lost Time Incident (LTI) was recorded throughout the barge’s build and launch — an unprecedented safety achievement for such a young company. The barge now forms part of the shipyard’s infrastructure and will be used for the launch and recovery of boats by NDSQ, which is currently building 19 workboats up to 32m in length for QP’s Port of Mesaieed.

On the occasion of the barge’s naming ceremony, HE Dr Al Sada said, “The development of this shipyard is testament to the wise leadership of His Highness, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar. Through his prudent guidance, and the continuous support of His Highness, the Heir Apparent, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, this shipyard has become a state-of-the-art facility that represents both modernity and growth.”

He further added, “The rise of Erhama Bin Jaber Al-Jalahama Shipyard is a story of which all of us can be proud. We are committed to continue with this excellence and innovation. We trust that our growing marine industry will bring great benefit to the future generations.”

Nakilat Managing Director, Muhammad Ghannam, said, “As a young company, NDSQ has made an incredible stride forward in completing this 140m project, but we have not achieved this milestone alone. I would like to express our sincere thanks to the Minister for Energy and Industry HE Dr Mohammed Saleh Al Sada, for his unwavering support of our ongoing activities.”

“A special note of thanks is also due to QP’s Technical Group for their expert supervision of the construction of our shipyard facilities and to Ras Laffan Industrial City for the assistance it continues to provide,” he added.

“NDSQ and Nakilat are proud to be involved in turning the dream of a fully-fledged Qatari marine industry into a reality,” he concluded.

NDSQ is a joint venture between Qatari shipping company Nakilat and Dutch shipbuilding group Damen Shipyards based at Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard on the Port of Ras Laffan’s Southern Breakwater. NDSQ began operations in 2010 and builds ships in steel, aluminum and GRP, up to 170m in length.

Nakilat is Qatar’s premier shipping company, overseeing the world’s largest fleet of LNG vessels. In 2005 Nakilat was requested by QP to manage the development of a world-class shipyard at Ras Laffan. Nakilat has since created joint ventures with world-renowned marine industry specialists to operate the yard, while Nakilat’s development of Qatar’s premier shipyard continues.

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Nakilat, January 14, 2013