Turkmenistan’s shipbuilding industry has established a series of partnerships during a recent working visit by a delegation from the Balkan Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Plant to the Netherlands.
Meetings were held with leading Dutch dredger manufacturers, including De Klop B.V., Dredge Yard B.V., Dredging Service Europe, and Royal IHC.
During a meeting with shareholders of De Klop B.V., a leading manufacturer of dredgers and pumps, special attention was paid to the initiative of the Balkan plant in the field of localization, joint construction and design of dredgers on the territory of Turkmenistan.
The parties agreed to develop technical and price proposals, exchange experience in the field of dredger design and construction, as well as organize trainings for Turkmen specialists.
In addition to traditional dredgers, De Klop B.V. presented a dredger powered by electricity. This solution may be especially relevant for Turkmenistan, given the low cost of electricity.
The Deputy General Director of the Balkan shipyard also held talks with representatives of Dredge Yard B.V. and Dredging Service Europe. The main topic of discussion was the possibility of dredging in the Caspian Sea, as well as in the internal waters of Turkmenistan.
During the visit to the Netherlands, the Turkmen delegation met with the management of Damen Shipyards Group, a world leader in shipbuilding and dredging. The meeting took place at the headquarters of Damen Shipyards Group in Gorinchem.
Damen Shipyards Group demonstrated new dredging technologies that may be relevant for Turkmenistan as well. Following the meeting, the parties agreed to develop technical and price offers.
The Balkan Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Plant in Turkmenistan has embarked on a project to assemble the CSD 650 dredger from Damen.
To ensure a smooth assembly process, a Balkan plant representative recently participated in dredger testing at Damen’s facilities in Neyerkerk. This participation provided valuable training and preparation for receiving project documents and parts for assembly in Turkmenistan.
Damen dredgers are in great demand in Turkmenistan, employed for various purposes including dredging operations, port construction and maintenance, and sand and gravel extraction.
Discussions with Royal IHC, another prominent Dutch dredger manufacturer, focused on the potential for localization of dredger production in Turkmenistan. The Turkmen delegation showcased the capabilities of the Balkan Shipyard, specifically highlighting its technical capacities.
Expressing keen interest, the delegation proposed utilizing Royal IHC’s design documents to construct dredgers directly at the Balkan plant. Both parties agreed to collaborate on technical and price proposals, paving the way for a potential project implementation.
With over 90 of their dredgers already operational in Turkmenistan, this partnership could not only modernize the country’s dredger fleet but also propel the domestic shipbuilding industry to a new level of development.///nCa, 1 April 2024 [based on materials published by the Turkmen Marine and River Transport Agency]