HRDD Records Busy Half Year

The uprising shipping market stimulated the ship repair business for yards all over the world in this two years, especially for the Chinese shipyards. The increase of shipping rate for cape size and panamax bulk carriers, particularly the raw material market, consequently caused the rise of ship repair material cost and labor cost. Even so, all the ship repair yards are fully booked by the rolling-in ship owners and managers.

The records for the first half of 2004 by Huarun Dadong Dockyard (HRDD) illuminates this tendency too. In the first half of 2004, HRDD completed the repairs and docking for 39 vessels, and the turnover is 30 percent more than that of 2003. On average, HRDD accommodated one vessel within 4.5 days, which means the docking efficiency is 33 percent up than before. Simultaneously, another major project by HRDD is the conversion of second floating dock by HRDD itself, which is going well with the normal repair and docking production situation stated above.

The second phase expansion plan of HRDD is under steady progress now, which includes the conversion project a VLCC into a floating dock (measuring 340 x 52 m with a lifting capacity of 48,000 tons) capable of docking Capesize bulk carriers and post panamax containerships, and the conversion project for a Handymax capacity floating dock (measuring 195 x 36 m, with a lifting capacity of 16,000 tons).

Also, this expansion plan consists of a new berth of 600m, miscellaneous workshops nearby. The whole project for cape size floating dock is fully carried out by HRDD employees under the assistance of one local ship research institute and consumed almost 5,000 tons of steel in this conversion project which took around 10 months and did not affect the normal ship repair and docking production. She is now scheduled to embrace her virgin docking in the beginning of this September and will enable HRDD to cooperate with more and more first class ship owners and managers all over the world.

During the same period of the conversion for the cape size floating dock, HRDD has duly completed some major contracts as follows: M/T Rangoon (181.6 x 30 m, GRT 25740 ) from Tanker Pacific Management (Singapore) Pte Ltd for 74 tons of steel renewal and 25,163 sq. m. tank coating; overhauling on M/E, D/G, Motor, pumps; co2 equipment updating, and routine docking works in April. The satisfaction performance by HRDD assured Tanker Pacific to establish long term cooperation with HRDD, and so they awarded another two tankers to HRDD, namely M/T Emerald Hill ( 225 m x 32.2m, GRT 39342 ) which has been completed one day earlier than owner’s expectation for the repair scope of 44 tons of steel renewal, 11500 m2 tank coating, routine overhauling on boiler, M/E, D/G, deck machinery, co2 equipment updating and motors; and M/T Isle which is scheduled to dock in HRDD in the end of this August. We also saw three vessels in HRDD from our old friend in Singapore: IMC Shipping Co. Pte. Ltd., including M/V Maritime Songkhla (160.38m x 24.6m, GRT 23936) in January, M/V Maritime King (225m x 32.26m, GRT38479) in April and M/V Maritime Lapis (180m x 30.5 , GRT 23274) in June.

The professional service from HRDD is highly appreciated by the attending superintendents and ship owners, which is fully accepted and proved by TMT ( Taiwan ) who has fulfilled 4 projects in HRDD in the first half of 2004 in succession: M/V Capaz Duckling (267m x 43m, GRT 40512) in the beginning of February for 418 tons of steel renewal, 4832 m2 sandblasting and painting, renewal of one set D/G and overhauling all the other D/Gs, normal overhauling on M/E, piping and other deck machinery etc; M/V Prince of Ocean ( 188m x 32.2m, GRT 36686 ) in March for 51645 m2 blasting and coating in cargo holds; M/V King Duckling ( 223m x 32.2m, GRT 42649 ) in March too for repair on steam windlass, M/E, piping etc; M/V Jovial Duckling ( 236m x 32.2m, GRT 42649 ) for 16 tons of steel renewal, 3229 m2 blasting and coating, maintenance on M/E, D/G, windlass, winches and piping etc.

The outstanding demonstration by HRDD this year for Japanese market can be illustrated by the serious vessels from 2 companies: Toyo Sangyo in Shikoku, Japan is still applying priority for choosing HRDD as their docking base this year on M/V Castle Peak ( 273m x 43m, GRT 77182 ) in April for 496 tons of steel renewal, 18744 m2 blasting and coating in cargo holds, boiler/turbocharger/governor overhauling, WIAS system installation, etc; and container vessel M/V APL Qingdao ( 299m x 36m, GRT 58923 ) in June for miscellaneous machinery work, including dismantling and overhauling of M/E, fuel oil pumps, turbocharger, aux. Boiler, steam D/G, motor and pumps, etc. First Marine Service in Tokyo, Japan is also keeping on docking and repair in HRDD this year for M/V Crystal Lily ( 189.36m x 32.2m, GRT 28073 ) in February, M/V Soryu Maru ( 233m x 38m, GRT 48458 ) in April and M/V Grand Fortune ( 270m x 43m, GRT 75254 ) in April too; With HRDD’s development, some credible ship owners and managers in Greece intend to establish long term cooperation with HRDD too. For example, M/T Kriti Rock ( 243.8m x 42m, GRT 50588 ) and M/T Kriti Mountain ( 243.8m x 42m, GRT 50588 ) from Avin International S. A. in March and April respectively; M/V Hyundai Commodo ( 275m x 37.1m, GRT 51836 ) in July, M/V Hyundai Duke ( 275m x 37.1m, GRT 51836 ) in August and M/V Norasia Hamburg ( 275.7m x 32.2m, GRT 49000 ) in August from Danaos Shipping Co., Ltd.