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Feature 6 | MEDITERRANEAN/SOUTHERN EUROPE


into use in Malta an area of around 220,000m2


which will be mainly used for


vessel maintenance, repair and conversion purposes. According to managing director, Antonio


Palumbo: “Our restructuring plan envisages bringing these areas up to our high standards so that they can meet the needs of our customers. Flexibility and the optimisation of working time has been the basis of the success of Palumbo Shipyard in Italy and we


will try to replicate that in Malta.” Last year was a satisfactory one for


Palumbo at its Italian yards, as it was able to secure a similar volume of work as in 2008. Te majority of vessels docked were ro-ro ships and cruise liners. Te company has recently been working on two key projects, a cruise ferry for Moby Lines and a ro-ro vessel for Grimaldi. According to Mr Palumbo: “We have got off to a good start in 2010. Looking


forward I think that aſter the delivery of a lot of new ships there will be a cycle of repairs and conversions of existing ships, which will generate an important amount of work for yards.” As a well as extending its operations to


Malta, Palumbo has been investing in its domestic yards, bringing in a 700tonne liſt crane. Te company has also added new sheds for super yacht construction work up to 61m in length. SRCT


Tunisia yard benefits from strategic location


Te privatised shipyard CMR Tunisia Ship Repairs is making its mark in the region, assisted by its strategic location in the central Mediterranean.


claims to be the largest shipyard in the southern Mediterranean. Privatised in 2004, the yard has seen turnover increase dramatically from €4 million in 2004 to €12 million in 2008. In 2009 however there was a sharp decline in activity in the second half of the year in particular, with a result that turnover dipped to around €10 million. Prospects for 2010 are more optimistic.


C


A statement from the yard says that this year has started well and will be a ‘little bit better’ than 2009. Developments elsewhere in the region, with the temporary loss of capacity in Malta, Barcelona and Marseille, have helped the yard win new business and reduce competitive pressures. According to the company: “We expect


that 2010 will remain a difficult year until the last quarter. A lot of vessels are still in lay up, but thanks to skilled manpower and attractive costs, Tunisia will remain a privileged repair location.” Notable projects carried out so far


this year include an upgrade of the ferry Napoleon Bonaparte for SNCM, one of the largest ro-pax ferries operating in the Mediterranean. Over the past few years a considerable


amount of investment, around € 7 million, has been made to upgrade the CMR Tunisia Ship Repairs yard, including the


54 SNCM’s ferry Napoleon Bonaparte docked in Tunisia earlier this year.


installation of two new 20tonnes rail crane. Another notable development is the


opening of the Mediterranean Institute for Metallurgical Technologies (IMTM) at the yard. Tis is a training centre for welding techniques that has been set up with the support of the French government. CMR Tunisia Ship Repair has four dry docks, the largest measuring 246.8m x


36m x 11.9m, and covers a total area of around 230,000m2


MR Tunisia Ship Repairs, located in Menzel Bourguiba on the north eastern coast of Tunisia,


. Over 400 workers


are employed here and services offered include drydocking, cleaning and painting, tailshaft and rudder repairs, pipe fitting, boiler repairs, diesel engine overhauls and machining. The yard is also able to recondition lifeboats and machine diverse spare parts up to 18m long. SRCT


Shiprepair and Conversion Technology 2nd Quarter 2010


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