TTS Review 6 - TTS Group ASA

Picture by kind permission of RCCL
“
Designers have had to find a
way of getting passengers
off the ship and safely into
tender vessels for the
transfer to land
”
With the increased size of many cruise ships, a number of
desirable ports are now closed to a high proportion of ships. But
passengers still want to visit these ports, so designers have had
to find a way of getting passengers off the ship and safely into
tender vessels for the transfer to land. TTS has developed a
special tender platform for this purpose. “It's a very sophisticated
solution tailored to suit the individual requirements of the
shipowner,” says Rosén. “We’ve managed to design the platforms
to fold and stow within a very small space.”
Dry cargo handling in Vietnam
Spotlight on Vietnam
Vietnam has caught the attention of the shipbuilding
industry in recent years, and the trend looks set to
continue, with the country determined to become one of
the world’s top four shipbuilding centres by 2015.
Vietnam’s commitment to this ambition is borne out in its
plan to invest over US$3 billion in new facilities over the
next ten years, as well as its allocation of some US$750
million – the entire proceeds of its first sovereign bond
for the international market – to state-owned shipbuilder
Vinashin (Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group) in 2005.
Vinashin has been charged with developing
shipbuilding as a key contributor to Vietnam’s national
economy, and has risen to the task with gusto. It is now in
the second five-year phase of its 15-year plan, the first
part of which saw it upgrading its shipyard capacities,
enabling it to build dry cargo ships up to Handymax size
and more technically complex vessels such as car carriers.
Successful completion of this phase has already borne
fruit – Vinashin has experienced phenomenal growth over
the past six years, with an annual growth rate of over 50
per cent on revenues and 120 per cent on net income.
Empowered by its new capacity, the company is currently
manufacturing car carriers on behalf of Ray Car Carriers
and Höegh Autolines. These are the first RoRo car carriers
to be built in Vietnam, and TTS is supplying the cargo
access equipment for both contracts.
With a predicted boom in shipbuilding, over the next
four years at least, Vinashin intends to boost its
shipbuilding capabilities. Its relationship with companies
such as TTS will help to expand the market: Vinashin is
able to broaden its expertise, and TTS is consolidating its
reputation in the region.
“Naval architects need five to seven years to mature,
working in a good engineering environment,” Nguyen
Quoc Anh, chief business officer at Vinashin recently told
reporters. “Our engineers and architects will grow as
products develop.”
The ability to offer TTS group's combined services and
products, including deck machinery, marine cranes and
cargo access equipment while establishing close
cooperation with domestic fabricators, enhances the
commitment to the expanding Vietnamese market.
Vinashin is now upgrading and modernising its
shipyard technology for Aframax and RoPax vessels, an
area in which the company is especially keen to achieve a
solid position.
TTS Review • April 2008 11