Damen Shipyards Mangalia (DSMa), one of the most important players in the Romanian naval industry, has recently signed contracts for the repair of two ships, even though it has been in insolvency proceedings since June. Repair work on the two ships will begin by the end of September 2024 and will be carried out simultaneously for one month.
“These works are a promising first step for the recovery of the company and together with the other measures undertaken under the guidance of the receiver, they give DSMa a real chance to reach profitability”, say the company’s representatives, in a statement.
The first vessel, “M/T Tahiti”, a Maltese-flagged oil tanker built in 2014, will arrive at the shipyard in the DSMa yard around September 18, 2024. With a carrying capacity of 157,022 tons and a length of 274, 5 meters, the vessel requires mechanical and electrical repair work for up to a month, along with dock work to apply the silicone system to the hull of the vessel.
The second vessel, “M/T Hadal Sally”, also under the Maltese flag and built in 2009, is a chemical and oil carrier with a carrying capacity of 50,994 tons and a length of 183 meters. The repair work will start around September 18, 2024 and will last a month, the main objective being the application of a special paint in the cargo tanks.
In June this year, the Constanța Court opened the insolvency procedure of the Damen Shipyards Mangalia company. CITR Bucharest branch was appointed judicial administrator.
Damen Shipyards Mangalia is located on the Romanian Black Sea coast and is a Joint Venture company created by Damen and the Government of Romania, in which Damen is responsible for the operational management of the site.
The yard was originally known as Naval Shipyard 2 Mai Mangalia and started building new ships in 1976. In 1997, Daewoo-Mangalia Heavy Industries S.A. took control of the yard and shifted its focus to building large container ships, bulk carriers and tankers. In late 2017 Damen acquired Daewoo’s shareholding and in the summer of 2018 took over operational control.
Early this month, more than 1,000 of the 1,500 employees of the Mangalia Naval Shipyard entered technical unemployment by the end of this year.
In August last year, Damen Holding BV announced that it will remain in Romania and continue its activity in Galati, even if it has withdrawn from the Mangalia Shipyard.