Karachi Shipyard – Building ships for nation building
APR 12TH, 2005
Shipbuilding is a highly complex, competitive and capital intensive industry and requires long term planning due to ever increasing thrust of technology and competition in the market. A Shipyard equipped to construct sea going vessels for Merchant Navy, Warships for Navy and support vessels for the port complexes, is an inescapable need of any maritime nation. The booming economies of Germany, Japan and South Korea are a testimony to its importance as an Engine of growth of the National-Economies.
Being a very labour intensive industry, providing jobs to a large number of persons, Generating huge economic activity, shipbuilding industry has always been in prime focus of the respective governments to take good care of their shipbuilding industry and provide requisite support enabling their shipyards to offer extremely competitive prices. Political clout is also brought into play for securing business for their shipyards.
HISTORY OF KS&EW
Pakistan is fortunate to have a shipyard solely due to visionary outlook of our father of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah; who desired to see Pakistan's future as a maritime nation. Therefore, immediately after creation of Pakistan, steps were taken to organise a shipping company and a shipyard.
Quaid's dream in respect of a shipping company came true during his lifetime; whereas, project known as Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Worked Limited (KS&EW) was approved in a cabinet meeting, presided by the first prime minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan, on the pursuance of the first naval chief.
The establishment of facility was thought as essential as defence of Pakistan. The Government of Pakistan and Govt of Germany provided the financing for the project under a loan agreement in 1952. Finally, KS&EW came into existence as PIDC project in 1957.
The industry rose to it's Zenith in the late 1970s, when it built ships for foreign clients including Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Kuwait, Iran and Peoples Republic of China.
Today, KS&EW enjoys a unique status of a public limited company with its entire shares owned by the Government of Pakistan under the administrative control of Ministry of Defence (as an autonomous body). While, still remaining in public sector, it maintains, corporate sector outlook and work methodology. It is the first state owned organisation to have acquired ISO 9001 : 2000 certification. Till to date, it has built 434 ships, repaired 5000 vessels and built over 2000 heavy engineering units suiting the requirements of local and foreign clients.
SHIPBUILDING CAPABILITIES:
Karachi Shipyard is strategically located on the cross roads of South Asia and Gulf region. It is designed to carryout Shipbuilding and Shiprepair business for the local and foreign customers. The major local customers - PN, PNSC, MSA, KPT, PQA, GPA in the public sector and vide range of customers in the private sector have been well served over the last forty seven years. Facilitates installed, are suited to build and repair medium size ships upto 18,000 TDW and multipurpose cargo vessels upto 26,000 TDW. Various workshops and facilities make Shipyard completely independent of any outside support for its production and repair activities. Machine Shop, fully equipped shipbuilding halls, Fabrication Shops and Foundry for cast iron and non ferrous metal were created to support shipbuilding and shiprepair in the most efficacious manner.
There are very few such shipyards in the world which are equipped with all facilities for building ships within one boundary. Having three building berths, two dry docks and long Quay-walls, the shipyard has the capacity to undertake fabrication of three ships at a time and carryout shiprepairs of four major ships simultaneously. The layout of the shops is very good to ensure smooth flow of raw, semi-processed and finished material for shipbuilding activities with utmost efficiency.
KS&EW can build Naval ships like Frigates, Missile Crafts, Corvettes, Gun boats, Patrol Craft, Assault Boats, Support Vessels, Ammunition Carriers, Submarines, Oil/Water Tankers and Diving Boats. In addition, KS&EW's Heavy and General Engineering section provides diversification to its core activity of shipbuilding and shiprepair. It undertakes all kinds of structural works (mechanical & hydraulic). It's activities include production of all types of cranes, fire tube/water tube industrial boilers, pressure vessels, storage tanks, all types of castings and complete sugar plants on turnkey basis.
HIGHLIGHTS OF COMMERCIAL SHIPBUILDING:
During early years of its existence, KSEW registered tremendous growth in technological advancement. KSEW constructed a variety of vessels having different types and sizes, which were based on different technologies and construction methodologies. Our early shipbuilding journey began with construction of some survey launches and a good number of barges of different types and sizes.
A comparatively advanced ship construction opportunity was materialised during third year of operation when a Tugboat was constructed and delivered to Chittagong Port Authority, Bangladesh. Soon, this was followed by successful construction of two Oil Tankers, ESSO Ark & KORANGI to the multinational clients operating in Pakistan and dredger for Karachi Port Trust.
This early success established Karachi Shipyard as a serious player in domestic as well as international market. Thereafter, management of KSEW took a bold step when it decided to enter into construction of ocean going cargo vessels, Al-Abbas and M. V. Shalamar, having merely eleven years of experience on their side. The success so gained paved the way for entering into regional market of shipbuilding in Persian Gulf.
The successful era of "ship construction for exports" began in 1970s when KSEW got orders for 19 support vessels from Iran. During the same period, Abu Dhabi placed orders for a Cargo Vessel, MV Baynunah, and later for two Tugboats, Daima & Liwa. Saudi Arabia placed orders for two Tugboats, Jeddah-1 & Jeddah-2. China also benefited from the shipbuilding capabilities of Karachi Shipyard and placed its first order for a cargo vessel, MV Hetian, and next order for two Bulk Carriers, YOU YI-11 & YOU YI-12. Later China placed one more order for 17,500-tdw Bulk Carrier, YOU YI-20.
Meanwhile, KSEW also constructed a Dredger for a Belgium firm with entire set of dredging support vessels comprising of tugboat, workboat, and barges.
Very recently, KS&EW has just finished construction of 2 x 40 ton bollard pull ocean going tugs for Port Qasim Authority; one of our most valued client.
EXCELLENCE IN WARSHIP CONSTRUCTION:
During mid 90s, KS&EW entered into construction of warships; when it built a missile craft (PNS SHUJAAT) for Pakistan Navy. Later in year 1996, 4000 ton lifting capacity dock was delivered to PN for repair and maintenance of PN fleet. In Nov 1996, the commencement of AGOSTA 90B Submarine project was a great professional challenge which brought to surface the strengths and weaknesses in our Management and Engineering expertise. Construction of qualifying sub-section of the submarine was the test case to prove our skills before start of the actual submarine.
The analysis of quality file brought out the real strength of our engineers' and workers' skills wherein the quality of workmanship and end product was at par with the standards achieved at the shipyard of DCN France. This achievement has received quality recognition from DCN France.
The submarine project of Pakistan Navy (Joint Project of PN Dockyard and KS&EW) is a proud achievement of our engineering expertise; wherein, we have made valuable contributions toward translating the dream of Pakistan into reality. We have put Pakistan on the world map as a submarine building country - a proud achievement.
At present, KS&EW is building two in number 250 ton fast patrol craft for the Pakistan Navy. The vessels constructed with state of the art construction methodology are expected to join PN fleet by Jun 2005.
KS&EW is now destined to reach further heights of achievements by venturing into F22P frigate construction programme for Pakistan Navy in collaboration with Chinese. God willing, with this programme, the management, supervisors and workers of the yard are confident to make rapid strides to emerge as a modern shipyard in the region and achieve self reliance in the field of Naval ships construction.
CLIENT SATISFACTION:
While a mini revolution is underway through in-house improvements and development of quality culture at grass root level, KS&EW's skilfulness and dexterity in shipbuilding and heavy engineering works has been highly recognised and praised from time to time by a number of our valued clients. The recognition by China Shipbuilding Trading Co, Ltd, China; recognition by PN for construction of Missile Craft and subsequent recognitions by DCN International, France for construction of Agosta 90B class Submarine at KSEW is worth mentioning.
Besides, recognitions for heavy engineering construction jobs by Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co, Ltd, Japan; Nichimen Corporation, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Hitachi Ltd, Japan; Deltak, a unit of Jason Inc, USA; China Machine-Building International Corp, Beijing, China and various local organisations in Pakistan in the past are also worth highlighting.
CONCLUSION:
SHIPBUILDING FOR NATION BUILDING:
The shipbuilding technology has advanced at a faster pace and KS&EW cannot afford to be left behind because of our country's economic or strategic compulsions. Therefore, management is making all out efforts to re-engineer KS&EW in the field of precision engineering, foundry and high tech. Also, to train and equip new generation of highly skilled workforce capable of meeting the future challenges, Shipyard Institute of Technology has been established. Besides efforts are in hand to augment the design department and make it a design bureau.
Management is also focussed to improve productivity factor and bring qualitative changes in KS&EW built products to attract business and support government's efforts of foreign exchange earnings. All these measures need further co-operation from our valued customers for revitalisation of the strategic industry of Pakistan in order to give boost to seafaring, trade and allied shipbuilding industries in the country.
This national asset, therefore, anxiously looks forward to pick up its legitimate market share from public and private sector in general and local ports and shipping wing in particular. We at KS&EW continue to endeavour to provide quality products comparable with other regional shipyards. The only Shipbuilding Yard of Pakistan, therefore, eagerly looks forward to continue building ships for Nation Building.
