KARACHI PAKITAN : The operational phase of the state-of-the-art buoy handling vessel that will serve one of Pakistan’s largest fully integrated ports, the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) in Karachi, has commenced. The project is seen as a major step forward in advancing local maritime solutions. Med Marine, a leading Turkish shipbuilder and tugboat operator and PQA signed a contract in 2022 for the construction and delivery of the vessel.
The 45 x 11.8-meter vessel which is meant to facilitate buoy laying, can handle 150 m3 volume of fuel oil and 20 m3 of fresh water. In addition, the vessel has been designed to accommodate a crew of 16 persons.
Major international players are involved in the completion and eventual delivery of the buoy handling vessel. Med Marine, for one, employs Eregli Shipyard, one of the largest shipyards in Turkey, spanning 180,000 sqm with more than 30,000 sqm indoor areas. Med Marine to date has successfully completed nearly 200 projects, including tugboats, chemical/oil tankers, mooring and pilot boats. Eregli Shipyard has received certifications for “Shipyard Security Compliance” and “Shipyard Production Compliance” to build naval ships for the Turkish Military and NATO. The buoy handling vessel, on the other hand, is a customized design from Singapore-based SeaTech Solutions, a company that enjoys an excellent reputation with many proven designs in its portfolio.
The ground breaking project was launched by Med Marine’s local agency in Pakistan, Dynamic Engineering & Automation (DEA) and MED Marine in honour of PQA on June 29, 2022.
The launching ceremony represents the beginning of a promising journey that will see the vessel serve PQA, a port that handles 18 berths with an annual handling capacity of 89 million tons, with world class expertise and excellence. It is pertinent to mention here that DEA, a privately owned engineering servicing company that focuses on the downstream sector of Pakistan oil and gas industry, has played a pivotal role in the prevailing energy scenario in the country by introducing advanced technologies whose unique selling propositions are reliability and economics. The vessel also marks a significant feather in DEA’s cap.
This milestone collaboration is seen as one that will not only strengthen the ties between Pakistan and Turkey but will also contribute towards the growth and prosperity of the maritime industry in both nations.
