Turkish shipping is a growing sector, with a total tonnage of over 30m dwt. Of this, around 8m dwt belongs to ABS, which is moving towards a top market position; gaining an increasing number of new vessels and new construction projects over the last five years.
More and more local companies are operating internationally – most recently Turkish interests have two FSRU projects under construction in South Korea, one of them to ABS class – and are also developing offshore projects with new oil/gas research vessels.
Specialised for success
Sanmar has been operating in marine business for more than 40 years, building and operating tugboats and providing towage and pilotage services in numerous countries around the world. Sanmar is also active as a provider of emergency marine pollution response and in chemical tanker operations.
Specialised in the design and construction of tugboats, pilot and mooring boats worldwide (which it has delivered to 32 countries), the company builds vessels at its two state-of-the-art shipyards located in Turkey’s shipbuilding heartlands of Tuzla and Altinova, which has the infrastructure to build up ships up to 140 m in length in covered hangars.
The company offers numerous tug designs in a wide range of sizes from 16 tonnes Bollard Pull to 90 tonnes BP, and from 15m to 35m and is also planning to construct more specialised vessels including Ro-Ro and OSVs.
Sanmar has constructed and delivered the world’s first LNG-powered escort tug, able to comply with NOx Tier III requirements, which is operating successfully for Buksér og Berging AS at the Statoil terminal in Norway. Its latest innovation project will involve integration of a hydro-mechanical tug propulsion system, designed to further reduce pollution emissions.
Sanmar is also developing electric-hybrid solutions for tug propulsion and delivered the world’s first remotely operated commercial tug, Svitzer Hermod, which operates in Copenhagen, in collaboration with ABS.
Since its foundation, Sanmar has delivered 239 vessels (of this some 200 are tugs), 137 of them for the international market, 41 tugs to Turkish operators and 22 vessels operating in its own fleet.
A Class Relationship
ABS and Sanmar have enjoyed a strong business relationship for many years based on a deep trust and ABS’ continuing support for Sanmar’s growth plans. The strength of the relationship means ABS is able to respond quickly and proactively to requests for information from Sanmar when developing new designs and in negotiations for new orders.
Sanmar’s management and production system ensures construction to IACS and international rule requirements. It is updating and developing its systems for recent rule changes and plans to stay one step ahead of the market with innovative projects.
Customer demand for new designs and vessel arrangements continues to be challenging, especially for Sanmar’s latest designs featuring new propulsion systems. For this reason, Sanmar works closely with the ABS Turkey office as a solutions partner that can provide guidance and support on current market trends and regulatory developments.
With the support of ABS, Sanmar aims to continuously improve its ship design and construction operations in Turkey, expand its fleet and refine its service delivery whilst increasing construction and sales volume in international markets.
