Karachi
Shipyards to Spend $30 Million On a Syncrolift System
Pakistan’s Karachi Shipyards
& Engineering Works (KSEW) has signed an agreement with Norwegian ship design
and building firm, TTS Group. The US $29.8 million deal is for the
implementation of infrastructure modernization in the form of a 9,000 ton
Syncrolift, ship lift and transfer system.
In an official press release,
TTS Group has confirmed that the design and development work will be carried
out in Norway while the manufacturing will take place in China and Europe. KSEW
is set to receive the system during the first half of 2019.
The Ship Lift & Transfer
System
Syncrolift is a system which enables shipbuilders to lift ships from sea level to land level. TTS Group’s “advanced hydraulic transfer trollies” will move ships onto and from repair and production sites on land.
Syncrolift is a system which enables shipbuilders to lift ships from sea level to land level. TTS Group’s “advanced hydraulic transfer trollies” will move ships onto and from repair and production sites on land.
Compared to dry docks, the
Syncrolift enabled sites can handle as many as 10 ships, in turn increasing
efficiency and volume compared to shipyards using standard drydocks. The
Syncrolift for KSEW will be able to lift ships weighing up to 9,000 tons.
Pakistan’s Ministry of
Defence (MoD) set up the acquisition of a lift and transfer system as a
priority for KSEW in 2017.
The Syncrolift system will be
used to lift ships from sea to land, but unlike a drydock system which is
fixed, a connected to a rail-linked network would place ships onto one of the
13 in-land workstations using 30 winches (motorized trollies). Pakistan will
also get a transfer-of-technology agreement which will enable after-sale
maintenance to be managed locally.
The rail transfer system will
then move ships from the workstations to the ship-lift system and lay them at
sea.
Syncrolift is registered
trademark of TTL Group and is a complete system which comprises of a ship
elevator, trollies and the rail-transfer system. The company already holds 70
percent of the market share. TTL Group claims its ship lifting system is faster
than competitors and will improve further with its new FastDocking products.
Impact on Pakistan
MoD states that “[the acquisition will] increase business capacity and efficiency of ship turnover by three times.” The system will enable KSEW to improve with regards to its commercial aspects, especially in the ship repair market. The upgrade for KSEW will also allow full support to “all present and future national maritime and defence objectives.”
MoD states that “[the acquisition will] increase business capacity and efficiency of ship turnover by three times.” The system will enable KSEW to improve with regards to its commercial aspects, especially in the ship repair market. The upgrade for KSEW will also allow full support to “all present and future national maritime and defence objectives.”
It is also expected that the
system will enable domestic construction and launching of submarines “for the
first time”.
KSEW was previously tasked to
assembled maritime vessels, like the MILGEM corvette. Modernization to its
infrastructure, like the Syncrolift acquisition, will enable it to complete its
current projects and undertake future projects. This will, in turn, be helpful
for Pakistan Navy which will be able to modernize its fleet at reduced costs
through local manufacturing facilities and raw material.
Pak Navy’s next generation
submarine program – the Hangor class submarines – is considered to be the
trigger behind this venture. KSEW will be managing 4 out of the total 8
submarines. The steel-cutting (inauguration) of the first Hangor-class
submarine, built by the KSEW, is scheduled for October 2020 while the remaining
are to be in the hands of Pakistan Navy by 2028.
Future Propositions for KSEW
& Pak Navy
While the construction work will be carried out locally, the KSEW will still import steel, mechanical and other critical components from other countries. However, it is sure to push Maritime Technologies Complex (MTC) to start on in-house ship design and development programs. In the long run, this could enable MTC to take on the role of a contractor like STM or CSOC by developing original designs and then acquire components from manufacturers.
While the construction work will be carried out locally, the KSEW will still import steel, mechanical and other critical components from other countries. However, it is sure to push Maritime Technologies Complex (MTC) to start on in-house ship design and development programs. In the long run, this could enable MTC to take on the role of a contractor like STM or CSOC by developing original designs and then acquire components from manufacturers.
On the other hand, KSEW’s
modernization could enable foreign designers to pitch custom solutions to
Pakistan Navy. In short, it could help reduce overall costs for the naval
forces.
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