The Turkmenbashi International Seaport profoundly contributes to bolstering trade and economic cooperation between Asia and Europe, bringing their relations to a qualitatively new level. In this regard, the Balkan shipbuilding and repair plant of the Turkmendenizderyayollary Agency is conducting large-scale work. An observer for Central Asia Vadim Shagiakhmedov commented on this issue for CentralAsia.news.
The urgent tasks of social, economic, scientific and technical development of the country are to modernise the transport industry and to adopt advanced technologies. The sea «gate» of Turkmenistan plays a particularly important role in the national economy. The departments and enterprises of the Turkmendenizderyayollary Agency, namely the Balkan company, offer a wide range of services.
The Balkan shipbuilding and repair company was established on the initiative of National Leader of the Turkmen People Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov as one of the divisions of the Turkmenbashi International Seaport that was put into operation a year earlier. The launch of the enterprise allowed taking the first step in the shipbuilding and repair sector, as well as strengthening the material and technical base of Turkmenistan’s maritime and river transport sectors.
The plant occupies an area of 166,000 square metres. The enterprise performs the launching and lifting operations and transfers ships with a lifting capacity of up to 10,000 tonnes, using the devices and systems designed to launch new and repaired ships into the water and lift them out of the water for maintenance work or repair. The wheeled port crane with a lifting capacity of 84 tonnes and the rail mounted cranes with a lifting capacity of 42, 64, 80 tonnes are used to perform various industrial works.
Currently, the Balkan shipbuilding and repair plant offers the services which arouse great interest abroad. The enterprise is designed to produce 10 tonnes of steel and build 4-6 ships annually. Along with the processing of 2,000 tonnes of metal, the plant is capable of repairing and maintaining of 20-30 small and medium-sized vessels on average annually.
The company’s employees use the latest technologies in ship design, project management, supply, repair, building and maintenance. Advanced equipment ensures quality and safety of operations and controls the operation of steam boilers and compressors. The plant builds various types of ships, oil tankers, offshore platforms, tugs, boats and a wide range of metal structures and manufactures finished products and industrial tools.
The company’s specialists are engaged in mechanical processing, removing rust, polishing, priming and painting large iron sheets. The company manufactures radiators, which are widely used in industry and greenhouses, and various types of high-power pumps, which are used to expand reservoir capacity and increase the throughput of large waterways.
The plant offers the services in repairing, welding and painting containers at the Turkmenbashi International Seaport on orders from ship owners, conducts technical inspection of ships and floating vessels used to transport goods and passengers and carries out other specialised works. For these purposes, all the necessary conditions are created for local specialists so that their work complies with international quality standards.
The company manufactures a wide range of pipes, presses and reverses bearings and conducts hydraulic pipeline testing. It offers the services in installing digital systems and video surveillance and server equipment. Its specialists replace and dispose of expired pyrotechnics on ships and do tensile, thickness and radiographic testing of metal structures and gas-plasma cutting of complex metal parts.
In 2023, the company carried out minor repairs to the Charlak and Almaz passenger ships of the company Marine Trade Fleet, the Kenar and Atamyrat Nyyazov oil tankers, the Aydak tugboat, owned by the Turkmenbashi International Seaport, and the Nurana ship of the private company Nurly Tolkun. The foreign clients include Blue Marine and its Topaz Glory tugboat. Repairs were carried out in a timely and proper manner.
In November 2023, the plant and the Korea Marine Equipment Association (KOMEA) signed an agreement for design, joint construction and supply of components for multi-purpose vessels with a displacement of 6,100 tonnes. These vessels are used to transport bulk cargo and containers and are good fit for the waters of the Caspian Sea.
This year, the company has begun building a dredging vessel under the supervision of engineers from the Dutch company. Before the work started, the specialists of the plant visited the Netherlands to learn about the technical characteristics, operating features and application of this type of technical fleet vessels. The Turkmen specialists held talks with the foreign company on the launch of joint construction of dredging vessels in Turkmenistan. These vessels are used to dredge, build and repair port facilities and extract sand and gravel.
Students from the Department of Water Transport Operation of the Institute of Engineering and Transport Communications of Turkmenistan, located in Turkmenbashi, undergo internships and gain working experience in the repair and treatment departments of the plant. Young specialists join the ranks of workers of the plant and make a worthy contribution to the development of the industry.
