Managing Director of SADRA Ship Manufacturing Yard, Engineer Salman Zarbi, informed the press here Friday of launching of largest Iranian made oil tanker on July 23rd, IRNA reported.
According to an IRNA Economic Desk reporter, Zarbi who was speaking with a group of visiting media reporters at the manufacturing workshop of the gigantic tanker announced the news, adding, "In the year 2007 Venezuela registered an order for manufacturing four 94,000 metric ton Aframax oil tankers to Iran. The tanker's design was changed in a number of cases during the designing process, and finally in the winter of the year 2009 it was agreed that 113,000 ton Aframax oil tankers would be manufactured."
He added, "In the spring season of 2010 the manufacturing of the first ship began and that is the one which is now ready to be launched into the waters of the Persian Gulf, and after three months of various technical tests in the sea, it would be delivered to the client in late November, 2012."
Zarbi further elaborated, "Manufacturing of four Aframax oil tankers is scheduled to take 40 months according to the signed contract, and we hope to be able to deliver them at the appointed time."
The managing director of SADRA Ship Manufacturing Factory added, "These oil tankers are 250 meters long, 44 meters wide, and 21 meters high, 14.8 meters of which would emerge in the water, and they are capable of carrying 113 metric tons of crude oil."
He meanwhile referred to the process of manufacturing the 2nd oil tanker, which has progressed 28%, adding, "The entire facilities and the engine of the second tanker ordered by Venezuela are now completed and as soon as lunching the first ship, the second one would be transferred to the dry manufacturing workshop pool for full assembly."
** 10 to 15% benefit for manufacturing each ship
Managing Director of SADRA Ship Manufacturing Yard said that producing each ship of this size costs around 57 million Euros, adding, "Manufacturing ships of this size is taking place for the first time both in Iran and in the Middle East and although predicting the costs for the first of a kind of any product of this size is a tough job, we hope to gain between 10 to 15% benefit in this job."
Zarbi emphasized, "The Venezuelan side has paid 20% of the cost of manufacturing the ship, which is 42 million Euros in the year 2008."
He also referred to the employment potential of the ship manufacturing industry in the country, reiterating, "Presently 1,006 people are working at this ship manufacturing yard, 79 of who are ship engineers of SADRA Factory."
**Manufacturing the largest Middle East crane in Bushehr
Managing Director of SADRA Ship Manufacturing Yard also referred to the completion of the largest crane in Middle East in Bushehr.
He said, "The manufacturing of this crane was one of the serious technical challenges for this company, which was accomplished resorting to the required technical measures, entirely aboriginal."
Engineer Zarbi added, "This one thousand ton crane's height from to ground is 118 meters and its price is estimated to be 25 million Euros. Its mouth opens 153 meters and it is capable of lifting weighs as heavy has 3,800 tons."
He added, "By manufacturing this gigantic crane the speed of manufacturing and completing our ship project accelerated 50%."
SADRA also known as 'Iran Marine Industrial Company' was founded in 1968 as a small ship repair yard in Bushehr. Since then, SADRA has established itself as the leading Shipbuilding and Ship repairing Company in Iran. SADRA is also active in offshore oil and gas development.
SADRA specializes in building ships, docks and floating oil rigs. Sadra Group is a sister company of Iran's state-owned Iran Shipbuilding and Offshore Industries Complex Co. (ISOICO). As of April 2009, the IRGC-controlled construction conglomerate, Khatam al-Anbia owns a controlling stake in SADRA.
In 2005, SADRA won a 100 million euro contract to build four cargo ships for German company Rickmers.
In 2006 SADRA group won a $2.4 billion dollar contract to build 10 LNG carriers for the Belgian shipping group EXMAR.
In 2009 SADRA began manufacturing four 113,000-metric-ton Aframax oil tankers for Venezuela.
In 2009 SADRA launched a domestically-built semi-floatable drilling rig for use in the Caspian Sea. The semi-submersible rig called 'Iran-Alborz' is the largest in the Middle East.
The semi-floatable platform is able to operate at water depths up to 1,030 meters and can drill down to 6,000 meters under the seabed. Iran-Alborz is operated by Iran North Drilling Co.
Since 2010, SADRA has been involved in the development of South Pars phases 13 & 14.