Chairman and Managing Director of Milaha Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al Thani releases the ceremonial bottle to name one of the vessels yesterday.
Doha: The launch of the first three tug boats built at Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard in Qatar for Milaha and Qatar Petroleum’s Port of Mesaieed was celebrated yesterday with a naming ceremony at shipbuilder Nakilat-Damen Shipyards Qatar (NDSQ).
The three 18M-long tug boats are the first of a 19-vessel order that NDSQ is currently working on for Milaha and QP. The boats are the first commercial vessels to be built at Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard in Ras Laffan, which is managed and operated by Nakilat and its partners.
At a ceremony held yesterday at the shipyard on Ras Laffan’s Southern Breakwater where the tugs were built, the boats’ names – Alafja, Almelaihat and Umm Hawat – were unveiled.
Constructed entirely in Qatar, the three tugs are built in steel and took 12 months to complete. Equipped with Volvo D12 engines, the tugs have an approximate speed of 10 knots and a bollard pull of 10 tonnes. Before final handover to Milaha, the tugs will undergo a period of commissioning.
A further 16 vessels, including pilot boats, tenders and more tugs, are to be built in Qatar by NDSQ and delivered to Milaha and QP between now and Q3 2014. The order represents a significant expansion of Qatar’s coastal logistics and an impressive development for the country’s maritime industry as well as its manufacturing capacity, aiding advancement towards diversification of Qatar’s economy as outlined in the Qatar National Vision 2030.
The Peninsula
