The Pashaliman Shipyard in Vlorë, Albania has finalised and delivered the Damen Stan Patrol Vessel 4207 Oriku to the Albanian Coast Guard. It is the second vessel of a series of four.
The third Stan Patrol Vessel (SPa), called Lisus, is presently under construction. The vessels were ordered by the Albanian Ministry of Defence. Their main purpose is to execute patrol duties and Search and Rescue missions in the territorial waters. The project included extensive knowledge transfer and the reconstruction of a naval shipyard. The first ship, the Illyria, was built in the Netherlands and delivered to the Albanian Coast Guard in August 2008.
Vlorë Naval Base Reconstructed
The project included the thorough reconstruction of the Vlorë Naval Shipyard and the building of a new assembly hall, in which vessels up to 60 m can be constructed. Both projects were handled by Damen Services. The whole operation has been carried out under the late ORET program of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Its objective was to support sustainable investment in infrastructural projects in developing countries.
Building Locally
Under the Damen Technical Cooperation (DTC) concept the complete, prefabricated material packages for the construction hall and the patrol vessel were sent to Albania. The standardised material packages can be used to build a Damen-designed vessel according to the builder’s own wishes and requirements and at a shipyard of the customer’s choice. Often, these building “kits” include instruction and supervision from Damen teams during assembly, as was the case with this project.
Knowledge Transfer
During the first year there was a permanent Damen team in Vlorë of eight people to train and assist their Albanian counterparts in the building process. The transfer of their working skills to the local workers was one of the key parts of the project. In order to enhance their skills several Albanian teams visited Damen’s HQ in Gorinchem (the Netherlands) to receive intensive training and instruction. On return, they trained their colleagues. The result of this knowledge transfer is that all one hundred people currently working at the Vlorë shipyard are now qualified and, where applicable, certified. They have mastered a wide range of specialisations in construction techniques, be it in steel, aluminium or electrics.
