Goltens gears up in Europe
Goltens, the independent specialist ship repair service provider, is looking to Europe to grow its volume, profitability and strengthen its brand. Since 2000, Goltens has expanded its global ship repair footprint through major investments in 13 new repair stations, 11 of which are outside Europe.
The company’s focus in 2010 and 2011 is to extend and broaden capabilities and specialist competence in the in-situ machining and diesel specialist service sectors, as well as to further grow the business with existing customers and to establish new agent partnerships and win worldwide fleet service agreements for international customers.
Goltens’ European activities are driven from repair stations in the Netherlands and Norway as well as sales and marketing offices in Greece and the UK. Additionally, Goltens has agents in Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Italy, Portugal and Russia.
Goltens claims that its major investment in the new, integrated 6,500m² Rotterdam workshop facility makes it the most modern diesel repair workshop in continental Europe.
According to Kjetil Leine, vice president of operations Europe and business development director for Goltens Worldwide, international shipowners seeking to comply with new EU Directives often look to European-based companies to find the right ship repair and service solutions. Recently, Vancouver-based Teekay Shipping looked to Goltens Europe to help solve fuel requirements on ships berthing at EU ports. The job involved LSDO (low sulphur diesel oil) conversion of four of their Spanish class LNG vessels and one LPG carrier.
In order to maintain the MGO/MDO viscosity of 2 cSt recommended by the engine maker, Teekay decided to install coolers in the auxiliary engine fuel oil supply lines with the capacity to cool the fuel sufficiently. Following discussions with Teekay regarding specifications, Goltens Rotterdam undertook onboard surveys of the five vessels to ascertain pipe runs, determine pipe dimensions and select the location of ancillary pumps and valves. After Teekay approved the schematic sketches, Goltens Rotterdam dispatched a team to each vessel to undertake the complete installation of the owner-supplied equipment in a timeframe that met pressing requirements.
Other opportunities include the upcoming global fleet demand for the installation of ballast water treatment (BWT) systems. The new IMO regulation, the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ship’s Ballast Water and Sediments, mandates all ships carrying ballast water must install a BWT system by 2016.
According to Leine, the market for BWT system represents a $30 billion business from 2010 to 2020. For the past two years Goltens has been building its in-house BWT system competence and says it is now in a position to tackle the most demanding BWT system configuration and installation.
