Western Marine Shipyard
Western Marine Shipyard Limited is a publicly listed shipbuilding company standing with over 42 acres of land beside the Karnaphuli River in Chattogram, Bangladesh.[1][2] The shipyard has constructed various types of vessels, including ocean-going multi-purpose cargo vessels, passenger vessels & boats, oil tankers, ro-ro ferries, pontoons, barges, fishing trawlers, dredgers, tug boats, container vessels, etc.[3] It owns an 89 percent share of Bangladesh's shipbuilding market.[4] The company is listed on Dhaka[5] and Chittagong Stock Exchange.[6]
 | |
| Type | Public Limited Company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipbuilding |
| Founded | July 11, 2000 |
| Headquarters | 1440/A Strand Road, Chattogram-4100, Bangladesh., Chattogram , Bangladesh |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Md. Saiful Islam (Chairman) Capt. Sohail Hasan (Managing Director) |
| Products |
|
| Services | Shipbuilding and repair. |
| Revenue |  $ 40 million (2018) $ 27 million (2019) |
| $ 11 million (2019) | |
| $ 10 million (2019) | |
| Total assets | $ 264 million (2019) |
Number of employees | 3500 |
| Website | wms |
History
The parent company, Western Marine Services, was formed by a group of marine professionals specialized in ship repairs and the export of marine supplies.[7]
Gradually the company grew. In the year 2000 they had over 1.5 acres of land for building inland vessels, and more than five hundred employees.[7] The yard also has signed a MoU with the Chittagong Dry Dock in order to aid the CDD with developing heavy steel engineering capabilities and provide them necessary technical support.[8]
Western Marine is constructing 20 class certified cargo vessels for local company Evergreen Shipping Line. [9]
In 2019, Captain Sohail Hasan took over as Managing Director (MD) of the company.[10][11]
Shipyard facilities
The shipyard utilizes workshops, logistical resources, and equipment to build ships. The yard stands over 42 acres of land and employs a workforce of over 3500 altogether.[12]
The following are some of the shipyard's facilities:[12]
- Bonded warehouse
- Blasting shop
- Computer Numerical Control(CNC) shop
- Mechanical and Carpentry shop
- Fabrication yard and shed
- Gantry crane
- Healthcare facilities
Health and safety
In conjunction with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Western Marine set itself to analyze the risks and hazards their workers faced.[13] Through this, strict reporting procedures were established, and training was provided for managers and workers; including annual firefighting training.[3] Western Marine has seen a 99% reduction in accidents for the addition of new services and procedures.[14]
The shipyard contains a PHCC (Primary Health Care Center), which was created in coordination with the GIZ and the Bangladesh Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. In this free-of-charge facility, shipyard workers are given tests for their hearing, lungs, and total physical checkups. This facility was available for use, and workers received aid and treatment. The government Health Ministry provided a nurse in addition to the doctor and paramedics that are provided by the shipyard. This facility is also accessible to the local community, where more than 30,000 people, including many of the workers and their families, live.[14]
Awards and certifications
Western Marine Shipyard has received a few awards, including the National Maritime Award in 2007,[15] the National Export Trophy in Gold category for the contribution of the fiscal year of 2011,[16] the President's Award for Industrial Development in the Hi-Tech industries category at 2016[17] and the 8th HSBC Export Excellence Awards at 2018.[18]
Projects
Western Marine Shipyard exported 31 ships to various countries of the world (Finland, Germany, Pakistan, Denmark, Tanzania, Uganda, Ecuador, New Zealand, Gambia, Kenya, India, UAE, etc.)[16] and brought around US$151 Million of remittance.[4] The yard has built more than 60 ships which includes ocean going multi purpose cargo vessels, passenger vessels & boats, oil tankers, ro-ro ferries, pontoons, barges, fishing trawlers, dredgers, tug boats, container vessels, and more, with further plans to export more than $250 million worth of ships.[19] Western Marine operates in conjunction with classification societies through the entire building and testing process of new vessels. The yard has worked with Bureau Veritas, DNV-GL, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK),[3] and Lloyd's Register[20] to insure class built ships for their buyers.
Bay Cleaner - 2Built for Chittagong Port Authority, Bangladesh:[21]
|
FT Agro Food Fleet of 3Built for Sea Resources Ltd.:[22]
|
Grona Shipping Ice Class Fleet of 8Built for Grona Shipping GmbH, Germany:[23]
|
MV MatalikiBuilt for Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade, New Zealand:[24]
|
ISEFJORDBuilt for Hundested-Rorvig Faergefart A/S, Denmark:[25]
|
Isla BartoloméBuilt for Transnave, an Ecuadorian Navy Company:[26]
The ship was inaugurated by President Rafael Correa while it was added to the Ecuadorian Navy Fleet on 9 September 2015.[27] |
OPV DoriaBuilt for JGH Marine A/S, Denmark; operated by Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock & Fisheries, Kenya:[28]
This vessel also received the 'Best Large Patrol Boat Builder' award in 2017 by Baird Maritime, a highly reputed maritime publication platform that records deliveries of high-end patrol boats throughout the globe.[4] |
Jindal Steel Works (JSW) Fleet of 4Built for Jindal Steel Works (JSW), India:[29]
|
Western CruiseBuilt for Chittagong Boat Club, Bangladesh:[30]
|
Nurjahan Group Fleet of 4Built for Nurjahan group, Bangladesh:[31]
|
MV DAR ES SALAAMBuilt for JGH Marine; operated by the Tanzanian Transport Ministry:[32]
|
Financial Issues
In 2017, the Finance Minister of Bangladesh, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, identified WMS as one of the top twenty loan defaulters in the country. However, the shipyard has rescheduled its defaulted loans with two banks and has started to repay instalments regularly.[33]
In 2021, Bank Asia initiated legal proceedings against Western Marine Shipyard Limited in an effort to recoup a classified loan totalling Tk505.90 crore. [34][35]
See also
References
- "Display Company Information". www.dsebd.org. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
- "Western Marine hands over $18m vessel built for Kenya". The Daily Star. 2017-08-14. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
- Ahmed, Muzaffar (Summer 2018). "Credit Rating Report on Western Marine Shipyard Limited" (PDF). Security and Exchange Commission Bangladesh: 142–153.
- "Western Marine wins int'l award". The Financial Express. Dhaka. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- https://www.dsebd.org/displayCompany.php?name=WMSHIPYARD
- https://www.cse.com.bd/company/companydetails/WMSHIPYARD
- www.trusteddocks.com. "Shipyard - WESTERN MARINE SHIPYARD LIMITED, Chittagong". www.trusteddocks.com. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
- "Western Marine, Ctg. Drydock Reach Deal". Daily Sun. 2018-01-10. Retrieved 2018-07-25.
- "S Alam Group to buy 20 ships at Tk 250cr". The Daily Star. 2017-04-24. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
- "Sohail Hasan WMS new MD - Business - observerbd.com". The Daily Observer. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
- "Captain Sohail made MD of WMShL". Daily Sun. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
- Zahan, Tasnima (Fall 2016). Exposition of Aspiration: Shipbuilding Journey Through Design (Bachelor of Architecture). BRAC University. pp. 58–66. hdl:10361/7905.
- Evans, Ruth (2014-01-02). "Bangladesh shipbuilder sets benchmark in health and safety standards". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-06-26.
- "Western Marine shows path to worker safety". The Daily Star. 2014-05-28. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- "Western Marine Shipyard gets nat'l maritime award". The Daily Star. 2007-11-10. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- Khan, Ahammad Parvej (2018-01-26). "Ship Export To Fetch Billions". The Bangladesh Post. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- "12 firms get President's Award". The Daily Star. 2016-03-31. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- "HSBC felicitates top exporters". The Daily Star. 2018-09-23. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
- "Western Marine to export $250m worth of vessels in 5yrs". The Daily Star. 2018-01-21. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
- "Western Marine to Build SOLAS Passanger [sic] Ship (Bangladesh)". World Maritime News. Retrieved 2018-07-25.
- "Local-made ship to prevent oil spillage in sea". The Daily Star. 2010-02-11. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
- "World Fishing & Aquaculture | Bangladesh's largest trawler completes sea trial". www.worldfishing.net. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
- "Bangladesh: Western Marine Shipyard Set to Deliver Two Ships to Grona Shipping". World Maritime News. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
- "State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam poses with the Ionatana Galway O'Brien, Transport Minister of a New Zealand Territory, Tokelau and his team for pre-launching ceremony of MV Mataliki, an int'l SOLAS passenger ship made by Western Marine Shipyard in Chittagong on Thursday". The New Nation. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
- "Bangladesh Shipyard Delivers Ferry 'Isefjord'". Maritime Logistics Professional. 2013-02-19. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
- "BD exports WMS-built ship to Ecuador". The Daily Observer. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
- "Western Marine exports ship to Ecuador". The Daily Star. 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
- Martin, Guy (17 August 2017). "Kenyan offshore patrol vessel handed over | defenceWeb". www.defenceweb.co.za. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
- "Western Marine builds two ships for Indian firm". The Daily Star. 2017-10-25. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
- "Western Marine hands passenger ship to Ctg Boat Club". The Daily Star. 2012-01-30. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
- "Bangladesh: Western Marine Starts Construction of Tankers for Nurjahan Group". World Maritime News. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
- "Tanzania Transport Ministry to receive new passenger vessel - Ship Technology". Ship Technology. 2014-11-04. Retrieved 2018-07-25.
- "Western Marine to spend Tk 500cr on expansion". The Daily Star. 2017-11-13. Retrieved 2018-07-04.
- "Journey of a shipbuilder: From exporter to loss-making venture". The Business Standard. 2021-08-23. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
- "Western Marine Shipyard goods seized". The Business Standard. 2022-06-12. Retrieved 2023-07-31.