Page 66: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (March 1998)

Astander: Boom Continues In '98 by David Tinsley

Astilleros de Santander (Astander) had to turn down work offers last year because of heavy patronage of its facilities. By land- ing a total of 60 repair contracts and one conversion project during 1997, the Spanish yard main- tained the record-breaking momentum of recent years, as manifested in both order intake and occupancy rates.

Occupancy of its 755 x 105.6 ft. (230 x 32.2-m) and 525 x 78 ft. (160 x 23.8-m) graving docks was logged at 100 percent for four months of the year, and is reported to have never dropped below 90 percent for the rest of the time. Out of consid- eration of contractual commit- ments to the two drydocks and alongside berths, and cautious to avoid jeopardizing performance and service on the work already booked, Astander said it had to decline 13 firm job proposals over the course of 1997. The Santander yard's strong ties with the

Norwegian shipowning community were reinforced, to the extent that

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Circle 320 on Reader Service Card 50 percent of its business last year emanated from that quarter. In addition, it consolidated its posi- tion in especially demanding areas such as the German and Dutch markets, and achieved break- throughs in Denmark, the U.K. and elsewhere. Part of the

Astilleros Espanoles (AESA) group, Astander has developed a particular standing in the tanker category, spanning the gamut of oil, refined products, chemical and

LPG carrier types. That area of specialization was accentuated last year through a contract flow which accounted for 70 percent of the yard's work overall. A high- light of the northern Spanish firm's activities was the transfor- mation of the 2,737-gt, former

Russian supply ship Neftegaz 7 into a research vessel, renamed

Geo fjord, for Norwegian owners.

Elements of the work included 33.5 ft. (10.2 m) lengthening, installation of a dynamic position- ing system including four new thrusters, construction of a new deckhouse, and provision of scien- tific research wherewithal. With the commissioning of a 200-ton crane at Drydock No. 2 and com- pletion of the enlargement and modernization of alongside berth facilities in February 1998, the investment program started last year has largely run its course.

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Repair Environment

Dry Air Technology's desiccant dehumidifiers help control the ship repair and conversion environment, and prove especially useful in coat- ing operations.

Dry Air Technology is a manufac- turer of desiccant dehumidifiers for effective humidity and environ- mental control. Moisture-laden air enters through the process inlet and moves through the desic- cant media. The desiccant media then absorbs the water vapor, and the dehumidified air is delivered through the process outlet directly into the controlled space or air stream.

Dry Air Technology's newest line of commercial dehumidifiers is the

DDH Series, which has a range from 1,100 to 54,000 cu. m. per hour. The units are suited for the repairs and refits, as they help to control corrosion and condensation in sandblasting, surface prepara- tion and coating operations.

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