Page 40: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 2021)

SHIPBUILDING THE SHIPYARDS

Luis E. Contreras, President,

Ciramar (left) said the company aims to invest $50m in the shipyard to increase capacity and ef? ciencies.

Dominicana Caribbean

Shipyards Opens

Photo courtesy Ciramar ast month Ciramar Shipyards signed a strategic al- year across a wide range of vessels, from tankers and barges, liance with Fassmer Technical Projects to build and to bulk carriers, container ships and tugboats. Of entimes it repair ships in the Dominican Republic under the found itself with vessels waiting in line to get serviced.

Dominicana Caribbean Shipyards name. Via the collaboration with Fassmer, Luis E. Contreras, Pres-

L “T ere’s been a need for a long time for a new shipyard to ident, Ciramar, said the idea is to provide faster turn-around rise within the Caribbean region and the Americas in gen- on service, ef ectively expanding capacity to accommodate eral, to be able to professionally service various ship types that more, and larger ships each month. Contreras has high hopes transit the area,” said Craig R. Gundry, GM, Fassmer Techni- for the collaboration with Fassmer, as currently Ciramar has cal Projects. “Luis and I came together a number of years ago three f oating dry docks and 120,000 square meters of land, and started a relationship working with each other in dif erent with a planned investment of $50 million to expand the facil- ways. We were doing retrof ts in various industries, including ity. “T at means adding another dry dock and also bringing the cruise and oil and gas. As (we were) structured, we could a synchronized platform to move ships around the shipyard.” already service a good amount of vessel types. But with (this) Ciramar is a nearly 40-year-old company founded in 1984 upgrade where we’re going to be able to do retrof ts, conver- by Contreras’ father, also named Luis, who graduated from sions and major repairs on post-Panamax vessels.” the United States Merchant Marine Academy, with an ad-

T rough the agreement, Ciramar will expand its portfolio vanced degree in naval architecture from the University of of solutions providing attention and service to a potential Michigan, making him the f rst naval architect in the Domini- market of more than 7,000 ships that traverse the region an- can Republic.

nually, enabling it also to tap opportunities in the growing While the deal to expand will impact the shipping commu-

U.S. of shore wind power industry. nity with more options, Contreras sees a big impact for the

Ciramar traditionally services about 65 dry dockings per local economy too, as the shipyard currently has about 400 40 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • August 2021

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