Naval Icons of Vigo’s Engineering Prowess

Ghenova reaches thirty employees in Elduayen and «there’s still room for growth».

The construction of a ship involves an endless number of procedures, from the first Steel plate to the bottle breaking against the hull when the vessel is ready to sail. But every order necessarily begins with a blueprint -a conceptual or detailed sketch that illustrates the aspirations of its owner. In Vigo, Ghenova’s technical office has become a benchmark in this type of design, complemented by a comprehensive Engineering Service, «right up to production support», explains Rafael Calderón, director of the marine division and defence at the company.

Seville-based Ghenova was founded during a period of economic expansion in Spain, with a forward-looking vision, and has successfully positioned itself in the transformation of the naval sector, one of its key areas of expertise. This is reflected in the strengthening of its Vigo office and the recent relocation of its staff to Elduayen Street, overlooking the estuary, to accommodate the growth of «such a powerful team» operating from southern Galicia, as described by the head of the company. The team now consists of thirty engineers, in contrast to the seven members who originally launched the office a decade ago. «And there’s still room for growth», Calderón points out.

The workload at these facilities is multidisciplinary, as Ghenova provides services in the civil, cybersecurity and defence sectors. The group’s marine director highlights the “basic and detailed engineering” service they are delivering for six new offshore patrol vessels to Portugal. West Sea’s shipyard in Viana do Castelo will be responsible for constructing this order. Starting in 2027, the Portuguese military will commission vessels with a modular and adaptable design, capable of both patrol and combat operations.

Meanwhile, Ghenova has already been involved in the new generation of frigates for the Spanish Army, the F-110, and is now developing the basic design for the new maritime action ship for underwater intervention (Bam-Is). «It will be a breakthrough in submarine rescue», explains the group about a project designed to detect explosive devices and protect national underwater heritage. From Galicia, they will be responsible for key aspects such as the basic design for mechanical systems -including propulsion and auxiliary systems- as well as electrical and electronic combat systems.

The cruise ship sector is another area where Ghenova’s engineers Excel, having designed «some of the most iconic cruise ships in the international fleet», including vessels for Disney Cruise Line and the Icon of the Seas for Royal Caribbean International. They continue to strengthen their position in this field by providing design engineering for a new luxury exploration cruise ship being built by West Sea for Ryobi Holdings, a Japanese shipowner. They are also involved in multiple projects, leaving their mark on vessels under construction at Fincantieri shipyards, in Trieste.

At the same time, the southern Galicia office is expanding its capabilities in the development of projects for the growing wave energy industry. In offshore wind power, Calderón remarks, they provide engineering services for substations.

(Source: La Voz de Galicia)