Freire Shipyard finalizes contracts with Arabian, African and Venezuelan countries
The hundred year old shipyard from Vigo Paulino Freire has opened its frontiers to open an order book that allows them to dodge the sector crisis. During last months managers of the shipyard have been maintaining negotiations with some governments and ship owners from Arab countries, Occidental Africa, and Venezuela. Its offer is focused mainly on oil and oceanographic ships. The shipyard president, Mr. Jesús Freire, emphasize that the business card to come into the Arab countries have been the "Sarmiento de Gamboa", an oceanographic built for the Scientific Investigation High Centre (CSIC). That moment on, Qatar University was interested in an oceanographic of 39 meters long and equipped with an underwater robot and which now is in the cut of keel step.
Between maritime investigation ships, Ferire is building another vessel for a multimillionaire from Luxembourg that will be delivered on the present year. Confidentiality clauses of the contract NB-700 stop to provide the characteristics and pictures of the ship that have been building in a covered plant and hidden behind big plastic panels. This unit will incorporate a submarine to explore the bottom of the sea and additional laboratories.
"In Spain is not usual that an oceanographic ship is property of a private individual or a company. In United States and in some European countries is a quite common experience the construction of ships form a company investigation" said Mr. Jesús Freire.
The shipyard is also building a support ship to oil rigs (NB-701), that will be delivered on March this year; and the twins (NB-702 and 703), that will be delivered at the end of 2010 and during 2011.
The last construction that came into effect by the moment is the oceanographic for Qatar that will be delivered within 18 months, in the middle 2012.
"Our future goes trough specific actions in Arab countries and we have also been negotiating with Venezuela and with several African countries to build oceanographic and off-shore ships. Where we do not participate is in the construction of cargo ships because we can not compete in prices and there is no demand" explained Mr. Jesús Freire.
Freire trust a prompt recovery for the naval in Vigo because of the strong rise of oil price during last year. "This will benefit the Ría from Vigo that have specialized in off-shore ships".
Russian ship owners are interested in oil ships
Russian ship owners have contact last months with the shipyard from Vigo to ask after oil ships it builds. Russian businessmen pretention is that ship, apart from serve for oil prospecting; it has deck as luxury yachts.
"They expect vessel not only will be used for oil activities, but also they want to use it as their residence on the high seas. They ask us, if we can build for them this kind of ship, and of course we said yes. Now we are looking forward hearing from them", said Mr. Freire.
The president of the shipyard from Vigo considers Russia as a "very interesting" costumer with a lot of capacity to do orders to the Galician naval sector. Mr. Freire considers that although current decrease of prices would surmount "it will never be as the one of 2007", when the record of hiring has been registered.
Flavio Briatore
The Businessman and ex sport manager of the Formula 1 team Renault, Mr. Flavio Briatore, was in Vigo one year ago to know the shipyard where he asked for the luxury yachts range.
Mr. Jesús Freire admits that after that visit he never knew something more about the Italian businessman.
"He was trying to sale his current yacht and build another one with more than 70 meters long" remember Mr. Freire.
Economic crisis wrecked a lot of projects of luxury ships, which ship owners prefer to wait for better times.
(FUENTE: Faro de Vigo)
Between maritime investigation ships, Ferire is building another vessel for a multimillionaire from Luxembourg that will be delivered on the present year. Confidentiality clauses of the contract NB-700 stop to provide the characteristics and pictures of the ship that have been building in a covered plant and hidden behind big plastic panels. This unit will incorporate a submarine to explore the bottom of the sea and additional laboratories.
"In Spain is not usual that an oceanographic ship is property of a private individual or a company. In United States and in some European countries is a quite common experience the construction of ships form a company investigation" said Mr. Jesús Freire.
The shipyard is also building a support ship to oil rigs (NB-701), that will be delivered on March this year; and the twins (NB-702 and 703), that will be delivered at the end of 2010 and during 2011.
The last construction that came into effect by the moment is the oceanographic for Qatar that will be delivered within 18 months, in the middle 2012.
"Our future goes trough specific actions in Arab countries and we have also been negotiating with Venezuela and with several African countries to build oceanographic and off-shore ships. Where we do not participate is in the construction of cargo ships because we can not compete in prices and there is no demand" explained Mr. Jesús Freire.
Freire trust a prompt recovery for the naval in Vigo because of the strong rise of oil price during last year. "This will benefit the Ría from Vigo that have specialized in off-shore ships".
Russian ship owners are interested in oil ships
Russian ship owners have contact last months with the shipyard from Vigo to ask after oil ships it builds. Russian businessmen pretention is that ship, apart from serve for oil prospecting; it has deck as luxury yachts.
"They expect vessel not only will be used for oil activities, but also they want to use it as their residence on the high seas. They ask us, if we can build for them this kind of ship, and of course we said yes. Now we are looking forward hearing from them", said Mr. Freire.
The president of the shipyard from Vigo considers Russia as a "very interesting" costumer with a lot of capacity to do orders to the Galician naval sector. Mr. Freire considers that although current decrease of prices would surmount "it will never be as the one of 2007", when the record of hiring has been registered.
Flavio Briatore
The Businessman and ex sport manager of the Formula 1 team Renault, Mr. Flavio Briatore, was in Vigo one year ago to know the shipyard where he asked for the luxury yachts range.
Mr. Jesús Freire admits that after that visit he never knew something more about the Italian businessman.
"He was trying to sale his current yacht and build another one with more than 70 meters long" remember Mr. Freire.
Economic crisis wrecked a lot of projects of luxury ships, which ship owners prefer to wait for better times.
(FUENTE: Faro de Vigo)