Back in 2012, Özata shipyard in Instanbul won the €117 million (US$137 million) contract for 15 Izmir Metropolitan Municipality passenger ferries, consisting of 13 short distance and 2 long distance vessels. “This project perfectly matched our innovative and reformist vision,” explains Hulusi Ataseven, a member of the yard’s board.
But the joy was shortlived and it soon became clear that the yard had a challenge on its hands. “During the bidding and tendering stage, we found that our substructure and equipment was not sufficient for effective carbon composite shipbuilding,” Ataseven says. “We had no history of building carbon composite vessels and didn’t know where to start. We evaluated our competitors and found that most had formed partnerships with industry experts. Unfortunately, due to the tight schedule of the project, we were unable to find a partner to cooperate with us.”
Determined not to give up, Ataseven and his team made the decision to invest significant sums of money in the yard – and thankfully it paid off. “We decided that carbon composite was likely to be a key material for shipbuilding in the future,” he explains. “Therefore, we focused on our deficiencies and, during the design phase of the project for Izmir, we managed to equip our yard so that it was capable and suitable for carbon composite shipbuilding.”
This involved building one fabrication workshop and three prefabrication workshops. “We also searched the market and recruited an expert team of qualified engineers and technicians,” explains Ataseven. “We hired a team of experienced engineers to train our existing staff. This training period took a year. As a result, against all odds, we managed to deliver our first ferry on time.”
Indeed, Özata delivered its first ferry to Izmir in January 2014, delivering another new one every three months after that. “Our last ferry is about to be delivered,” Ataseven says.
In the record time it has taken Özata to complete this project, the yard has gone from strength to strength, growing to be one of the biggest yards in the world to use vacuum-infused carbon composite. “We have broken new ground with the Izmir project,” Ataseven says. “The hull building period was shortened to just two and half months – that’s for a 39-metre catamaran fast ferry. Speed is undeniably one of our biggest competitive differentiators.”
While speed is key, Ataseven says there is no compromise on quality. “We provide a two-year equipment warranty and a five-year warranty on the hull,” he explains. “The entire crew has undergone operational and technical training. We also deliver maintenance plans for the future.”
The finished ferries are quite extraordinary. The first group of short distance ferries are capable of serving 420 passengers plus six handicapped passengers with a service speed of 18 knots. The second group of ferries serve up to 420 passengers with a service speed of 30 knots. “In both types of vessels, the comfort of passengers is a priority,” Ataseven says. “The ferries are built with an onboard service kiosk and accessible toilets, while the seats have an 800mm leg gap for passenger comfort. Twin bow thrusters among the twin engines maximise the manoeuvrability and enable smooth boarding. The passenger areas are all under surveillance with a total of 12 CCTV cameras on each vessel. All controls and alarm systems are accessible via the bridge by the captain or a dedicated crew member.”
Now that the Izmir project is complete, Ataseven is excited about the company’s next challenge. “We are currently building two car/passenger ferries which are to be delivered to Kenya Ferry Service,” he says. “The ferries are 87 metres in length and 18 metres in breadth and can carry 60 cars and 1,364 passengers. It’s a busy time for us, and we look forward to what lies ahead.”