Selah Shipyard is Steering its Capabilities Toward the Defence Industry
Mr. Erkan Selah, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Selah Shipyard enlightened us about the structure and activity fields of Selah Shipyard, contract negotiations with Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) and model of Logistic Support Ship program and investments in military vessel manufacturing for Defence Turkey readers.
Defence Turkey: Dear Mr. Erkan Selah, first of all I would like to thank you for this interview. Could you please inform us briefly on the background, structure and the activity fields of your shipyard?
Selah Shipbuilding Industry Inc. was established as a private sector shipyard in Tuzla / Istanbul in 1982. Our management team, engineers and workers put Selah to a leading position and customer focused company in ship building and ship repair in Turkey. We can deliver modern tankers, multipurpose dry cargo and container vessels, cement carriers, off shore supply vessels (OSP), fishing vessels, special purpose military and commercial vessels, barges and pontoons up to 30.000 DWT in compliance with specifications of customers and rules of international class societies of highest standards in shortest delivery time and at competitive prices.
Selah Shipyard covers 45.000 sqm area and has two slipways, three fully equipped quays for ship repairs and outfitting, (CAD/CAM) systems, gantry cranes with 200 tons lifting capacity, modern machinery and various work shops.
Our integrated management system (IMS) comprised of applications of ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System, ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management System and OHSAS 18001:2007 Occupational Health and Safety Management System enables us to fulfill the requirements of our customers. Our well known reputation bases on quality and reliability of our performance. We deliver vessels not only for domestic market but also for export. We are the first and most experienced shipyard in the area and have succesfully conducted export transactions for years.
Now Selah doubled its capacity to serve the sector with new shipyard in Gölcük in the name of “Selah Gulf”.
Defence Turkey: Where do you position yourself as Selah Shipyard in the world shipbuilding industry?
As a shipbuilding nation, Turkey has experienced some tremendous ups and downs in the past decade. During the great times between 2005 and 2008, Turkey’s shipbuilding sector expanded by 360 percent. Those days, shipyards in Turkey were building chemical tankers, cargo carriers.
Selah delivered a lot of turn key Projects; chemical tankers, asphalt carriers, cement carriers until late 2008.Then, under the effects of the global financial crisis, between 2008 and 2011, the number of operating Turkish yards decreased by 60 percent. The crisis affected the market of product tankers and cargo carriers in Turkey. Although, the financial crisis, we have turned our face to the new market, Offshore.And decided to serve in offshore market to build high technologic turnkey offshore vessels with its years of experienced.
In general, there are too many difficulties in building such vessels. The shipyard should be experienced to schedule building plan, estimate delivery time and pricing. Selah succeeded to enter the market in compliance with specifications of customers and rules of international class societies of highest standards in shortest delivery time and at competitive prices.
Defence Turkey: You won the tender for the Logistic Support Vessel (LSV) planned to be supplied through the direct procurement/domestic development model within the needs of the Naval Forces Command as per Defence Industry Executive Committee’s resolution of May 2014. What is the progress of the contract negotiations following the six months period? Could you inform us on the current status?
Selah Shipyard participated in the tender for Logistic Support Ships for Turkish Navy in 2013. After being nominated as a Main Contractor , contract negotiations with SSM (Undersecretariat for Defence Industries) were started May 2014 and have planned to be completed by November 2014. No problem has been encountered so far.
After signing the contract hopefully in the second half of November 2014, steel cutting for the first ship is planned for the beginning of 2015.
Defence Turkey: What would you like to say about the project model planned to be implemented within the scope of LSV program? What are your assessments?
The procurement model applied to this project is being carried out first time comparing to the previous projects of SSM.
There are 4 different phases in this model throughout the entire procurement period after commencement of the project; which are, Design, Construction, Verification and Delivery Phases.
Both SSM and our expectations are that this model will speed up the building process providing that all design tools even detailed workshop drawings , nesting’s etc. to be approved by SSM at the Design Phase, and assured timely delivery to the Turkish Navy.
Our main goal is to fulfil all our responsibilities in a timely manner with a efficient planning and with the assistance of our sub suppliers in order to meet expectations driven from this new Project Model.
Defence Turkey: What kind of capabilities will Turkish Naval Forces Command gain with LSV (Logistic Support Vessel) to be supplied?
Logistic Support Ship Project has been commenced in order to support deployed combatants in all our operational regions such as Black Sea , Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean. The main mission of these ships is combat support in terms of logistic support and command and control support. In addition, Logistic Support Ships with their capabilities on board can also support Humanitarian Aid Operations and Peace Support Operations as well.
Endurance at sea for all types of combat units has been tremendously increased by the support of these ships.
Defence Turkey: We observe that as Selah Shipyard, you give priority to commercial vessels. Do you plan to invest in military vessel manufacturing more in the coming period?
Our main strategy is to proceed in parallel in both commercial and naval projects. We bought our new Shipyard ‘’Selah GULF’’ in Kocaeli Free Zone to double our building capacity in order to realize this strategy.
Selah Shipyard were one of three participants of ‘’New Underwater Offence Team Boats Project’’ recently.
Selah Shipyard have also responded to the RFI (Request for Information) for Fast Patrol Boats (FPB) with a creative Turkish Design and we are seriously working on this project together with national and international partners.
Besides FPB Project which was already announced by SSM, Selah Shipyard are also studying for other governmental projects such as Test/Trial Boats, Hospital Ship etc.
Defence Turkey: What will be your vision as Selah Shipyard in both military and commercial Vessel industry for the next decade?
Our specific targets that constitute medium term vision are; To continue successively building off-shore supply vessels as turn-key projects, to improve our building efforts with special purpose vessels such as dredgers, LNG carriers, multipurpose self-propelled barges etc., to participate efficiently to all Governmental/Naval Projects, to extend the building capacity of Selah Shipbuilding Industry Inc. according to our Strategically Development Plan.
Defence Turkey: What is your approach to various project models suggested by the customers at international markets?
Selah Shipyard has always worked as a customer focused company (Boutique Shipyard) which meets all requirements of the Customers.
Selah Shipyard will continue to work that way even in the Naval Projects as we have done since the establishment of this Shipyard.
Selah Shipyard is one of the pioneers in Turkish Shipbuilding society, building the most creative designs for the first time.
Defence Turkey: What would you like to express regarding the regions you actively operate abroad and about your export products?
Selah Shipyard are operating mostly with ship-owners from various countries of Europe such as, Italy, Germany; Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Greece, Spain, Malta, Denmark etc.
In fact, our first Naftocement Carrier which was built for a Greek Ship-owner in 2009 had been selected as ‘’Ship of the Year’’ in Greece in 2010.
Some examples of our main exporting ships are ; River tankers, Ferries and Container Ships for Germany; IMO-II Tankers for Spain, Sweden, Norway, Gibraltar and Malta; Cement Carriers for Greece, Oil Tankers for Russia, Off-Shore Supply Vessels, Anchor Handling Tugs and Multipurpose Barges for Italy.
Four of our Off-shore Supply Vessels are now operating in Caspian Sea for various Charterers, besides; one off-shore supply vessel is now being under operation at Northern Sea for Search and Rescue (SAR) missions under the Command of Dutch Coast Guard.
Defence Turkey: Would you like to add remarks to the readers of Defence Turkey?
Our main philosophy is ‘’Actions Speak Louder than Voice’’, and all our vessels under operation in all seas of the world without having any problem, are the living evidence of this philosophy.
As the Chairman of Selah Shipbuilding Industry Inc.; I present my warmest respects to all readers of Defence Turkey Magazine, besides, I send my best wishes to Defence Turkey readers for their valuable contributions to Turkish Defence Industry.
Defence Turkey
