Smaller vessels star at Middle Eastern repairer

Nico has been carrying out a programme of expansion from its Dubai base, having set up a multipurpose workshop inside Dubai Maritime City. The workspace allows for all marine repair and maintenance activities including the dry-docking of vessels up to 100m in length and an 8m maximum draught. Other facilities include a 2,000t/75m capacity floating dock in Abu Dhabi and a workshop and boat repair facility at Fujairah.

It is in dockings of smaller vessels that Nico has noticed an upward trend, Key clients like Boskalis Westminister, AM shipyards, Gulf Marine Services, and E Ships carried out regular dry docking jobs in 2011. Other jobs carried out during 2011 involved the extension of accommodation and related outfitting work including blasting/painting of all exterior and interior surfaces.

Another area of growth for the company comes in underwater repairs. As well as routine hull cleaning and underwater survey, the yard has been involved in large repairs to offshore platforms and salvage/recovery operations, on military hardware and lost chains and anchors, the latter in water depths of 90m – 135m.

The company’s boiler division won a contract for superheater re-tubing for three MISC Seri class vessels. Another important job involved 90tons of steel on hull and internals, blasting and painting of four fresh water tanks, two void spaces and eight ballast tanks.

Other notable recent jobs done include piping, fabrication works, unit overhauling, main deck non slip renewal, main deck painting, PTO overhaul, supply of tube parts and filter elements, gyro system preventive maintenance, refrigeration and air conditioning systems, steam pipe replacements, condensate piping, pipe material and galvanizing, inspection of FIFI systems, liferafts, lifeboats, SCBA equipment, supply of galley equipment, HFO systems renewal, circuit breaker inspection and servicing, hydraulic steering and ram renewals, slop tank repairs, cargo pump overhaul, various steel and accommodation repairs, and various cleaning jobs onboard for notable companies including FISC, Bernard Schulte Ship Management, A&P Falmouth, 3 PSC, Maersk, and US Naval Services Vessels.

The last quarter of 2011 saw a noticeable increase in service of Napier turbochargers; scope of which included complete turbocharger overhaul, and supply of spares. Nico is the authorised Napier service centre for the Middle East. Several other jobs for MAN and MET turbochargers have been carried out.

During the last year Nico has entered into strategic partnerships and made the following additions to core services:

• Added propeller repair capacity in the Dubai workshop
• Took over the sales and service agency of Masson marine gearboxes (both reversing & non reversing) and CP/FP propellers for the Middle East region
• Signed a service agreement with Siemens for its range of geared and electric motors for the Middle East region.
• Appointed as sales and service agents of Centa couplings for Middle East and Africa.