Sweden: From second to (almost) none

	Götaverken Cityvarvet in Göteborg docked 80 vessels in 2003.

Thirty years ago, Sweden was the second-largest shipbuilding nation in the world. In 2003, the output was limited to a naval surface vessel, two trawlers and a handful of working and patrol boats. The ship repair sector is, however, “alive and kicking”.

The world order book has grown to record figures, and by the end of 2003 it stood at 2,200 vessels of over 170 million tons. If the Swedish shipyard industry had maintained its market share from the booming shipbuilding years of the early 1970s, about 130 vessels of 15.5 million tons would have been placed in the Swedish order book. At that time, the Swedish shipbuilding industry was the second largest in the world. Today, it has all but vanished.

Last year, Kockums launched a corvette and a rebuilt submarine, while Tjörnvarvet delivered two stern trawlers. In addition, Dockstavarvet delivered eight combat boats to the Swedish Armed Forces.

Stealth corvette launched
Last summer, the second in a series of coastal corvettes for the Swedish navy was launched at the Kockums Karlskrona shipyard. The 73-metre, carbon fibre-built, “HMS Helsingborg” will be followed by three sister vessels built to the unique stealth design, which has attracted a great deal of international interest.

Together with its owner company German HDW partners in the Northrop Grumman-led team, Kockums is competing for a part of the major US Coast Guard ship renewal. Kockums has also launched the rebuilt submarine “HMS Södermanland” which has been lengthened by 12 metres and equipped with Sterling propulsion, making it possible for the sub to stay below surface for weeks.

The company has also delivered two conventional Swedish navy coastal corvettes after major upgradings. The submarine project “Riken”, comprising four modernised submarines for the Singapore Navy, was completed last year.
Kockums reported a SEK 29.1 million profit on a SEK 1,573 million turnover in 2003. The company employs about 1,200 people, but 210 have been given notice to quit.

Kockums has also presented a new maintenance and service concept called Through Life Support to the Swedish Navy.

The aim is to sign an agreement with the Navy, whereby the company would take responsibility for the vessels throughout their entire lifetime starting at the design phase – and this would include maintenance, documentation, upgradings and modernisations.

Tjörnvarvet in Rönnäng on the West Coast island of Tjörn was fully booked last year. Two 37,9 metre stern trawlers, the Sarah David and the Ronan Ross, were delivered to Irish owners in Castletownbere and the passenger vessel “Prins Carl Philip” was renovated.

According to the company, investments in the Swedish fishing sector have halted completely thanks to the current Swedish fishing policy.

Last year, Dockstavarvet delivered eight combat boats of the 90H type. This concluded deliveries of a series of 147 boats to the Swedish armed forces, which have been built in collaboration with Gotlands Varv in Fårösund on Gotland since 1990. The Docksta combat boat design has been a huge international success.
Docksta has exported 82 boats to Norway, Greece, Malaysia and Mexico and more of these are being built under licence in Mexico and Malaysia. The current list of orders consists of a pilot boat destined for Denmark, a fast workboat for Sweden and a patrol boat for a foreign security company, AG Marin.

October last year was a unique month, according to Dockstavarvet. It was the first time in modern history that there were no orders for boats or ships placed by Swedish authorities at Swedish shipbuilders, with the exception of the ongoing deliveries of coastal corvettes.

	The second of five stealth corvette was launched by Kockums in Karlskrona last year. PHOTO: PETER NILSSON, KOCKUMS

Swedish shiprepairers
The year 2003 was characterised by hard competition and significant pressure on prices for the ship repairers. In other words, a pretty normal year for this ever-struggling, but much needed sector of the industry.

For the eleventh consecutive year Damen-owned Götaverken Cityvarvet in Göteborg reports a positive result also for 2003. This was achieved in spite of a low-workload after a hectic first quarter. About 80 vessels were docked and repaired during the year, the largest being the Norwegian tanker “Arenda”l of 106,772 DWT. Among the major works carried out were docking and upgrading of the Stena ferries “Stena Danica” and “Stena Saga”, extensive steel replacement (210 tons) on the Finnish bulk carrier “Arkadia”, and conversion of the cruise vessel “Andrea” for operation in arctic waters.

Another ship repair yard in Göteborg, Gotenius Varv, has reported a healthy 2003, the best year for the company since 1994. Ninety-seven vessels were dry-docked during the year at the shipyard, which is equipped with two dry-docks, the largest of which is capable of handling vessels of up to 6,000 DWT, and a slipway for vessels of up to 100 DWT.

Falkvarv in Falkenberg, 100 kilometres South of Göteborg, handled a major conversion of the Swedish Navy’s Mine Clearance Support vessel “HMS Trossö”, which has been extensively upgraded and refurbished.

Major paint work, upgrading of the interior, installation of a catalytic converter and a new bilge water separator, and an extensive overhaul of the Russian-made main engine are some examples of the works carried out in this SEK 30 million project, the largest ever for Falkvarv. Originally, HMS Trossö was built in Finland for Russian account. Today, the vessel is serving in the fourth mine warfare flotilla and also in the international mine clearance force.

Reborn shiprepairer
On 1 March, 2003, a reconstructed Öresundsvarvet set up shop in Landskrona. Sixty vessels have been repaired, of which half were dry-docked. Major repair works have been carried out on the Finnreel, on the icebreaker “Oden”, and on the combined icebreaker/offshore supply vessel “Tor Viking”. Lübeck Link was docked for a significant overhaul and a five-year survey.

The reborn Öresundsvarvet was launched by a group of shipyard suppliers. The new management and the new organisation have been received positively by the customers, and the production force will be increased by 40 employees this year.

Some highlights from the smaller repair yards: Kållandsö Varv at Lake Vänern has lengthened and rebuilt the passenger vessel “Vestvåg”; Rindö Marine in the Stockholm archipelago has increased its focus on engine repairs and its co-operation with engine manufacturers Volvo Penta, Scania and Caterpillar; Kummelnäs Varv dry-docked 120 ships, mainly passenger vessels, during 2003; Anytech Marine in Öregrund lengthened the “Utö Express” and broadened the “Cinderella II”, both of which are passenger vessels; and at Beckholmen in Stockholm, four vintage vessels were restored.

//Rolf P. Nilsson

Latest update 18-10-2006 8:49

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