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An Iranian ship-making company, which around 30 years ago started joint ventures with European companies, says it is reaching self-sufficiency in making various sorts of watercraft.

The company builds various sorts of watercraft, from light to heavy, of fiberglass, composite material, steel, and aluminum, Amir Samavatian, coordination manager of Darya Bandar Nab Kish told Trend on the sidelines of Iran’s maritime industries exhibition in Tehran June 7.

Tug boats, passenger boats, supply vessels, crew boats, offshore platform vessels, barges, bulk carriers, tankers, pleasure boats, search & rescue vessels, landing crafts , dredger vessels, orv (oil recovery vessels), oceanography vessels are among the watercraft the company has made.

“Through joint venture with European and East Asian countries we started our job and now we are at a point to indigenize the watercraft we intend to,” Samavatian said.

The company has so far built watercraft ranging in length from around 10 meters to 100 meters. It is now pondering a competitive presence in international markets.

Over 70 percent of the stuff used in the company’s products are Iranian-made, Samavatian said.

“We are completely self-sufficient in making the bulk, as well as the propellers and shafts. We have indigenized engines to 70 percent. Regarding electric parts and installations we are 80 percent self-sufficient,” he further noted.

He added, however, that making the entire parts of a watercraft inside a country is not economical, and therefore virtually no country does that.

Head of the shipbuilding committee of Iranian Association of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Peiman Massoud-Zadeh said May 3 that it would be more economical if big ships were built as joint venture with foreign builders in order to reduce time and cost of shipbuilding projects.

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