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The Galați shipyard ( ro, Șantierul naval Galați), formally Damen Shipyards Galați, is a
shipyard
A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance a ...
located on the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
in
Galați
Galați (, , ; also known by other alternative names) is the capital city of Galați County in the historical region of Western Moldavia, in eastern Romania. Galați is a port town on the Danube River. It has been the only port for the most par ...
, a city located in the
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
region of
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
.
History
Origins through communism
Shipbuilding is a longstanding practice at Galați: by the late 18th century, longboats, canoes, sailboats and kayaks were being built there for both commercial and military use. Due to Moldavia's being a vassal state, most war vessel production was on behalf of the
Ottoman Navy through the 1820s. The wood, of high quality, came from forests upstream and was brought by raft. It was not until the late 1830s, following the establishment of a
free port
Free economic zones (FEZ), free economic territories (FETs) or free zones (FZ) are a class of special economic zone (SEZ) designated by the trade and commerce administrations of various countries. The term is used to designate areas in which com ...
at Galați, that the bulk of its ships started being used domestically: seven vessels were built there in 1839, followed by ten in 1840. In 1893, a local resident named Fernic purchased the arsenal of the fleet stationed there and the Naval Mechanical Factory, beginning ship production at what was called ''Șantierul Naval Fernic Galați'' ("Fernic Shipyard Galați").
[ Sorin Anghel]
"Afacere bună cu vase pe bandă"
''Jurnalul Național'', 16 October 2006; accessed February 19, 2012[Introduction](_blank)
at the Damen Shipyards Galați site; accessed February 19, 2012 Four
river monitors
River monitors are military craft designed to patrol rivers.
They are normally the largest of all riverine warships in river flotillas, and mount the heaviest weapons. The name originated from the US Navy's , which made her first appearance in ...
(NMS ''Ion C. Brătianu'', ''
Mihail Kogălniceanu
Mihail Kogălniceanu (; also known as Mihail Cogâlniceanu, Michel de Kogalnitchan; September 6, 1817 – July 1, 1891) was a Romanian liberal statesman, lawyer, historian and publicist; he became Prime Minister of Romania on October 11, 1863, ...
'', ''Alexandru Lahovari'' and ''Lascăr Catargiu'') were commissioned for the
Romanian Navy
The Romanian Navy ( ro, Forțele Navale Române) is the navy branch of the Romanian Armed Forces; it operates in the Black Sea and on the Danube. It traces its history back to 1860.
History
The Romanian Navy was founded in 1860 as a river flot ...
in 1907. Built in sections in the Austro-Hungarian port of
Trieste
Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...
, they were assembled in Galați. In 1911, under the
Premiership of
Petre P. Carp
Petre P. Carp (; also Petrache Carp, Francized ''Pierre Carp'', Ioana Pârvulescu"O adresă high-life", in ''România Literară'', Nr. 25/2010 occasionally ''Comte Carpe''; 28 Mircea Dumitriu"Petre P. Carp – un suflet, un caracter, o idee", in ...
, the area suffered some structural collapse, allegedly as a result of bad workmanship and political corruption (investigated by
Nicolae Fleva
Nicolae Fleva (; also known as Nicu Fleva, Correspondent"Scrisoare din București" in ''Românul (Arad)'', Nr. 14/1912, p.4 (digitized by the Babeș-Bolyai Universitybr>Transsylvanica Online Library Francized ''Nicolas Fléva'';[interwar period
In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the World War I, First World War to the beginning of the World War II, Second World War. The in ...]
and into
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the yard had strategic significance, and two
submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
s (
NMS ''Rechinul'' and
NMS ''Marsuinul'') and one
minelaying
A minelayer is any warship, submarine or military aircraft deploying explosive mines. Since World War I the term "minelayer" refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines. "Mine planting" was the term for installing controll ...
destroyer escort
Destroyer escort (DE) was the United States Navy mid-20th-century classification for a warship designed with the endurance necessary to escort mid-ocean convoys of merchant marine ships.
Development of the destroyer escort was promoted by th ...
(
NMS ''Amiral Murgescu'') were built there. Initially commanded by German captains, the submarines later fell to the
Soviet Navy.
[ Bogdan Nistor]
"Povestea neştiută a celor două submarine construite la Galaţi: Marsuinul şi Rechinul"
''Adevărul'', 2 June 2015; accessed March 14, 2016 From 1938 to 1944, Galați completed 65 civilian ships and 11 warships: in addition to the submarines and minelaying destroyer, these consisted of four
motor torpedo boats (the ''
Vedenia''-class) and four minesweepers (the
''Democrația''-class).
A dry dock, the country's first, was built between 1937 and 1942. Before the war, the largest ships built were a river steamer of 420 tons and barges up to 1,700 tons at Galati; the yard employed 500 to 800 men. Romania's first native-built oil tanker, ''SRT-128'', was launched there in 1942.
The components of the
Cernavodă Bridge
The Cernavodă Bridge is a complex of two freeway-railroad truss bridges in Romania, across the Danube River, connecting the cities of Cernavodă and Fetești, between the regions of Dobruja and Muntenia.
Inaugurated in 1987, the bridges have ...
were also built at Galați. In 1974, the
Communist regime
A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Cominte ...
made a massive investment into the shipbuilding industry, so that the yard became fully stocked with supplies, including an animal farm. From that time until the
1989 fall of the regime, some 80% of the shipyard's products were exported.
Damen Group era
Following this event, there were 32 unsold boats at the shipyard, and these were only liquidated in full in 2000. Meanwhile, the Dutch
Damen Group
The Damen Group is a Dutch defence, shipbuilding, and engineering conglomerate company based in Gorinchem, Netherlands.
Though it is a major international group doing business in 120 countries, it remains a private family-owned company.
Dame ...
had taken over the yard.
The group's interest in Galați began in 1994, when it subcontracted several
cargo vessel
A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usu ...
hulls.
This was the means by which its manager decided whether to invest somewhere. Noticing too that the boats left over from the Communist period were being reinforced, he decided to take control of the shipyard company's stock, which happened in 1999. Although he wished to obtain 100% of the shares, he only managed to acquire 99%, the remainder being in the hands of unidentified individuals who received
privatization
Privatization (also privatisation in British English) can mean several different things, most commonly referring to moving something from the public sector into the private sector. It is also sometimes used as a synonym for deregulation when ...
vouchers in the 1990s.
Galați is the largest naval shipyard on the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
, its output ranging from large
tankers
Tanker may refer to:
Transportation
* Tanker, a tank crewman (US)
* Tanker (ship), a ship designed to carry bulk liquids
** Chemical tanker, a type of tanker designed to transport chemicals in bulk
** Oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tank ...
to small coast guard
patrol boat
A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...
s. The company also represents a significant element of the local economy. Since 1990, all of its products have gone to export.
[Introduction]
at the Galați City Hall site; accessed February 19, 2012 Following Damen's takeover, an investment plan focusing on improving efficiency and working conditions was introduced.
For example, at the time of the takeover, spoons and coffee cups were listed in the inventory; afterwards, all items worth under
$100 were considered disposable goods and no longer placed on the record books.
The yard builds offshore vessels,
naval vessels
A naval ship is a military ship (or sometimes boat, depending on classification) used by a navy. Naval ships are differentiated from civilian ships by construction and purpose. Generally, naval ships are damage resilient and armed with w ...
, special vessels (such as buoy laying vessels, patrol vessels and research vessels), tugs, workboats and
mega yacht
A superyacht or megayacht is a large and luxurious pleasure vessel. There are no official or agreed upon definitions for such yachts, but these terms are regularly used to describe professionally crewed motor or sailing yachts, ranging from to ...
s,
[Organisation](_blank)
at the Damen Shipyards Galați site; accessed February 19, 2012 and has also produced
oil tanker
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a ship designed for the bulk transport of oil or its products. There are two basic types of oil tankers: crude tankers and product tankers. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crud ...
s,
container carriers, cargo
barge
Barge nowadays generally refers to a flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. The first modern barges were pulled by tugs, but nowadays most are pushed by pusher boats, or other vessels ...
s and
drilling rig platforms[Products](_blank)
at the Damen Shipyards Galați site; accessed February 19, 2012—over 250 vessels since 1999.
There were some 1550 employees at the end of 2010, as well as 1150 subcontracted employees handling support functions including electricity,
HVAC
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. HV ...
, carpentry, blasting and painting.
[Key figures 2010](_blank)
at the Damen Shipyards Galați site; accessed February 19, 2012 This was down from 10,000 total employees in 2006, of whom 3100 worked for Damen.
Engineering services are mainly supplied by a Galați firm established in 2004 in which Damen is the major shareholder.
[Engineering](_blank)
at the Damen Shipyards Galați site; accessed February 19, 2012
, at the Marine Engineering Galați site; accessed February 19, 2012 Production takes place on four lines: for vessels up to 10,000
dwt, for vessels up to 26,000 dwt, for vessels up to 50,000 dwt and for
tugs and workboats.
[Facilities](_blank)
at the Damen Shipyards Galați site; accessed February 19, 2012 There is also a workshop for piping and
galvanizing
Galvanization or galvanizing ( also spelled galvanisation or galvanising) is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron, to prevent rusting. The most common method is hot-dip galvanizing, in which the parts are submerged ...
and a blasting and painting hall.
[Piping & Deep Hot Galvanizing Workshop](_blank)
at the Damen Shipyards Galați site; accessed February 19, 2012[Blasting & painting hall](_blank)
at the Damen Shipyards Galați site; accessed February 19, 2012
Warships built
See also
*
Port of Galați
*
Damen Group
The Damen Group is a Dutch defence, shipbuilding, and engineering conglomerate company based in Gorinchem, Netherlands.
Though it is a major international group doing business in 120 countries, it remains a private family-owned company.
Dame ...
*
Constanța Shipyard
Constanța Shipyard ( ro, Șantierul Naval Constanța) is the largest shipyard in Romania and one of the largest in Europe having a market share of 20% in the Black Sea basin. The shipyard has two drydocks, one used for the construction of shi ...
*
Daewoo Mangalia Heavy Industries
Mangalia shipyard is a large shipyard located south of the Port of Constanţa, in Mangalia, Romania.
Daewoo Heavy Industries era
In 1997 Daewoo-Mangalia Heavy Industries or DMHI was formed as a joint venture between South Korean company Da ...
*
List of Romanian-built warships of World War II
Gallery
File:Mihail Kogălniceanu monitor.jpg, ''Mihail Kogălniceanu'' in 1941
File:Amiral Murgescu (side).jpg, ''Amiral Murgescu'', the largest Romanian-built warship of the Second World War
File:Marsuinul launching.jpg, Launching of ''Marsuinul'', May 1941
File:Galati 1978.jpg, The shipyard in 1978
File:MS KBV 003 Amfitrite.jpg, The '' Amfitrite'', a Swedish Coast Guard
The Swedish Coast Guard ( sv, Kustbevakningen) is a Swedish civilian government agency tasked with:
* maritime surveillance and other control and inspection tasks as well as environmental cleanup after oil spills at sea.
* co-ordinate the civil ...
vessel built at Galați and launched in 2010
File:Samskip Pioneer p2 Port of Rotterdam 01-Jan-2005.jpg, The '' Samskip Pioneer'', a container ship launched in 2006
File:Cargo ship Susan Borchard at Port of Barcelona container terminal - 6 Oct. 2011.jpg, The '' Susan Borchard'', launched 2010
Notes
References
*Emilian Bold, "România și problema reparațiilor de la Conferința de la Spa la planul Dawes", in ''Analele științifice ale Universității "Al. I. Cuza" din Iași'', Istorie, vol. XV (1969), issue 1, pp. 71–88
External links
Damen Galaţi official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Galati shipyard
Shipyard
A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance a ...
Companies of Galați County
Manufacturing companies established in 1893
Shipyards of Romania
1893 establishments in Romania