KSEW: Excellence in merchant shipbuilding and warship construction

Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works Limited, popularly known as KSEW, was established as a project of Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) for fulfilment of indigenous ship construction and ship repair needs.
Shipbuilding is considered backbone of any country's economy and till date KSEW had played its part well.
When Pakistan was founded in 1947 the heavy engineering and shipbuilding industry was factually non-existent in the country.
KSEW was established in 1957 with the objectives to provide the both. KSEW was therefore designed as a composite heavy industrial unit, having almost all in-house construction facilities, for construction of vessels and for fabrication & construction of heavy engineering products.
This dream to establishing such an industrial unit found its reality with the help of technological assistance offered by the then government of West Germany (Germany) through M/s Stulcken Shohn, Hamburg.
From the very start, KSEW faced with the challenges of constructing variety of floating structures and vessels for the diversified needs & requirements of the motherland.
Pakistan is bestowed with plenty of water (natural) resources hence there are a number of rivers, streams, lakes, dams, network of canals and a coastline of over 850 nm (nautical miles) that runs through the Arabian Sea and ends on the brim of Persian Gulf.
During first twenty-five years of existence, KSEW registered tremendous growth in technological advancement. KSEW constructed a variety of vessels having different types and sizes, which were based on different technologies and construction methodologies since the designs of those vessels were acquired from different sources in the ship designing/ship construction industry, world-wide.
Karachi Shipyard's strategic policy of not restricting itself to a single or to just a few ship designers and ship construction methodologies paid off well in terms of exposure to multiple technologies and in achieving dexterity, skilfulness and experience that no other shipyard in the third-world have ever gained in such a short span of time.
This in the beginning certainly was a challenge to the then workforce, technicians, and engineers and to the other staff departments for procurement, establishment of contacts, necessary in-house modification and designing and for marketing at KSEW but this phase of evolution went-by with Karachi Shipyard's ultimately resulting into excellent workmanship expertise that are much sought for by any shipyard besides designing of vessels.
KSEW today specialises in excellent workmanship skills that is being kept abreast of with the changing technologies in shipbuilding construction methodologies that is being restored & transferred for past three generations or say, for last five-decades, at Karachi Shipyard to the newcomers in this organisation.
Karachi Shipyard's ship construction skilfulness and dexterity in heavy engineering fabrication & construction had been highly recognised and praised from time to time by a number of satisfied clients.
However, the same recognition by China Shipbuilding Trading Co, Ltd, China; for construction of Missile Craft for Pakistan Navy and subsequent recognition by DCN International, France; for construction of Agosta 90B class Submarine at KSEW is worth mentioning over here apart from recognition for heavy engineering construction jobs by Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co, Ltd, Japan; Nichimen Corporation, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Hitachi Ltd, Japan; Deltak, a unit of Jason Inc, USA; China Machine-Building International Corp, Beijing, China; besides appreciation from local organisations in Pakistan like WAPDA, Pakistan Navy, and so forth.
Karachi Shipyard began this journey by starting constructing simple and small vessels. Our early shipbuilding comprised construction of some survey launches and a good number of barges of different types and sizes.
That was initially a two-prong exposure in construction of pleasure boats on one-hand and harbour utility vessels on the other. A multifaceted shipbuilding dimensions from the very beginning! A comparatively advanced ship construction opportunity was materialised by KSEW in third year of operation when a Tugboat was constructed and delivered to Chittagong Port Authority, Bangladesh.
KSEW quickly found recognition for both simple vessels and advances vessels construction that usually requires a number of years of experience by the side of shipbuilders.
Advancement took place in ship construction activities when in next two years KSEW delivered first-two Oil Tankers, ESSO Ark & KORANGI to the domestic clients. Later, next year it was a Pilot boat.
These early construction businesses for harbour utility vessels & oil tankers established Karachi Shipyard as a serious player in domestic market.
The management of KSEW took a sheer bold step at then when it decided to enter into construction of ocean-going cargo vessel, Al-Abbas, having merely eleven years of experience on its side, building only small boats and vessels.
The hard work, professional dedication and determination for achievement were some key elements that paved the way of success for KSEW. Maintaining the same progressing high spirits and rhythm Karachi Shipyard seized yet another emblem for itself by constructing Dredger for Karachi Port Trust in the next year, which is further complex construction work when it comes to shipbuilding.
Exactly after two years, KSEW delivered one more ocean-going cargo vessel, MV Shalamar, to one more domestic client.
Both of these cargo vessels, Al-Abbas & Shalamar, were the headway to entering into regional market of shipbuilding in Persian Gulf. They turned out to be an emblem & recognition of KSEW wherever they took voyage to.
The new era of ship construction for exports was explored in the year 1970 when KSEW got orders for four-fishing boats from Iran. KSEW gained reputation of excellent workman skills and the news further reached to the neighbouring countries in the Persian Gulf. Abu Dhabi placed orders for a Cargo Vessel, MV Baynunah, and later for two Tugboats, Daima & Liwa. Saudi Arabia placed orders for two Tugboats, Jeddah-1 & Jeddah-2, with Karachi Shipyard.
The quest of exports did not end here! China also benefited from the state-of-the-art shipbuilding capabilities of Pakistan and Karachi Shipyard. Placed its first order for a cargo vessel, MV Hetian, and next order for two Bulk Carriers, YOU YI-11 & YOU YI-12. Later China placed one more order for 17,500-tdw Bulk Carrier, YOU YI-20.
KSEW also constructed and delivered its second Dredger to a Belgium firm with entire set of dredging support vessels comprising tug, workboat, and barges for the same client.
During the midst of 90s, when KSEW was highly esteemed for acquiring ship constructing expertise for merchant vessels like; cargo vessels, bulk carriers, oil tankers, pilot boats, tugboats, dredgers, barges, fishing boats, workboats, garbage disposal vessels, and for ancillary floating equipments; KSEW took yet another bold initiative to entering into construction of new dimension of shipbuilding, the warship construction.
The first two Missile Craft, Shujaat & Jallalat, built by KSEW went through rigorous tests & trial phases in order to culminate with the similar class Missile boat performances available in the inter national market. Being very first warships built by KSEW for PN fleet, both of these Missile Craft had to pass through highly critical testing phases where there was no room for even slack performance even in single area of operations.
They finally got commissioned in Pakistan Navy fleet during late-90s. Induction of these vessels in PN fleet only added to the confidence and high spirits of workforce at KSEW to find further new horizons for warship construction.
When the Government of Pakistan concluded an agreement with the Government of France to construct Agosta 90B class submarines in Pakistan, with out a doubt, it was KSEW that had to step forward to meet the challenge.
The quality workmanship displayed by KSEW technicians & engineers was highly appreciated which was latter on formally recognised by issuing quality workmanship certificate.
So much so, French authorities gave a formal acceptance to KSEW for commercial construction of Agosta 90B class submarines for third countries with due permission from the Government of France. By the grace of Al-mighty God, today two submarines have commissioned in Pakistan Navy giving splendid service.
The second was indigenously constructed at KSEW in collaboration with the PN Dockyard.
Karachi Shipyard, a top contender in merchant shipbuilding & warship construction, especially among third-world countries, just could not satiate its craving and thirst for acquiring more warship construction capabilities.
Soon, this year, KSEW shall venture into F22 type Frigate construction program in collaboration with the friendly country, China, where Karachi Shipyard is, God willing, destined to reach further heights of achievements; that in fact comparable to none in the third-world countries, at all.
In crux, Karachi Shipyard was first to acquire ISO 9001:2000 certification among state owned organisations. It is spread over an area of 71-Acres or 29-Hectors having three building berths and two dry docks. Recently right-sized & currently maintains about 2000 of workforce.
Enjoys good reputation with clients. Having constructed over 432 vessels of different sizes, types and technologies in a very short spell of only 47-years. It has to its credit repair and maintenance for over 6000 vessels, again different sizes, types and technologies for above-water, under-water and emergency work at outer anchorages.
More so, KSEW has so far delivered over 2000 heavy engineering units to different clients around Pakistan that includes Sugar & Cement plants, fire/water tube Industrial Boilers, Heat Exchangers, Pressure Vessels comprising LPT storage tanks & silos; different types of Cranes like portal/luffing, gantry, overhead & magnetic cranes, heavy casting of iron, non-ferrous & steel and heavy Machining of casting; and last but not the least, heavy steel structures for a variety of industries like oil, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, power generation, so on so forth.
Sophisticated hydraulic steel structures need mentioning here too alongwith power transmission & lighting towers proudly standing at Karachi Stadium and else where around Pakistan. You shall be pleased to know, majority of times, its Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works Limited working behind the scenes that passes with out noticing.
So you can always call on KSEW for your industrial and shipbuilding needs to save on precious foreign exchange reserves of Pakistan.
(The writer is Senior Sales Executive (Business Development) KSEW.)