In a symbolic and decisive moment for its survival, the Atlantic South Shipyard (EAS) launched its 11th ship, baptized Castro Alves. The delivery is the first of the Aframax – oil tanker model slightly smaller than the ones produced by the shipyard and the last one in 2017, the year in which the enterprise hit its own productivity records. The sea test came a day after the announcement of Petrobras’ business plan for the years 2018 to 2022, a period in which US $ 74.5 billion should be invested. Of this total, there is no forecast of orders for the Brazilian naval industry. Meanwhile, EAS is running out of time to secure new orders, as the latest delivery is scheduled for 2019.
After the sea and finishing test period, which is expected to last from 60 to 70 days, EAS will only be guaranteed another four ships by 2019, all Aframax models from Transpetro, a subsidiary of Petrobras. There are also two pre-signed contracts for the production of bulk carriers (large vessels for the carriage of goods in bulk).
Without being able to count on new orders from Petrobras, this new type of product is the survival bet of the Pernambuco shipyard. “If Petrobras continues to ignore us and not give us the chance to show how productive we are, we will not close the door. We will get new clients and orders, delivering ships with more and more quality, making the flag of Pernambuco flutter up there, “said EAS president Harro Burmann.
Another option to maintain the activity would still be to conquer one of the orders of the Brazilian Navy, which will invest US $ 1.8 billion in the construction of four corvettes, the first delivery scheduled for 2022.
The productivity to which Burmann refers is a consequence of the capacity of the yard to continue producing, even with fewer workers. In 2011, EAS reached 11,000 employees. Today, there are 3,600. Since 2014, when the current president took command of the shipyard, the number of man-hours required to build a ship fell from 3 million to 1.8 million, and the average productivity increased from 300 man-hours to 60 man-hours.
NATIONAL SCENARIO
The expectation of the shipyard is to become attractive at a critical moment for the entire Brazilian naval industry. Of the 42 shipyards that were part of the new sector in the country a little more than ten years ago, during the Lula administration, only 12 still have contracted orders, according to the trade union of the segment companies (Sinaval). Of those still in operation, two are from Pernambuco, EAS and Vard Promar. But both were affected by Petrobras reducing orders from 29 to 15 vessels. The last ones are the Aframax being produced.
For the naval industry, one of the hardest blows was the announcement of Petrobras’ business plan, which opens space for the purchase of ships produced in other countries. “When the shipyard projects were executed, the prospects were different, Petrobras had plans to make several orders. And now the decision is simply to buy out of country while we are generating jobs and paying taxes, “criticizes the president of the EAS, referring mainly to the vessels produced in China
Brazil Energy Insight 
Leave a comment