Euskalduna Ontziolak SA

Euskalduna Ontziolak SA of Euskadi (often abbreviated EKOSA) is a group and holding company of providers of naval vessels, surface ships and submarines. EKOSA is one of the leading military shipbuilding companies in Europe.

History
The company was founded in 1900, promoted by shipping merchants Ramón de la Sota y Llano and Eduardo Aznar y de la Sota. 10,000 shares were issued to a value of 4 million pesetas; the new company took over the facilities of the Sociedad de los Diques Secos de Bilbao (Dry Dock company of Bilbao) through the offer of 2,000 shares plus two permanent seats on the Board of Directors. The company expanded through acquisition up to World War I acquiring Talleres de Troca (Workshops of Troca), a forging and casting company. In 1914 the company employed 950 people.

World War I brought increased demand; the company was able to expand during the period, and eventually had facilities for ships of 12,000 tonnes. Post war demand fell despite increasing protectionism; the company diversified into manufacture of rolling stock - including wagons, steam locomotives, and trams), the company also began to manufacture rolling mill equipment, as well as road vehicles such as buses. By 1920 the company employed over 3700 people.

Employment numbers had dropped to around 1500 by 1935; during the Spanish Civil War the factories output was militarised, afterwards the company received state backing.

In 1956 it acquired SA Juliana Constructora Gijonesa, in 1967 the company was merged with La Naval and Astilleros Celaya. Euskalduna contributed 50% of the capital of the new enterprise.

The new company was the largest shipping construction company in Euskadi, and one of the largest in Europe.

As a negative result of the effects of the 1973 oil crisis the company began to record losses, the company also faced increased competion from east Asia (Korea and Japan). The company went bankrupty in 1985. Euskadi's government took over the company bankruptcy and started a period of changes and reestructuring.

In 1987, in an unprecedented urban development, the company sold its land located in the center of the estuary of Bilbao to build the new facilities several miles further down the estuary. With this operation Euskalduna was able to finance the construction of a modern factory and the city benefited from thousands of square meters for the construction of infrastructure, service areas, parks and office buildings. The Bilbao Maritime Museum is located on part of the site of the shipyard, the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall is also situated on part of the site. This was the first in a series of urban operations developed in the 90 to transform the landscape of the city of Bilbao from a landscape entirely industrial to a modern and beautiful city of the 21st century.

The company was privatized in 1994 through a major capital increase that allowed some indutrial and financial groups from Euskadi and abroad to became shareholders of the company. As part of this capital increase, the British company Trafalgar House became the owner of 18% of the company in a deal in which Euskalduna acquired the assets of the former Scott Lithgow shipyard. This operation created Euskalduna Solutions UK a wholly owned subsidiary based in Greenock, Scotland.

During the late 90's and the early years of this century, the company acquired the assets of several bankrupted shipyards throughout Europe that have allowed Euskalduna have a significant presence in France, Benelux and Europa. At the same time the company built in Nyanga region which is to date the largest shipyard in West Africa, specialized in building ships and structures to serve the oil industry in the region.

Cicil vessels

 * Semi-submersible drilling Rig
 * Jack-up drilling Rig
 * Platform Conversion
 * Platform Supply Vessel
 * Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessel
 * Heavy Lift Carrier
 * Floating, Production, Storage & Offloading Vessel (FPSO)
 * Mono-hull circular column FPSO
 * Floating, Production & Offloading Vessel (FPO)
 * Pipelay Vessel
 * Fallpipe Vessel
 * Semi-submersible bare deck Vessel

Retrofited & upgraded

 * Butro Class Destroyer
 * Lehendakari Aguirre Class Aircraft Carrier

Built

 * Nafarroa Class LHD
 * Baiona Class LPD
 * Bidasoa Class Frigate
 * Edurne Class Corvette
 * P-101 Class Patrol Boat

Euskalduna Bilbao Shipyard
Euskalduna Bilbao Shipyard can provide a complete range of services for newbuild and ship repair. It is home to the biggest dry and floating docks and the largest machine shop in the Gulf of Biscay and one of the biggest in Europe.

With its comprehensive array of fabrication shops, outfit shops, machine shop and access to a large extensive local sub-contractor community, Euskalduna Bilbao Shipyard has the wide-ranging capabilities to undertake almost any project.

Euskalduna Bilbao Shipyard covers 23,000m2 of water frontage with three docks including one Panamax and one graving dock. Company build methodologies incorporate as much undercover construction, outfitting and painting as possible, assuring the quality of the vessels.

All the shipyard facilities are certified and operate 365 days a year.


 * Shipyard facilities
 * Burning Shop (DNC underwater oxygen plasma & oxy-acetylene machines)
 * Plate Shop (310m x 44m x 16m, complete with panel line & shell jigs)
 * Outfit Steel Shop
 * Module Shop (262m x 42m x 24m, 140t lift & heavy load transfer system)
 * Turntable
 * Launchway (max length about 190m, with 85t berth crane)
 * Pipe Shop (800m2)
 * Sheet Metal Shop, QA, Test & Trials
 * Ship Repair Offices & Owner’s Reps
 * Machine Shop (full range of machine tools)
 * Machine Shop Wharf (180m, with about 11m water depth)
 * Pier 6&7 (440m, with about 13m water depth)
 * Graving Dock (215m x 27.5m, 11m over the sill)
 * Bilbao Dock II (with 65,400t lift, 243m long x 35.5m open width x 13m over the blocks. Wingwall cranes 85t)
 * Bilbao Dock I ( Panamax dock with 36,000t lift, 257m long, x 38m open width x 9m over the blocks. Two 40t wingwall cranes)
 * Warehouse (2,700m2, computer-controlled)
 * Steelyard
 * Main Offices (Management, Estimating, Engineering, Video-Conference facilities)
 * Client Facilities & Security
 * Warehouse & Joiner Shop

Juliana Shipyard, Gijón, Spain
Euskalduna Ontzilolak operates one of the finest ship repair facilities on the north of Spain.

Juliana Shipyard repair facilities are focused in give repair services to small to medium sized vessels. The yard has marine railway capable of lifting 5500t and can be sub-divided for two different vessels. It also has 752m of wharf available with a draft of 9.1m and can accommodate vessels up to 229m along side. All the facilities are certified and operate 365 days a year.

Shipyard facilities

 * Ship dockings and repairs of up to 5500 tonnes
 * Blast and paint services
 * Steel fabrication
 * Anodes, tailshafts, rudders and valves
 * Small vessel haul out with Travel-Lift