Nico International News

Hyundai Heavy Industries Turbomachinery Co., Ltd. (HHI – TMC), a turbomachinery business specializing in pumps for marine, nuclear and industrial field, gas and air compressors, and steam turbines, has entered into a service agent agreement with UAE based marine and industrial engineering company NICO International.With the new alliance in place, NICO said it aims to further strengthen the turbomachinery capabilities in the field of marine and industrial pumps and compressors market in the United Arab Emirates region with the expertise of HHI - TMC.

As the maritime industry continues to demand cleaner emissions from ships, there will be a proliferation of partnerships designed to get ships in compliance quickly, efficiently.Cleanship Solutions Ltd., UK based company specializing in ballast water management and exhaust gas cleaning retrofit engineering, entered in to a Memorandum of Understanding with NICO International – a UAE based marine and industrial engineering company.With the new alliance in place, NICO aims to further…

Japanese power generation, industrial and marine electrical systems specialist Nishishiba Electric Co. Ltd., part of the Toshiba Corp., has entered in to a service agent agreement with UAE based marine and industrial engineering company NICO International. NICO International will be the authorized service representative for all the electrical power generating products manufactured by Nishishiba in the Middle East region. “Considering the market trends and NICO’s vision of being the best overall marine and industrial solutions provider, this partnership with Nishishiba Electric Co. Ltd.

Nico International informed that the new dry-docking and repair facility in Abu Dhabi Port Company’s Freeport has completed the first two months of successful operations and has carried out afloat and dry docking jobs on more than thirty vessels. The Dock is able to accommodate vessels up to 2,000 tons and 80m LOA while wet berth space is available up to 400m. This facility confirms Nico International’s strong reputation in the region as a professional service provider to the marine sector. In addition to that, the Ship Repair Unit also operates a large facility in Abu Dhabi Industrial Area with the capability of Docking Barges up to 130m LOA and managing major conversions jobs.

Topaz Marine Engineering, a regional marine repair service provider and boat builder, announced the appointment of Geoff Taylor as its new Managing Director. Geoff joins the company following a period as an independent marine consultant. Prior to this he enjoyed a career spanning twenty seven years with Dubai Drydocks and Drydocks World. After holding a number of managerial positions he became Technical Director of Dubai Drydocks in 1999, CEO in 2004 and Group CEO in 2007. He was instrumental in developing Dubai Drydocks from a single site ship repair yard into world class repair…

Topaz Engineering, a division of Topaz Energy and Marine has been awarded a $100m EPC contract for the Phase IV Oil Storage Terminal for client GPSChemoil in Fujairah, U.A.E. Through its subsidiary, Nico International Hydrospace, Topaz Engineering has won one of the major tank terminal repeat contracts in Fujairah for GPSChemoil, a partnership between Gulf Petrol Supplies LLC (GPS) and Chemoil. The 580,000 m³ terminal is one of the largest EPC tank terminal projects awarded to Topaz Engineering in the recent past in terms of project value and terminal size.

Topaz Energy and Marine, through its subsidiary Nico International Hydrospace, part of the newly established Topaz Engineering division, has completed the Vopak Horizon Fujairah Limited Phase 5 – Marine Extension Project. Topaz executed in subcontract to BAM International (formerly known as Interbeton). The project was completed safely without any lost time injury and within the agreed project schedule. The subcontract was awarded in November 2008 and Topaz’s scope for the construction of Berth five and six included detailed engineering of complete piping and mechanical equipment…

Fujairah Refinery Company Ltd, jointly owned by Vitol Group and the Government of Fujairah, recently awarded a multi-million dollar EPC contract to the Topaz Energy and Marine subsidiary, Nico International. The contract award relates to the Oil Terminal 2 “Users’ Line” Connection Project in the Port of Fujairah. Part of the Topaz Engineering division, Nico was awarded the contract by FRCL in competition with several regional names. The project includes construction of pipelines…

Topaz Energy and Marine Ltd. through its subsidiary Nico International, part of the newly established Topaz Engineering division has successfully completed the first milestone activity of a project for Vopak Horizon Ltd., Fujairah. The project was awarded to Nico by Interbeton (currently being rebranded as BAM International), Abu Dhabi in November last year for the design, fabrication & installation of offshore trestles and pipes. The project is due for completion in December 2009.

Fuel, emissions and green technology is one of the crucial areas to come under discussion at one of the conferences that will take place alongside Seatrade Middle East Maritime 2008. Like other industries globally, shipping is facing increasingly tough international challenges to achieve emission reductions. Det Norske Veritas, one of Seatrade Middle East Martime's principal sponsors, believe that carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by as much as 30–50% by actions taken on existing vessels now and for new buildings prior to 2030. The region is playing an increasingly important role in world shipping with the now one of the most active international maritime centres in the world.

Regional demand for fast vessels carrying between eight and up to 300 passengers could exceed 400 over the next 10 years, said shipbuilders from countries such as the Netherlands, Turkey, Norway and Australia hoping to win a share of orders. “We are anticipating there is going to be a huge demand for passenger transport of all kinds,” said Martin de Bruijn, Middle East sales director for Damen Shipyards of the Netherlands which recently announced a joint venture with Albwardy Marine Engineering of Dubai.

Multi-billion dollar projects in the Middle East oil and gas industry are driving developments in the design and operation of the workhorses of the sea, according to industry experts. A growing demand for workboats of all sizes is also being stimulated by the mega-dollar port and reclamation schemes taking place around the Arabian Peninsula. All will come under the spotlight at a dedicated industry event - Middle East Workboats 2008 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (28-30 April 2008) - organized by Seatrade. The exhibition will be supported by a high level conference aimed at senior managers and decision-makers. Abu Dhabi…

In June 1998, Kvaerner Masa Marine signed a contract with NICO International of Dubai, U.A.E. to develop a 120 ton anchor handling supply vessel. This project was carried out by KMM's engineering group in Vancouver, Canada and gave KMM further involvement in the challenging and attractive market of "kit build" vessels. The twin screw anchor handling supply vessel Team Salalah has recently been delivered to its owners. The lead vessel of a series of six, it is the first vessel in the NICO fleet, custom designed for operations in both the extremes of the Persian Gulf and worldwide trading. Team Salalah measures 61 x 15.2 x 5.5 m, and is a standard supply vessel layout: 350-sq.-m.

Dubai-based Nico International, the ship repair division of Topaz Energy and Marine SOAG (TEAM), has acquired the Industrial and Marine Engineering Divisions of Fujairah Marine Services & Trading Co LLC (FMS). The acquisition is the first step in a strategic alliance which will link the two companies and which will seek Nico’s current Port of Fujairah capabilities quadruple in size. To date, Nico International has been operating out of Dubai with a diving base in the Port of Fujairah.

Topaz Energy and Marine Ltd. subsidiary Nico International recently announced that it will open a new ship repair facility in Bautino, Kazakhstan later this year, after completing a feasibility study and conducting an in-depth market assessment of the Caspian region. Based on the findings of their research, Kazakhstan nationals will be recruited and trained in Dubai on ISO9001 quality management system, while Nico's own engineers will need to understand how best to operate in the extreme weather conditions prevalent in the Caspian region especially during winter. Due to the extreme winter weather conditions in the Caspian region, engineers at Nico International will have to adapt to the harsh working environment, and certain modifications will be needed to the operating equipment.