Vuosaari shipyard
Vuosaari shipyard was a shipyard located in the district of Vuosaari in Helsinki, Finland. Built by the Finnish state-owned company Valmet Oy in the early 1970s, the shipyard delivered 33 newbuildings and participated in building around 100 other vessels before it was closed in 1987 following the bankruptcy of Wärtsilä Marine. Later, the longest dry dock in Finland was used by various ship repair companies until the construction of the new Vuosaari harbour cut the connection to the sea in 2004. Despite various plans to re-use the old dry dock, now located inside the harbour perimeter, it remained without use until the basin was backfilled in 2015–2016.
History
In 1946 a number of Finnish state-owned heavy industry enterprises were combined to a single conglomerate called Valtion Metallitehtaat, which acquired several shipyards in Helsinki, Turku and Uusikaupunki. The first ships were oceangoing fishing trawlers built in Suomenlinna for the Soviet Union as part of the Finnish war reparations. In 1950 the company was incorporated and its name was shortened to Valmet Oy, and in the following year a new shipyard was built in Katajanokka in downtown Helsinki. After the war reparations had been paid in full, the future of the state-owned shipyard remained uncertain until the Suez Crisis in 1956, which increased the worldwide demand for new ships and brought new contracts for Valmet as well. Later the company constructed a long series of accommodation ships for the Soviet Union.However, Valmet was not able to compete with private companies in the newbuilding market, and in 1963 a decision was made to switch focus on repairing existing ships and maintain only limited newbuilding capability on a single shipyard. When demand for new ships increased considerably in the mid-1960s, the shipbuilding strategy of Valmet changed considerably. As the size of new ships was expected to increase in the future, there was a danger that the state-owned shipbuilding company would not be able to compete in the lucrative newbuilding market. Since expanding the shipyard located in the middle of the capital city was deemed impossible, a decision was made to construct a completely new shipyard in Vuosaari.
The Vuosaari shipyard was built in 1971–1974. The new dry dock was wide and deep, but only long at first. However, during the construction it was decided to lengthen it to due to the growing demand of large crude oil tankers, making it the longest dry dock in Finland. Blocks weighing up to 500 tons could be constructed in the production halls and lifted to the construction basin with four 150-ton cranes. When the new shipyard was opened, Valmet also moved its two floating docks of 5,000 and 12,000 tons, used for maintenance and repair docking of smaller vessels, from Katajanokka to Vuosaari. An intermediate gate was built in 1984 so that part of the shipyard could be flooded while the other part was used for docking.
Between 1974 and 1987 Vuosaari shipyard delivered 33 new ships and participated in building around 100 other vessels. These include four 153,000 DWT crude oil tankers for Norwegian shipping company Klaveness in 1977–1979, four large barge carriers, ten SA-15 and SA-15 Super class Arctic cargo ships in 1983–1987, and the first large cruiseferry, Birka Princess for Birka Line, in 1986. The majority of the newbuildings were built for the Soviet Union. The last newbuilding, barge Espa for ESL Shipping, was delivered in 1987.
Vuosaari shipyard was merged with Wärtsilä in 1986 to form Wärtsilä Marine of which Valmet owned 30%. After the downturn in shipbuilding in the mid-1980s, the company decided to close the Vuosaari shipyard on 13 January 1987 and move the shipbuilding to Helsinki Shipyard in Hietalahti. In 1987–1991 various shipping companies rented the old shipyard from Wärtsilä for routine dockings. The cranes were sold in 1991, two to Germany and two to Rauma shipyard. Several ship repair companies operated in and around the old dry dock until 2004, when the construction of the new harbour cut the connection to the sea.
The old shipyard area has since been occupied by other companies. ABB Marine used the old block assembly halls for the construction of Azipods until 2007, Aker Arctic opened a new ice model test facility next to the old dry dock in 2006, and Paulig constructed a modern coffee roasting plant where the main gate of the Vuosaari shipyard once stood. Over the years most of the old buildings, such as the design office close to the dry dock gate, have been demolished. The intermediate gate was also later scrapped and its steel plating re-used in a barge.
While several ideas for re-using the old dry dock were presented over the years, nothing significant was ever realized. In 2008, the floor and walls of the basin were strengthened with concrete and a new wall was built in front of the old steel gate in preparation of using the basin for storage of empty shipping containers, but it was never used for this purpose. In late 2015, the Port of Helsinki began backfilling the dry dock in order to create an above-ground storage area for containers. The work was completed in 2016 and the area has now been paved over.
Ships built in Vuosaari
Between 1974 and 1987 the following vessels were delivered from the Vuosaari shipyard with the exception of one crude oil tanker that received a yard number but was later cancelled., less than half of the newbuildings built at Vuosaari remain in service.| Ship name | DWT | Year | Type | Yard number | IMO number | Status | Notes | Image | Ref |
| Magnitogorsk Euroshipping Two Daisy Rosanne Rosario Naesborg | 22,690 | 1976 | Ro-ro | 282 | 7359553 | Scrapped in 2011 | Sister ships: Komsomolsk, Anatoliy Vasilyev and Smolensk. | ||
| Komsomolsk Kotlini Nicole Roxanne Nordborg | 22,690 | 1976 | Ro-ro | 283 | 7359565 | Scrapped in 2009 | |||
| Tebostar Azerot B.F.C.-I Delta I | 6,060 | 1974 | Product tanker | 284 | 7359577 | Scrapped in 2004 | The last ship launched from Katajanokka shipyard and the first ship delivered from Vuosaari shipyard. Broke in two after collision with container ship APL Pusan on 13 September 2004. Towed to Sachana, India, for scrapping. | ||
| Sommerstad Tornado Goktürk Eliki | 153,200 | 1977 | Crude oil tanker | 285 | 7359589 | Scrapped in 2001 | Sister ships: Solstad, Sangstad, Siljestad and a cancelled fifth tanker. When the shipping company filed for bankruptcy in 1983, the ships were returned to Valmet, which resold them in 1983–1984. | ||
| Solstad Buyuk Hun | 153,200 | 1977 | Crude oil tanker | 286 | 7359591 | Scrapped in 1986 | Attacked by Iraqi fighters on 3 June 1984 while underway in ballast from Tutunciftlik, Turkey to Kharg Island, Iran. Two Exocet missiles hit the superstructure and the engine room, starting a fire, killing three crew members and injuring two. Later towed to Bushir, Iran, where declared total loss and sold to Taiwanese breakers in 1986. | ||
| Sangstad Altano Avar Ava Eagle | 153,200 | 1978 | Crude oil tanker | 287 | 7359606 | Scrapped in 2003 | |||
| Siljestad Caldereta Buyuk Timur Westgate Enalios Thetis Glory Sea | 153,200 | 1978 | Crude oil tanker | 288 | 7359618 | Scrapped in 2003 | |||
| NB Westfal-Larsen | 153,200 | — | Crude oil tanker | 289 | — | Cancelled | |||
| Yulius Fuchik Production Driller Asian Alliance Alliance | 37,850 | 1978 | Barge carrier | 290 | 7505322 | Scrapped in 2003 | Featured in the novel Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy. Sister ship: Tibor Szamueli. | ||
| Tibor Szamueli Development Driller Asian Reliance Reliance C Reliance | 37,850 | 1979 | Barge carrier | 291 | 7505334 | Scrapped in 2003 | |||
| Sibirskiy-2101 | 3,162 | 1980 | Dry cargo ship | 292 | In service | "Project 292" dry cargo river/sea ships built by Valmet for the Soviet Union, named Sibriskiy-2101–2109 and 2120–2129. | |||
| Sibirskiy-2103 Isabelle I Madeleine I | 3,162 | 1980 | Dry cargo ship | 293 | In service | ||||
| Sibirskiy-2105 Kapitan Orlov | 3,162 | 1980 | Dry cargo ship | 294 | In service | ||||
| Sibirskiy-2107 Kapitan Pashnin | 3,162 | 1980 | Dry cargo ship | 295 | In service | Classification suspended by Russian Maritime Register of Shipping since 2005. | |||
| Tebo Olympia Angeles B | 11,474 | 1980 | Product tanker | 296 | 7813327 | Scrapped in 2011 | |||
| JärvsaarArctic Sun | 60 | 1979 | Winter trawler | 297 | In service | ||||
| L-915 Kupeli | — | 1979 | Tugboat | 298 | — | In service | |||
| Hankoniemi | — | 1980 | Transport boat | 299 | — | Decommissioned | Hauki class transport boat constructed in Kotka but delivered from the Vuosaari shipyard for the Finnish Navy. Decommissioned and sold to reservist organization in 2007. Sister vessels: Hirsala and Houtskär. | ||
| Hirsala | — | 1980 | Transport boat | 300 | — | In service | |||
| Houtskär | — | 1980 | Transport boat | 301 | — | In service | |||
| Ahven 1 Ahven 2 Ahven 3 Ahven 4 Ahven 5 Ahven 6 | — | 1979 | Training boat | 302 | — | Decommissioned | Six training and work boats for the Finnish Navy. Constructed in Kotka but delivered from the Vuosaari shipyard. Decommissioned and sold to civilians in the 2000s. | ||
| Julanta | 60 | 1979 | Winter trawler | 303 | — | Scrapped in 2005 | |||
| Anatoliy Vasilyev Katsina Jolly Celeste Laura Delmas Repubblica de La Boca Laura Nds Prospector Niledutch Prospector Spector | 22,447 | 1981 | Ro-ro | 304 | 7910656 | Scrapped in 2010 | |||
| Smolensk Euroshipping Three Alyona | 22,447 | 1981 | Ro-ro | 305 | 7910668 | Scrapped in 2010 | |||
| Vikla Vikland Lister | 8,288 | 1982 | Product tanker | 306 | 7924176 | Scrapped in 2014 | Sold to an undisclosed buyer in auction after a 76-day detention in Gibraltar in 2009. Classification withdrawn by Det Norske Veritas in 2009. | ||
| Shelltrans Acila Bacalan Vega Desgagnés Fort Abel Chukotka+ | 11,548 | 1982 | Product tanker | 307 | In service | ||||
| Arctic Scan Melkki Sinimeri Aegean Pride I Pride | 11,538 | 1982 | Product tanker | 308 | 8027195 | Scrapped in 2010 | |||
| Polar Scan Rankki Omega af Donsö Kingston Reem-1 Syros II Lady Noor | 11,538 | 1982 | Product tanker | 309 | 8027200 | Scrapped in 2019 | |||
| Nizhneyansk Magdalena Oldendorff Ocean Luck Captain Kurbatskiy | 20,000 | 1983 | Ro-ro/General cargo | 310 | 8013065 | Scrapped in 2011 | SA-15 class arctic cargo ship. Sister ships built at Vuosaari: Okha, Bratsk, Kemerovo and Anadyry. | ||
| Okha Speybank Mahinabank | 20,000 | 1983 | Ro-ro/General cargo | 311 | 8013077 | Scrapped in 2009 | |||
| Bratsk Arunbank Tikeibank | 20,000 | 1983 | Ro-ro/General cargo | 312 | 8013089 | Scrapped in 2009 | |||
| Rossvik | 60 | 1981 | Trawler | 313 | In service | Constructed in Kotka but delivered from the Vuosaari shipyard. | |||
| Boris Polevoy Smit Express Midnight Express Express Lewek Express | 8,770 | 1984 | Barge carrier | 314 | In service | Converted to a pipe-laying ship in 2002. Sister ship: Pavel Antokolskiy. | |||
| Pavel Antokolskiy Smit Explorer Explorer Karadeniz Powership Zeynep Sultan | 8,770 | 1984 | Barge carrier | 315 | In service | Converted to floating power station in 2011. | |||
| Kemerovo Marathon II Professor Barabanov | 20,000 | 1983 | Ro-ro/General cargo | 316 | 8120662 | Scrapped in 2012 | |||
| Anadyry Emerald Sea | 20,000 | 1984 | Ro-ro/General cargo | 317 | 8120674 | Scrapped in 2011 | |||
| Anatoliy Kolesnichenko | 19,500 | 1985 | Ro-ro/General cargo | 318 | 8406688 | Scrapped in 2012 | SA-15 Super class arctic cargo ship. Sister ships: Kapitan Man, Yuriy Arshenevskiy, Vasiliy Burkhanov and Kapitan Danilkin. | ||
| Kapitan Man | 19,500 | 1985 | Ro-ro/General cargo | 319 | 8406690 | Scrapped in 2012 | |||
| Yuriy Arshenevskiy | 19,500 | 1986 | Ro-ro/General cargo | 320 | In service | ||||
| Birka Princess Sea Diamond | 2,441 | 1986 | Cruiseferry | 321 | 8406731 | Sank in 2007 | Sank on 5 April 2007 after running aground near the Greek island of Santorini on the previous day. Two French passengers remain missing. | ||
| Vasiliy Burkhanov | 19,500 | 1986 | Ro-ro/General cargo | 322 | 8406717 | Scrapped in 2013 | |||
| Kapitan Danilkin | 19,500 | 1987 | Ro-ro/General cargo | 323 | In service | ||||
| Espa | 8,540 | 1987 | Barge | 324 | In service | Last newbuilding from the Vuosaari shipyard. |