Headline: Eskomarine Becomes Dormac’s Exclusive Agent in Türkiye

Eskomarine, which continues to expand the Turkish maritime sector’s international network of services and solutions, has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Dormac Marine & Engineering, one of the leading ship repair, maintenance and engineering companies in South Africa and Namibia. Under the agreement, Eskomarine has become Dormac’s exclusive agent and official representative in Türkiye.

The agreement was signed by Eskomarine General Manager Ali Kuray during a signing ceremony held as part of SMM Hamburg, one of the world’s leading maritime industry gatherings.

Under the agreement, Eskomarine has been appointed Dormac’s exclusive sales agent in the Turkish market for its operations in South Africa and Namibia. As a result, Turkish shipowners and ship management companies will be able to access the ship repair, maintenance, dry-docking and technical services they need in the region directly from Türkiye through Eskomarine.

Strong Shipyard Infrastructure in South Africa and Namibia

Dormac serves a wide geographical area through its operations at key maritime locations in South Africa and Namibia, including Durban, Richards Bay, Cape Town, Saldanha Bay and Walvis Bay.

Dormac’s shipyard and dry-docking capacity in Durban is particularly noteworthy. Covering 47,216 square metres, the Durban shipyard features steel fabrication facilities, pipe and extensive machinery workshops, as well as a dedicated repair quay. The main repair quay is 195 metres long, with a draft of 8 metres, while the facility can accommodate vessels of up to 260 metres. The machine shop houses three lathes with capacities exceeding 14 metres, CNC turning and milling machines, a heat-treatment furnace, and large-capacity vertical and horizontal boring machines.

The Prince Edward Graving Dock in Durban has a total docking length of 352 metres, a width of 33.5 metres and a depth of 12.5 metres. The dock can be divided into two sections measuring 206.9 metres and 138.68 metres, respectively, and is equipped with five cranes with lifting capacities ranging from 10 to 50 tonnes.

Dormac’s Cape Town operations also feature substantial dry-docking infrastructure capable of accommodating large vessels. The Sturrock Dry Dock stands out with a length of 365 metres, a width of 45 metres and a depth of 14 metres, offering a maximum docking width of 42 metres.

Dormac’s regional capabilities extend beyond Durban and Cape Town. Its Saldanha Bay facilities offer a draft of 15 metres, mobile crane capacity of up to 1,000 tonnes, and 50,000 square metres of quay and working space, providing significant infrastructure for heavy-lifting and offshore projects.

In Walvis Bay, Namibia, Dormac operates a 2,000-square-metre workshop, two 25-tonne cranes, blasting and painting facilities, and an 80-metre-long, 14-metre-wide shiplift with a capacity of 2,000 tonnes. The company also provides afloat repairs, shiplift docking and maintenance and repair services outside the port.

One-Stop Services from Repairs to Engineering

Dormac’s service network extends beyond dry-docking and conventional ship repairs. Its core services include engineering and 3D scanning, dry-docking, steelwork, high- and low-pressure piping, mechanical maintenance and repairs, machining, electrical services, blasting, coating and insulation, diving and underwater services, newbuilding and fabrication, subsea structures, and survey and inspection activities.

With this comprehensive technical infrastructure, Turkish shipowners and ship operators will be able to access a broad range of services through Eskomarine, from scheduled dry-docking and emergency repairs to mechanical and electrical troubleshooting, steelwork and piping operations in South Africa and Namibia.

Ali Kuray: “We Are Establishing a Strong Service Hub Turkish Shipowners Can Rely On in the Region”

Commenting on the agreement, Eskomarine General Manager Ali Kuray said the partnership went beyond a conventional agency agreement, creating a strong regional service network for the Turkish maritime sector.

“The Turkish merchant fleet operates in virtually every part of the world today. At Eskomarine, we place great importance on ensuring that shipowners can access reliable, fast and effective technical solutions wherever they need them.

“Following our facilities in Türkiye, Poland, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece, Spain, Malta, Bulgaria, Qatar, Cuba, Vietnam and China, we examined Dormac’s shipyard infrastructure and technical capabilities in South Africa and Namibia in detail. We saw that we could offer Turkish shipowners a strong alternative in the region. Through this agreement, we are establishing a reliable structure that Turkish vessels can access directly from Türkiye for repairs, maintenance, dry-docking and technical services required in the region.”

Highlighting the importance Dormac attaches to the Turkish market as one of the key aspects of the agreement, Kuray continued:

“We regard Dormac’s appointment of Eskomarine as its exclusive agent for the Turkish market as an important indication of the strength and potential of the Turkish maritime sector in international markets. Our goal is not simply to represent a shipyard in Türkiye. We aim to establish a strong service hub that Turkish shipowners can contact in Türkiye whenever they need assistance in South Africa or Namibia, communicate with in their own language, and rely on to manage the process from start to finish.”

Kuray also outlined the benefits the partnership is expected to deliver to Turkish shipowners in the coming period:

“We are combining Dormac’s technical capacity and regional experience with Eskomarine’s close relationships across the Turkish maritime sector and its fast-service approach. When a Turkish vessel needs technical support in Durban, Cape Town, Saldanha Bay or Walvis Bay, it will now be able to access a strong shipyard organisation backed by Eskomarine in Türkiye. For us, this is the most important aspect of the agreement.”

A New Service Bridge Between Türkiye and South Africa

Under the new partnership, Eskomarine will serve as the primary point of contact and coordination in Türkiye for Turkish shipowners and ship management companies undertaking projects at Dormac’s facilities.

Shipowners will therefore be able to establish direct contact with Dormac through Eskomarine for scheduled maintenance and dry-docking projects, as well as technical requirements arising during voyages, emergency repairs, mechanical and electrical work, steelwork and piping operations, spare parts and other technical services.

The strategic partnership between Eskomarine and Dormac Marine & Engineering aims to provide Turkish maritime companies with faster, more reliable and direct access to the technical infrastructure they need for their operations in South Africa and Namibia.