The situation today
While large-scale shipbuilding is still concentrated in the Nervión estuary, shipbuilding in Gipuzkoa centres mostly on the Zamakona shipyards in Pasaia and the Balenciaga shipyards in Zumaia. Today the shipyards compete on a wildly fluctuating international market. Despite the instability of the industry, Gipuzkoa continues to offer high quality work, thanks to a workforce with long ex-perience in the industry. The international market requires shipbuilders to be able to meet very varied demands. In Zumaia, for example, they build highly specialised ships for different industries, whereas in Pasaia work centres on repair, processing and maintenance of all types of vessels.
La Naval shipyards in Sestao building a tanker designed to sail
in Arctic waters. © José Lopez
Trawler built for companies from Ondarreta in 2000. The
ships generally fish in the Gran Sol area. Before recent fishing restrictions,
these ships embarked on one-month voyages. At that time
they unloaded their catches at Irish or Scottish ports. From there it
was trucked to the Basque Country, where it fetched a better
price. © José Lopez
“Romulo”, an escort tug with 83 tonnes pulling power. Her
great pulling power and ability to perform escort work (guiding and
braking a large oil tanker in confined waters) made her the first of
her kind in Europe. © José Lopez
Comparative sizes of an oil tanker and a tug. The “Grampian Commander” was the first of a series of seven
rescue vessels built by Balenciaga from 2005 for the Scottish company,
North Star Shipping. The purpose of these vessels is to stand
by at the oil rigs in case an accident occurs (fire, exhaust fumes,
etc.) and the workers need to be evacuated. These vessels work in
the North Sea, and are based in Aberdeen. © José Lopez
Pelagic trawler from the Zamakona shipyards in Pasaia, for the
Scottish Klondyke Fishing Company. They fish mainly in the North
Sea. She is 65 metres in length and has a capacity of 1,500 cubic
metres.
© José Lopez
