Bahrain-based Two Seas Marine Services (TSM) has indigenously converted a bulk carrier into a sand dredger, which offers a faster, easier and cost-effective alternative to getting dredgers from Europe and elsewhere, said its managing director.

"This is a first for the region and opens the doors of a multi-million dollar market for us," Captain David Potter told the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

"We acquired two bulk carriers from Europe, one of which was converted into a hopper trailing suction dredger within four months.

"TSM Ancora is ready for service and her sister ship TSM Clarity will also be converted soon," said Capt Potter, who supervised the project,” he added.

The converted vessel has met the relevant requirements, passed all applicable tests and secured appropriate certificates and licences from independent surveyors as well as Bahrain's General Organisation of Seaports.

"We expect to commence operations with the dredger soon and start selling marine sand," he said.

"When the second ship is ready, we will double the current production capacity of about 1,250 cubic metres," he added.

Capt Potter said the company has already received enquiries from some local owners to look into conversion of their ships and marine vessels.

The conversion was done at Muharraq Engineering's jetty in the Mina Salman Industrial Area.

Nearly 40 people, eight of them Bahrainis, formed the technical team that worked on the project, according to Capt Potter.

"In partnership with Muharraq Engineering, we intend to provide, from our base in Bahrain, more and bigger specialised marine engineering services including other types of conversions to local and regional customers," he added.

"It was a brave decision to execute the project on our own in Bahrain, but we were able to pull it off, thanks to support from BMI Bank, Takaful Insurance, Kavalani & Sons, Inchcape Shipping Services, Oilfield & Technical Supplies Centre, Tylos Building Materials and Hempel Paints," he said.

"By doing this, I feel that not only have we contributed to the economy during these testing times, but also been instrumental in the transfer of technology to the country," he added. – TradeArabia News Service