Damen to build EUR 100 million shipyard in Kazakhstan
Nurdaulet Kilybay, Akim of the Mangystau oblast of Kazakhstan, shakes hands with Damen Group co-owner Rose Damen (Source: Mangystau region's administration)
Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards Group has signed a framework agreement with Kazakhstan’s Mangystau Region to develop a new shipyard in the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea, in a project valued at approximately EUR 100 million. The agreement was signed in Brussels during the Kazakhstan-European Union Business Forum and forms part of Mangystau’s broader strategy of expanding its transport and logistics infrastructure. The planned facility is intended to establish a new shipbuilding base for marine vessels operating in the Caspian region, while supporting the transfer of modern shipbuilding technologies, the creation of skilled jobs and the development of Kazakhstan’s maritime capabilities.
The project follows earlier discussions between Kazakh officials and Damen on industrial cooperation in shipbuilding. A Memorandum of Understanding covering the creation of a shipbuilding and ship repair cluster in Mangystau included provisions for technology transfer, localisation of production and workforce development.
Rose Damen, co-owner and board member of Damen Shipyards Group, was among the business representatives participating in the wider Kazakhstan-EU discussions in Brussels.
Meanwhile, Damen has been involved with another project in Djibouti, which has inaugurated a new shipyard, the Djibouti Ship Repair Yard (DSRY). The yard was developed in partnership with Damen and partially financed by the Netherlands’ Invest International. It is equipped with a 217m x 43m floating dock.
