Navy trusts domestic shipyard companies despite fire
The Indonesian Navy says it will still rely on the domestic shipbuilding industry despite the fire that severely damaged the locally produced KRI Klewang-625 on Friday.
The Rp 114 billion (US$11.91 million) vessel, made by local company PT Lundin Industry, caught fire while undergoing maintenance at the naval port in Banyuwangi, East Java.
Tanjung Pinang Naval Base (Lantamal IV) commander Commodore Agus Heryana said that the Navy would still use the local shipyard PT Palindo Marine, which is currently constructing four missile boats.
Agus said the Navy had not increased monitoring of the Batam-based company to prevent such accidents from recurring. “The Navy has yet to deploy personnel to assist in ship construction. Everything remains normal here,” he told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
PT Palindo Marine has been commissioned to build four KCR-40 vessels to support the Navy’s weapons defense system.
Two of the vessels, KRI Kujang 642 and KRI Clurit 641, were handed over to the Defense Ministry on Feb. 26 and April 25, respectively. The other two are currently still under construction, one of which is scheduled to be launched for operation in November this year.
PT Palindo Marine is also building a 60-meter-long patrol vessel for the Marine Security Coordinating Agency (Bakorkamla).
PT Palindo Marine is one of many shipyards in Batam, Riau Islands. Batam’s shipping industry grew significantly after the arrival of Singapore-based shipbuilders. The neighboring country has banned the operation of shipyards inside the country due to environmental concerns.
There are currently 90 shipyards across Riau Islands, with 71 percent of them located in Batam. The province’s shipyard industry is estimated to be worth $3 billion.
The KRI Klewang-625 caught on fire on Friday afternoon at about 3:15 p.m. local time. The fire severely damaged the ship; there were no fatalities reported.
Head of the information division of the Navy’s Eastern Region Armada (Armatim) Command, Lt. Col. Yayan Sugiana said the new vessel was still under the authority of PT Lundin Industry.
“The vessel has yet to be handed over to the Navy in either an official or unofficial capacity. It is still under the responsibility of PT Lundin Industry,” Yayan Sugiana said by telephone.
Armatim Commander Rear Admiral Agung Pramono, according to Yayan, had ordered the Banyuwangi Naval Base commander to handle the case and to establish a team to investigate the incident.
“There will be an evaluation made by the Navy that will be informed by the investigation,”
Yayan said.
Two fire engine units belonging to the local regency administration and another unit belonging to the state-run oil and gas company PT Pertamina extinguished the fire with the assistance of Navy personnel in rubber boats.
Due to the strong wind, the 25 meter-high flames were difficult to extinguish.
PT Lundin Industry said it was still investigating the cause of the fire and would release a statement regarding the incident on Monday.
The vessel was the result of collaborative research between North Sea Boats Pte. Ltd. (PT Lundin Industry Invest) and the ship architects from LOMO Cean, New Zealand. It was designed to be light, efficient and to have a low maintenance cost. It is also radar-proof and can be deployed for special paratroop operations.
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