After enjoying an exceptional first quarter in 2020, South Shields based Solar Solve Marine continued with a very successful second quarter, taking into account the fact that the factory was shut down for 3 weeks within the period.
Amongst the orders taken during Q2 were contracts to supply various Type Approved SOLASOLV roller sunscreens and special roller blinds from the ROLASOLV ranges, for 17 ships building in Japan.
Vessels that will have the products installed at some of their windows include; two bulk carriers, NORD ARIPUANA and NORD MAGELLAN, 200 mts long, 32 mts beam and 62,500 dwt, built by Oshima Shipbuilding. A bigger bulk carrier, also built by Oshima Shipbuilding but 235 mts long, 38 mts beam and 100,000 dwt capacity and a 50 mts long, 10.6 mts beam Fishery Inspection vessel for the Japanese Government, built by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding, Tamano.
On receipt of these orders, Solar Solve’s chairman, John Lightfoot MBE commented, “At one time, around the 1970’s, Japanese yards were the envy of the world and practically built more ships than the rest of the world combined. By 2008 that was all changing and Japanese shipbuilding was contracting significantly, due to their much higher prices compared with what South Korea or China could and still can, build them for.”
“Orders to supply our products to 17 vessel in one quarter is really nice. We do receive a lot of orders from the country but not significant numbers. For Solar Solve, Japan has always been an important market because Japanese customers are rigorous taskmasters and if you can get it right for Japanese customers you can get it right for all your other customers, worldwide. We use them as our Benchmark. That is the major benefit for us, along with the fact that Japan is recognised globally as one of the best, if not the best, builder of most types of vessels and Solar Solve wants to be associated with that honour.
