As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 9th of November, 2020, the luxury cabins of an impressive polar cruiser are being built in the Split shipyard for an American client. The cabins are truly luxurious and boast everything an American client might need and want.

The cabin being worked on currently is a demonstration cabin located in the hangar in the aforementioned Split shipyard, Brodosplit. If the client is satisfied with what he sees and what is being offered, then it will be installed in the ship, HRT reports.

''The shipowner is the one who sets all of the requirements, we're here to fulfill all of those requirements or to offer some replacements for what he would like within the budget he has,'' explained Ana Perisic, interior designer.

''We're in the final phase of work on this new construction, and that is the Ultramarine that we're building for the American company Quark. So, after these works, we will start testing it out and expect the final field works by the end of this year, followed by the handover of the ship,'' stated Dalibor Komatina, production director at the well known Split shipyard.

The shipowner's representative is more than satisfied with the construction process so far, as all of the deadlines and all their other requirements have been met. They already know when the ship will leave and where it will head on its very first voyage.

''It will make its first trip to the Arctic next May. In the summer season, we'll go to the Arctic area. The ship will set sail in Norway for the ocean, and sail around Iceland and Greenland moving west following the movement of the ice,'' says Elliott Tulloch, a client representative of Quark Expeditions, USA.

The construction of polar cruisers is an extremely demanding and complex job, which they readily prepared for at the aforementioned Ship shipyard in order to seize the best possible position on the global market, and they succeeded in doing precisely that.

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As Novac writes on the 3rd of September, 2020, for the first time in the same day, two keels were ceremoniously laid at the Croatian shipyard Brodosplit. These are keels for new buildings (novogradnje) 541 and 542, from a series of coastal patrol boats that are being built for the needs of the coast guard.

The keel for number 542 was laid in the pre-assembly hall, and a ceremony for the laying the keel for number 541 was also held. Two keels were installed as part of the construction project of the four remaining coastal patrol vessels contracted for the Croatian Navy at the Croatian shipyard Brodosplit. This has been taking place following a prototype of the Omis coastal patrol vessel having been built and handed over to the Croatian Navy two years ago.

These contracts are, as has been unofficially found out, worth around 80 million kuna with VAT per ship. These are ships 43.16 metres long and eight metres wide, and they're equipped with the basic weapons of all coast guard vessels operating today.

The Minister of Defense, Mario Banozic, recalled that the project of building coastal patrol ships started many years ago.

''The design phase was the most demanding part. All shortcomings have been dealt with and everything that defines the entire shipbuilding process has been carried out. Today we received a complete solution that has its own work dynamics. So we can say that the dynamics for these ships is 540 plus 180 plus 180 plus 180 days. Everything that happens earlier will be supported by the Ministry of Defense because the goal is to do the job well in accordance with the financial plan and the requirements of the Ministry of Defense.

Tomislav Debeljak, President of the Management Board of the Croatian shipyard Brodosplit, pointed out that the construction of these four ships, as far as Brodosplit is concerned, should be completed before the agreed deadline.

''The agreed deadlines were revealed by Minister Banozic, and according to our estimates, we might be able to complete them as much as one year earlier than those deadlines. We know that these ships are needed by the Croatian Navy as soon as possible for security reasons, and we'll do our best to get them as soon as possible,'' assured Debeljak.

''We're not sorry because we received an extremely high quality product. We're not sorry for the time or the money we invested. Coastal patrol boats are now one of Brodosplit's biggest export assets. The financial value of these ships that we build for the navy is much lower than in the case of other countries, which have shown interest in building in our country. On the global market, the value of such a ship ranges between 18 and 25 million euros. For Croatia, that price is much lower,'' said Tomislav Debeljak.

As for the sailing ship that is still moored in the Croatian shipyard Brodosplit, Debeljak revealed that it is moored exclusively due to the coronavirus pandemic and that the first cruise is planned for April next year.

''The owner of the ship is a company from within the Brodosplit group. We're in the process of arbitration with the client, which should be concluded in the first quarter of next year. Brodosplit is claiming 48 million euros,'' revealed the owner of Brodosplit, who, on this occasion noted that Brodosplit has been dealing with the cruising industry since 2014.

''We took advantage of the crisis in the cruise segment so that we got the best managers and an extremely high-quality crew. Katina, for example, achieved record results this season, so we remained recognised in this segment,'' said Debeljak.

Debeljak also noted that he was satisfied with the order book and that at the moment, Brodosplit has 2,200 permanent workers and that when it comes to subcontractors, there are 2,600 and 2,800 workers. The company also boasts between 150 and 200 foreign workers.

Ivo Raffanelli, Commander of the Croatian Navy, noted that this work should have been completed by 2018, but for justified reasons, there was a delay in designing the prototype.

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Croatian shipbuilding hasn't had an easy ride of it of late, with both Uljanik in Pula and 3.Maj in Rijeka suffering for a long period of time. Brodosplit, however, has always managed to keep its head above water and remain a formidable player on the market.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 10th of August, 2020, exactly four months after the signing of the contract for the construction of four new coastal patrol boats commissioned for the Croatian Navy, their construction will begin on Monday at the well known Brodosplit shipyard near the City of Split. The agreed price of each ship stands at a massive 80 million kuna including VAT, according to a report from Jutarnji list.

The Brodosplit-built ships, which are each 43.16 metres long and eight metres wide, will be equipped with all of the basic weapons boasted by all modern coast guard vessels. The hull of coastal patrol vessels will be built of high-strength steel AH36, and the superstructure will be made of aluminum alloy.

The new Croatian Navy ships will be equipped with protection against nuclear-biological-chemical action and they will be equipped with a stern ramp and a 7.7-metre-long rigid hull sailing boat for six crew members with a propulsion diesel engine that allows for speeds of up to forty knots. The capacity of these ships is sixteen people each.

The vessels being constructed at Brodosplit will reach speeds of up to 29 knots and with just one load of fuel they will be able to sail 1000 nautical miles at a speed of fifteen knots. During the signing of the contract, the then Minister of Defense, Damir Krsticevic, said that the first of this series of ships should be completed on September the 18th, 2021, and the last sometime in September 2023.

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As Morski writes on the 14th of June, 2020, Brodosplit has made a contract with the Greek company Avax for the construction of a steel structure for the Ston bridge and the Prapratno viaduct, facilities on the Ston bypass route, which is part of the project of connecting the extreme south of Croatia and the access roads to the long awaited Peljesac Bridge.

This is the first big job for one of the Croatian companies in the entire road connection project of the south of Croatia with the rest of the country, a project worth three billion kuna. The value of the contract with Avax hasn't yet been disclosed by Brodosplit, but a large number of its employees, as many of 200 of them, will be engaged in doing that job, according to a report from Vecernji list.

Thus, the Split-based company stated that in addition to the construction of the steel structure for the Ston bridge and the Prapratno viaduct, they also contracted transport to the construction site, installation, joining and anti-corrosion protection.

The works that will be undertaken by Brodosplit employees involves a massive 2580 tonnes of steel construction, and as stated, around 200 workers from the aforementioned shipyard will be engaged in that work - they say from Brodosplit. Avax will construct the Ston bypass, ie the sub-sections Sparagovici - Prapratno and Prapratno - Doli, with a total length of eighteen kilometres, and the contracted value of the works stands at an enormous 511.5 million kuna (excluding VAT).

The construction of the Ston bridge will be a very demanding construction project because there will be tunnels on both sides of the bridge. The Ston bridge will be 485 metres long, on one side there will be the Polakovica tunnel, which is 1242 metres long, and on the other side, the Supava tunnel, which is 1290 metres long. The Prapratno viaduct, at the ninth kilometre of this particular section, will be 223 metres long. Avax was introduced to the construction of the Sparagovici - Doli section back in early December last year, but serious work hasn't yet begun, partly due to the coronavirus crisis.

From Croatian roads (Hrvatske ceste), however, they expect that these works will be completed within the previously agreed period of 28 months. In addition to the work on the access roads, Brodosplit could also get another ''slice of the cake'' in terms of being engaged in the works on Peljecac Bridge, and this is something that is currently being negotiated with the Chinese contractor China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).

Namely, due to the coronavirus crisis, specialised workers, such as welders and fitters of the steel load-bearing structure of the bridge - can't come to Peljesac Bridge's construction site from China. The first 29 of a total of 165 steel structure segments from China arrived at the construction site back in late February this year. There has been no desire expressed by Brodosplit in terms of wanting to talk about putting their welders to work on Peljesac Bridge as there have been no negotiations with the CRBC on the matter yet.

"Given that negotiations on our engagement and cooperation are still ongoing, it wouldn't be in accordance with good business practice to go public with the details of those negotiations," a statement from Brodosplit said. The CRBC said that currently, Chinese welders, are already working on the construction site.

"Now we're trying in all possible ways to get various workers to the construction site from China as soon as possible" they claimed from the CRBC, adding that they will perform all the work in accordance with the contract.

However, they noted that, given the significant impact the coronavirus pandemic has had and continues to have on the project, they, as the contractor, together with the client and the supervising engineers, will assess this impact and try to find a solution.

To briefly recall, the CRBC contracted the construction of Peljesac Bridge for an enormous price tag of 2.08 billion kuna, and it should be completed by July the 31st, 2021. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Chinese announced a possible delay in terms of those deadlines, but they failed to state just how long it could be instead.

Croatian roads still believe that it's still possible for the bridge to be completed within the agreed deadline. Works on the second part of the access roads are being performed by Strabag. These works worth 478.3 million kuna (excluding VAT) should be completed within 33 months from the date of the introduction of the contractor to the works, and that took place back in mid-November last year.

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As Novac/Jozo Vrdoljak writes on the 2nd of June, 2020, following last year's delivery of its first polar cruiser Hondius, which completed its first Arctic and Antarctic season, it's time for newbuild (novogradnja) 485 at the Croatian shipyard Brodosplit. Namely, the famous shipyard is working on yet another passenger ship for cruising the polar regions which will be named Janssonius.

Janssonius is Hondius' twin ship, and according to Brodosplit's main man Tomislav Debeljak, it is among the rare ships designed for polar expeditions in the world. Like Hondius, Janssonius has been contracted by Oceanwide Expeditions, which specialises in expeditions to Antarctica and the Arctic. It is 108.6 metres long, 17.6 metres wide, and its speed of fifteen knots is provided by two main engines with a total power of 4260 kW.

It will be able to accommodate 194 passengers housed in 81 cabins, and cared for by 78 crew members. According to Brodosplit, they will offer their passengers a high hotel standard as well as various categories of cabins, from spacious apartments to two-bedroom and four-bedroom cabins, where they will be provided with a safe and comfortable stay with multiple secured systems.

"After the first ship was delivered on time and after it was built with a profit for Brodosplit, and the state even made money on it, the Dutch shipowner ordered the construction of another ship which is almost the same. So, the buyer didn't immediately order the construction of two ships, but after he was convinced that the first one was built with quality, he ordered another one. With some minor modifications, the ship is identical to the first one that is already sailing. It is being built in the LR PC6 class, which meets the latest requirements of the Lloyd's Register for Polar Class 6 vessels. The planned completion of construction is the end of next summer. This is a popular class of cruisers in recent times, which we believe won't be affected by the coronavirus crisis like other segments of cruising have been,'' said Tomislav Debeljak.

Debeljak revealed that Brodosplit was not hit so hard by the recent economic crisis as some other segments of the economy have been.

"We had, admittedly, experienced some delays in the delivery of materials, but that problem is now behind us. If there is a second wave of the epidemic to come, we'll adapt to the situation. Given the situation in Brodosplit, it shouldn't be affected by any long-term crisis,'' assured Tomislav Debeljak.

Regarding the measures introduced to try to cub the epidemic in Croatia, Debeljak said he welcomed them. He is of the opinion that it would not be good for a European country to support its shipyards without Croatia doing the same.

Wijnand van Gessel, owner of the Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions, pointed out that he wouldn't have contacted Brodosplit for another vessel if he wasn't satisfied with the first one, Hondius, and the hard work of Brodosplit.

"They wouldn't have ordered the construction of another ship if it were not so. We solved all the problems that arose during the construction together with Brodosplit. Hondius has fully met our expectations,'' said Wijnand van Gessel.

Assistant Minister of Economy, Zvonimir Novak, pointed out that if the deadlines for the construction of the ship are met, then the Government of the Republic of Croatia has no problems regarding the issued guarantees for construction.

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May 24, 2020 - At the launch of the polar cruiser Ultramarine, the owner of the DIV group Tomislav Debeljak announced a new project. Brodosplit will construct the largest luxury yacht in the world, named "Njord". It is a 281.8-meter long residential yacht built for Ocean Residences Development from Malta. It will be made in Brodosplit and in the Norwegian shipyard Kleven Verft, which is also part of the DIV group.

Morskli.hr reports that the ship's metal construction will be made at Brodosplit, as well as a large part of the installations. The hull of the ship made in Split will be towed to Kleven Verft where the yacht will be equipped. It is planned that everything will be finished by 2024.

The yacht is 33.5 meters wide and will have 12 decks. Apartment accommodation on board will be divided into 118 residences that can be purchased, as well as 16 apartments for guests and butlers. Available in 20 different configurations, these residences will range from two to six bedrooms spanning 116 to 800 square meters, the reputable magazine Boat International writes in more detail about the equipment and purpose of the ship.

Designed to maximize privacy, comfort and security, each apartment features a living room with sea views and access to open terraces. Owners will be able to customize their apartments to their own taste, choosing furniture and decorations to their liking.

DIV/Brodosplit

Njord will boast an impressive list of luxury facilities that include several outdoor terraces, a sun deck, two outdoor pools, an indoor hydro pool, rich wellness facilities, and a nightclub and jazz lounge. The lounges of the telescope observatory will sit on the upper deck.

The vessel will be equipped to conduct scientific and oceanographic research during its annual world tour. Every year, it will travel to some of the most remote and "culturally unique" places on earth.

Njord will collect environmental and marine data from around the world, which will be available to international science laboratories.

The ship will be a fully equipped oceanographic research laboratory with an expert staff. Otherwise, the vessel will have a gyroscopic telescope, which will scan the sky at night, while drones will monitor the atmosphere.

DIV/Brodosplit

Meanwhile, submarine drones, along with Njord’s submarines, will map the ocean floor using multi-beam sonar to identify shipwrecks and seabed features. Njord will also have two eight-seater Airbus ACH 160 helicopters with a range of 400 nautical miles. They will be used exclusively by owners and guests.

Each of the 311 crew members will have their own private cabin, resulting in a 1:2 guest-crew ratio.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 21st of May, 2020, the loan for Ultramarine's construction was provided by HBOR, and the guarantee was given by the Government of the Republic of Croatia back on the 16th of May, 2018 with its decision.

A few days ago, Newbuild (Novogradnja) 487, a passenger ship for polar expeditions, which will be named "Ultramarine", was launched in the Shipbuilding Industry Split.

The President of the Management Board of Brodosplit, Tomislav Debeljak, thanked the workers of the Split shipyard for being able to complete such a significant project in the challenging times of the coronavirus.

The technologically advanced ship for polar expeditions has been contracted with the American company Quark Expeditions, part of the Travelopia Group, which has in its portfolio a number of world companies specializing in adventure travel.

The ultramarine is 128 metres long and 21.5 metres wide, and will be able to accommodate up to 200 passengers who will be cared for by 140 crew members in 103 luxuriously decorated cabins and public spaces and will have an incredible range of adventure options for all of them. Otherwise, the value of the ship is over 106 million euros. The loan for its construction was provided by HBOR, and the guarantee was given by the Government of the Republic of Croatia on 16 May 2018 with its decision.

"After the delivery of the ''Hondius'' polar cruisers, which to the great satisfaction of irs owners and users completed its first Arctic and Antarctic season, this ship will be the new pride of Croatian shipbuilding and the confirmation of Brodosplit's entry into the market of passenger ships of up to 200 metres in length which compete well in the niche of the builders of some of the most modern polar cruisers,'' read a statement from the well known Split-based shipyard - Brodosplit.

Watch the video of Ultramarine's launch below:

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May 16, 2020 — Brodosplit launched the polar expedition ship “Ultramarine”, a €106 million symbol of Croatian shipbuilding’s switch to sophisticated specialized vessels. The new niche within the industry is becoming the country’s largest export, according to government officials.

“All those who think Croatia does not need shipbuilding, this is the real counter to their argument,” Economics Minister Darko Horvat said at the launch.

The “Ultramarine” was the third ship funded by a state guarantee, a new means of keeping Croatia’s shipping industry afloat after the collapse of the Uljanik shipyard in Pula.

American company Quark Expeditions contracted the Split-based shipyard to build the vessel in 2018, with work starting last year.

“Brodosplit proves that shipbuilding in Croatia can be profitable,” Minister Horvat said. “On this ship, the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development has earned interest, the local community and the state budget has benefited, as well as other public services.”

Andrea Mutak, member of the Angels Association which cares for children with physical disabilities and developmental difficulties, served as the ship’s godmother.

The “Ultramarine”, 128 meters long and 21,5 meters wide, can hold up to 200 travelers and 140 crew members. Work is on schedule so far. Brodosplit expects the vessel completede and delivered by the end of the year.

The luxury cruise ship follows the Scenic Eclipse, another polar cruiser which the Uljanik shipyard completed last year.

Croatia’s Bank for Reconstruction and Development provided the loan for the “Ultramarine” in 2018, with the Croatian government providing state funds as collateral.

The financing model is a variant of the state-backed assistance that kept Croatia’s shipyards operating until new European Rules limiting government backing left the industry on the verge of bankruptcy. 

Now, the government finances individual projects instead of shipyards.

Brodosplit benefited from the model as it danced with insolvency. The shipyard received €150 million in guarantees, used to finance two vessels and paid back in full.

Quark Expeditions will add the “Ultramarine” to its fleet of specially equipped boats and icebreakers, which travel to remote locations not accessible by ordinary cruise ships.

The luxury vessel’s first voyage follows the footsteps of the Endurance crew’s Antarctic expedition, Ernest Shackleton’s tragic final trip.

Brodosplit remains one of the few shipyards left standing from the Adriatic’s once-dominant shipbuilding industry. It operates at a fraction of its intended capacity, while many of its former competitors along the Dalmatian coast slow down or shutter. Eighty percent of its work is now for foreign firms.

The shipbuilding industry in Split has not left its company Brodosplit - Diesel Engine Factory (TDM) to go bankrupt, marking a much needed positive outcome for the otherwise enfeebled Croatian shipbuilding industry.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Suzana Varosanec writes on the 4th of February, 2020, the decision to save Brodosplit's diesel engine factory has been set in stone, and according to the company, they have big plans for it. The Commercial Court in Split has confirmed the large company's status as successful.

In line with their commitment to preserving all segments of Brodosplit, the profession and the knowledge acquired in recent decades, and especially the Diesel Engine Factory, Brodosplit states that they have serious plans for the factory, and this is also evidenced by the Commercial Court's decision rejecting the bankruptcy petition and continuing with the company.

They recall that their factory has been producing four-stroke and two-stroke engines under the license of MAN Diesel & Turbo for several decades now, producing more than 180 identical "machines". The production of electronically controlled motors for the last decade represents the very top of technological achievements in this field and they can, in the future, be handled equally by all international marine engine manufacturers.

"However, because of unfair Far Eastern competition that can count on near-endless funding sources, its sustainability has logically been called into question. Nevertheless, our plan is to produce two-stroke LNG engines and motor fuels, the cleanest and most environmentally friendly fossil fuel, and four-stroke auxiliaries. Dual fuel engines will continue to be built in Brodosplit,'' they say.

Thus, the procedure was suspended in order to determine the preconditions for opening bankruptcy proceedings against TDM, initiated upon Fina's proposal three months ago due to a debt of 840,000 kuna, and part of the blockade was already reduced in December.

The court's decision means that this large company is a solvent company, so its statement of access to debt - judged credible and approved by a court - provides creditors with a strong sense of security in terms of securing their claims, within short legal and court deadlines which have been set.

There are several creditors with claims, with the exception of Croatia Osiguranje (Insurance), which alone claims around 500,000 kuna. The statement of access to the debt of January the 29th, 2020, was certified by a notary public, so Brodosplit, in addition to the debtor, undertook the obligation of fulfilling all the obligations of the bankruptcy debtor within two months of the issuance of that court decision.

The Commercial Court states that Brodosplit is classified as a large company with a general liquidity ratio of 0.49 (others of the same size have an average coefficient of 0.26), a coefficient of 1.04 of the ratio of total revenue and expenses (others of the same size have an average of 0.51), and 3.88 percent of profit share in total revenue.

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As Morski writes on the 17th of January, 2020, the Finnish shipping company Viking Line has announced that it is selling "Amorella", a passenger ship of Croatian production which was constructed in the well known Split shipyard Brodosplit.

By the end of 2020, it will be replaced by a new Viking Glory ship arriving from Xiamen Shipyard in China. Amorella sails under the Finnish flag and its home port is Mariehamn, often referred to as the very gateway to the Baltic sea.

The sale was confirmed by Viking Line CEO Jan Hanses. Although, he says, there were shipping companies that showed interest in Amorella, the sale will be delayed until a new ship is delivered to the Finns because the company doesn't want to get itself into the unfortunate situation of not having a vessel at all for a period of time.

M / S Amorella was, as stated, built in Brodosplit, more precisely in the special facilities shipyard. It is the first is of four twin ships: M / S Isabella, M / S Gabriella and M / S Crown Seaways, all of which were built in the aforementioned Split shipyard.

The ship was ceremonially transhipped on September the 28th, 1988. It was the pride of the City of Split and of course of Brodosplit at the time, and the ship can accommodate almost two thousand passengers and 400 vehicles, which was a huge highlight back in the late eighties. The American Maritime Reporter & Engineer News also proclaimed Amorella the most brilliant ship of the year.

Duška Boban and Nikola Bajto have written a book on the ship made in Split called "Amorella - a floating city". Lordan Zafranovic filmed the award-winning documentary "Amorella - A Road to the Future" back in 1989, which showcases footage of the construction, the launch and the eventual handover of this famous vessel in the Dalmatian city of Split.

Tena Perishin and Sime Strikoman also created the television report "With Amorella across the Baltic" back in 1991, in much more turbulent times for Croatia.

Watch the video below:

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