SLKB Komarno – Slovak Shipyard Komárno

SLKB Komarno – Slovak Shipyard Komárno (Slovenské lodenice Komárno, historically the Komáromi hajógyár) is Slovakia's only shipyard, located in Komárno on the Danube. It traces its origins to 1898, when the Magyar Folyam- és Tengerhajózási Részvénytársaság (MFTR) established a winter port and shipyard between Budapest and Vienna on land provided by the city of Komárno. The yard built and repaired river vessels, including the paddle steamer Petőfi, and grew to employ 260 workers before World War I. Over the 20th century it passed through Czechoslovak, Hungarian and Slovak state ownership and various operators, and today it operates as the Shipyard division of the engineering group SAM Industries. The yard's product range covers river cargo vessels, passenger ships, barges, tugs, technical vessels and floating cranes. Its best-known modern series are the Rhein-M, Amisia, Jümme, Jümme L, Maas, Main and Leda cargo vessel types, with deadweight capacities ranging from about 2,600 to 4,200 tonnes. Vessels delivered in the 2008–2012 period include the Amisia-type Marten, Santa Helena I, RMS Bremen and RMS Rotterdam, and the Jümme L-type Wilson Alicante, Wilson Almeria and Wilson Astakos. As part of SAM Industries, the shipyard is one of the group's divisions alongside Steelwork, Equipments, Services, Technologies and Green Solutions. SAM Industries describes itself as one of the most significant companies on the engineering market, offering products and services mainly to EU countries, with operations in Komárno, Bratislava and Liptovský Mikuláš. The shipyard division benefits from the group's welding, steel fabrication and pressure-vessel capabilities and certifications, and remains an important employer in the Komárno region.

The shipyard's history begins in the late 19th century, when the spread of river navigation prompted the Magyar Folyam- és Tengerhajózási Részvénytársaság (MFTR) to establish a winter port and shipyard between Budapest and Vienna. After its founding in 1895, MFTR soon purchased two ship repair facilities: the MÁV ship workshop at Bazias and the shipbuilding and repair yard of the Magyar Gőzhajózási Társaság in Győr. The Bazias workshop was soon relocated to Orsova, while the Győr facility was moved in 1898 to Komárno, to the area of the winter port there. The city of Komárno made most of Erzsébet Island available to MFTR for sixty years, free of charge. In 1898, several buildings were erected, including the machine shop, upholstery and carpentry workshop, joinery, blacksmith shop, foundry and boiler house. Alongside technical equipment transferred from the Győr workshop, new tools and machine tools were acquired, and MFTR carried out its more significant and demanding repairs here. New vessels were also built: the Petőfi paddle-wheel passenger ship, 14 barges of 150 tonnes, 10 barges of 475 tonnes, 17 barges of 714 tonnes, 3 stationary ships, 6 mud barges, 12 pipe pontoons (harbour pontoons) and 22 harbour bridges. The modern shipyard built by Wellisch Hugó began shipbuilding and manufacturing in 1898 with 140 workers. Construction of the ship lift was completed in 1902, when the production of steel ships began. Among the ships repaired here, the best known were Győr, Pontius, Medve, Margit, Imre, Kékes and Mátra. Before World War I, the number of employees grew to 260. In 1914, MFTR raised its capital from 10 million to 25 million crowns, with the state purchasing a significant portion of the shares. This greatly facilitated the development not only of navigation but also of the Komárno shipyard. Among other things, it became possible to build a 3-tonne slewing crane. In 1915, a workshop ship was built at the yard, which performed repair and maintenance of warships on the Lower Danube. Then in 1918, construction began on the hulls of the passenger ships A III, A IV and A V, for which the ship engines were supplied by Ganz-Danubius. One of the passenger ships, Szent László, was completed at the Újpest workshop. In 1919, a significant part of the skilled workers of the Komárno workshop continued their work at the Újpest ship workshop established in 1918. The factory came into the ownership of the Czechoslovak state and was leased by the Škoda Works. Shipbuilding continued at the factory. After the Vienna Award signed on 2 November 1938, the factory again came into MFTR ownership. In the spring of 1940, large-scale construction began. The old buildings were demolished. In front of the slipway area, five closely connected workshop halls with a floor area of 12x25 m were built. At the tip of the island, a workshop with a floor area of 12x20 m was built for the carpentry and joinery workshops, and on the large Danube side of the island a new slipway was built for pulling out and launching barges to be repaired. These constructions were completed in 1940, and in 1941 the factory could operate at full capacity. In addition to the conversion of the Lehel motor ship and several other ships, two new Lower Danube tugboats, Komárom and Eger, were built at the factory until 1944. In the post-war period, the yard continued as part of the Czechoslovak, and later Slovak, shipbuilding industry under the name Slovenské lodenice Komárno (SLKB). It became Slovakia's only shipyard, primarily engaged in the construction and repair of cargo vessels. In the 2000s, the yard produced a series of modern river cargo vessel types, including the Rhein-M, Amisia, Jümme, Jümme L, Maas, Main and Leda. The last vessels delivered in the 2008–2012 period include the Amisia-type Marten (May 2012), Santa Helena I (March 2012), RMS Bremen (January 2012) and RMS Rotterdam (August 2011), as well as the Jümme L-type Wilson Alicante (November 2010), Wilson Almeria (October 2010) and Wilson Astakos (July 2010). Today the shipyard operates as the Shipyard division of the engineering group SAM Industries, which has operations in Komárno, Bratislava and Liptovský Mikuláš and offers products and services mainly to EU countries.

• 2012

  RMS Bremen (January), Santa Helena I (March) and Marten (May) are delivered.

• 2011

  RMS Rotterdam (Amisia type) is delivered in August.

• 2010

  Vessels delivered include Wilson Algeciras, Butes, Echion, Wilson Avonmouth, Helen Anna, Wilson Astakos, Niklas, Wilson Almeria and Wilson Alicante.

• 2009

  Multiple vessels delivered, including Wilson Aberdeen, Theseus, Peleus, Rodau, Melas and others.

• 2008

  Wilson Ayr (Jümme L type) is delivered in December.

• 1944

  Two new Lower Danube tugboats, Komárom and Eger, are built.

• 1941

  The factory operates at full capacity.

• 1940

  Large-scale construction begins; old buildings are demolished and new workshop halls and a slipway are built.

• 1938

  After the Vienna Award, the factory again comes into MFTR ownership.

• 1919

  The factory comes into Czechoslovak state ownership and is leased by the Škoda Works.

• 1918

  Construction begins on the hulls of passenger ships A III, A IV and A V.

• 1915

  A workshop ship is built at the yard for repair and maintenance of warships on the Lower Danube.

• 1914

  MFTR raises its capital from 10 million to 25 million crowns, with the state purchasing a significant portion.

• 1902

  Construction of the ship lift is completed, and steel ship production begins.

• 1898

  The Győr facility is moved to Komárno; the modern shipyard built by Wellisch Hugó begins shipbuilding with 140 workers.

• 1895

  MFTR is founded and soon purchases ship repair facilities, including the Győr shipyard.

Slovakia's only shipyard, focused on river cargo vessel construction and repair, operating as the Shipyard division of the SAM Industries engineering group.

• Rhein-M type cargo vessel

  River cargo vessel with 3,800 tdw deadweight; the Amisia type was developed from it.

• Amisia type cargo vessel

  Developed in 2010, with 3,800 tdw deadweight.

• Jümme type cargo vessel

  River cargo vessel with 3,550 tdw deadweight.

• Jümme L type cargo vessel

  River cargo vessel with 4,200 tdw deadweight.

• Maas type cargo vessel

  River cargo vessel with 2,600 tdw deadweight.

• Main type cargo vessel

  River cargo vessel with 2,920 tdw deadweight.

• Leda type cargo vessel

  River cargo vessel with 3,630 tdw deadweight, equipped with its own cranes.

1. 1Domov - SAM Industriessamindustries.sk
2. 2Services - SAM Industriessamindustries.sk
3. 3SLKB Komarno – Slovak Shipyard Komárno - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Komáromi hajógyár - Wikipediahu.wikipedia.org