High Profile Project to Refurbish Port El Bluff, Nicaragua, with ShibataFenderTeam Cone Fender Systems

Located on Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast, Puerto El Bluff plays a prominent role in the country’s domestic and international trade. Along with the other seven ports in the country, it is owned and operated by Nicaragua’s port authority, Empresa Portuaria Nacional. In 2007, the company launched a plan to improve navigational conditions in the region that included the replacement of the wooden berthing structure at El Bluff, which posed a problem for ships, with a new dolphin solution made of steel.

Our engineering team analyzed every condition to create a detailed design of a customized fender system: 2 sets of double SPC Cone Fenders systems (SPC 900) and 1 set of SPC Cone Fender System (SPC 800) with redesigned anchorage to fit onto the new dolphins as these are not made of concrete, but from a special steel structure.

From there, the SFT sales team worked in close communication with Empresa Portuaria Nacional to build a true partnership with them throughout the entire project. Representatives from the Nicaraguan company visited our manufacturing facility in Malaysia and got a firsthand impression of the factory’s state-of-the-art test equipment and extensive quality control processes while testing their own rubber fender units.

SFT faced several challenges due to the shortage of raw materials at the time and, towards the end, with the freight market situation, which our experienced colleagues successfully managed to the benefit of all stakeholders.

This is a good example of the ShibataFenderTeam resources & experience, a true global market leader approach.

SFT would like to thank Empresa Portuaria National for their confidence in us, also for inviting us to the opening of the refurbished installation, and to witness the first vessel berthing on the safe side.