Sponsored By

Keppel developing overseas yards as S'pore reduces foreign labour quota

Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) is developing the capabilities of its overseas yards in the Asian region as the percentage of foreign labour it can employ at its yards in Singapore is reduced by government regulations.

Marcus Hand, Editor

January 27, 2015

1 Min Read
Kalyakan - stock.adobe.com

As part of the Singapore government's efforts to curb reliance on overseas labour the ratio of foreign to local workers that the country’s shipyards can employ is capped at 4.5:1 this year and will to 4:1 in 2016.

Speaking at the annual results briefing of parent Keppel Corp last week, ceo Loh Chin Hua said, “With the foreign worker ratio starting to come down from this year we have been working very hard in terms of upgrading yards in the region like Bintan and Nantong into production yards for us.

“So we do see that over time, not because of the market, but because of the way that the regulations work in Singapore we will have to make better use of our overseas to do more of the work outside of Singapore.”

Keppel has been developing its capabilities at PT Bintan Offshore in Indonesia, Keppel Batangas and Keppel Subic Shipyards in the Philippines, and Keppel Nantong in China.

According Keppel O&M ceo YY Chow it has increased its steel production throughput at its Nantong yard from 6,000 – 7,000 tonnes annually three years ago to 35,000 tonnes today.

About the Author

Marcus Hand

Editor

Marcus Hand is the editor of Seatrade Maritime News and a dedicated maritime journalist with over two decades of experience covering the shipping industry in Asia.

Marcus is also an experienced industry commentator and has chaired many conferences and round tables. Before joining Seatrade at the beginning of 2010, Marcus worked for the shipping industry journal Lloyd's List for a decade and before that the Singapore Business Times covering shipping and aviation.

In November 2022, Marcus was announced as a member of the Board of Advisors to the Singapore Journal of Maritime Talent and Technology (SJMTT) to help bring together thought leadership around the key areas of talent and technology.

Marcus is the founder of the Seatrade Maritime Podcast that delivers commentary, opinions and conversations on shipping's most important topics.

Conferences & Webinars

Marcus Hand regularly moderates at international maritime events. Below you’ll find a list of selected past conferences and webinars.

Get the latest maritime news, analysis and more delivered to your inbox
Join 12,000+ members of the maritime community

You May Also Like