Estaleiros Navais de Viana do Castelo (ENVC) is a medium-sized shipyard in business since 1944, located in the town of Viana do Castelo, on the Atlantic Coast in the very north of Portugal. Occupying an area of 400,000 square metres and employing 625 people, it is a major Portuguese shipbuilder. In 2013 its assets and operations were sub-licensed to Martifer, which renamed them to West Sea Shipyard.
Up to the present, the yard has delivered more than 220 vessels including barges, tugboats, ferry boats, fishing vessels, general cargo and bulk carriers, container ships, oil and chemical tankers, LPG's, cement carriers and warships.
History The shipyards were funded on 3 June 1944 as a private limited liability company with a capital of 750,000$00 escudos as a part of a Portuguese government program to modernize the national fishing fleet. They were founded by a group of technicians and workers from the shipyards of the port of Lisbon and two of the first investors were Vasco D'Orey and João Alves Cerqueira, from the cod fishing industry. By 1946, the shipyards were accredited by Lloyd's Register and in 1948 the company delivered its first three ships.
In May 1949, the ENVC were constituted as an anonymous society with a PTE 37,000,000$00 capital. In 1950 the company H. Parry & Son, Lda. became the main shareholder and in 1971 the CUF group took over as the major shareholder.
In 1975, following the Carnation Revolution the previous year, the shipyards were nationalized and became a state-owned company with a capital of PTE 330,000,000$00. In 1987 its capital was changed to 3 million contos.
In 1991 the company was made an anonymous society with the Portuguese government remaining the major shareholder.
In 2004, the Portuguese ministry of defense ordered eight patrol ships of the Viana do Castelo class from the shipyard. These faced delays and only two ships would be completed by 2013.
In 2012, the shipyard was officially placed under a privatization process. By 2013, due to ongoing financial difficulties, ENVC was declared in a difficult economic situation, leading to its eventual bankruptcy and liquidation. Following this, a concession was granted to the Martifer Group to manage the shipyards, with plans to revive shipbuilding operations. Under this concession valid until 2031, the group pays annually 415 thousand euros to the Portuguese state.
On December 20, 2013, MEP Ana Gomes filed a criminal complaint with the Attorney General's Office over the ENVC sub-concession to Ria/Martifer Energy, requesting the European Commission to suspend it.
In November 2014, the European Parliament rejected a request to lift the parliamentary immunity of MEP Ana Gomes. This decision prevented Gomes from facing trial in Portugal for defamation in a case brought by Defense Minister José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, following her statements on the government's decision to privatize the Viana do Castelo Shipyards. After the vote, Aguiar-Branco remarked that her accusations were personal and unrelated to her role as an MEP, suggesting that the European Parliament allows MEPs to speak without consequence.
On December 17, 2017, it was announced that, at the time of its formal dissolution, the Viana do Castelo Shipyards would report net losses exceeding €700 million. The formal dissolution was scheduled for March 31, 2018.
Ships built Between 1944 and 1974, 90% of ships were delivered to Portuguese shipowners and 50% were fishing vessels. During the late 1970s and 1980s, the Soviet Union became the shipyard's largest market, while during the 1990s, Germany became the largest contractor.
Below are some of the ships that ENVC have built since 1948. No.TypeNameIMO No.CompanyCountryDWTDelivered1Fishing trawlerSenhor dos MareantesEmpresa de Pesca de VianaPortugal1,48019482Fishing trawlerSenhora das CandeiasEmpresa de Pesca de VianaPortugal1,48019483Fishing trawlerSão GonçalinhoEmpresa de Pesca de AveiroPortugal1,48019484Fishing trawlerJoão MartinsSoc. Nacional Armadores BacalhauPortugal1,55619525Fishing trawlerCabo BrancoSoc. Comercial MarítimaPortugal28419486Fishing trawlerSta. TeresinhaSoc. Pesca Sta. FéPortugal29319517Fishing trawlerIlha do CorvoSoc. Armadores Pesca ArrastoPortugal29319518Fishing trawlerAlcyonComp. Port. PescaPortugal29519519Fishing trawlerIlha BravaSoc. Armadores Pesca ArrastoPortugal299195110Fishing trawlerIlha do PicoSoc. Armadores Pesca ArrastoPortugal298195111Fishing trawlerRio LimaEmpresa de Pesca de VianaPortugal1,220195212General cargoCorubalOverseas MinistryPortugal32195213General cargoFormosaOverseas MinistryGuinea-Bissau32195214General cargoFunchalenseEmpresa Navegação MadeirensePortugal582195315Hospital shipGil Eanes5130587Grémio dos Armadores de Navios de Pesca do BacalhauPortugal2,274195516Ferry boatCedrosEmpresa Insulana NavegaçãoPortugal351195517Ferry boatArnelEmpresa Insulana NavegaçãoPortugal351195518BargeFonte Da AtalaiaM. J. PereiraPortugal420195319TugboatFoz do LimaSoc. Coop. dos Catreiros do Porto de LisboaPortugal195320Fishing vesselAllan VilliersBacalhau PortugalGuinea-Bissau1,327195222Fishing vesselSan TiagoSoc. Nacional Armadores BacalhauPortugal1,288195523Ferry boatEborenseParc. Vapor LisbonPortugal281195424Patrol boatBravaUS GovernmentUnited States130195625Patrol boatFogoUS GovernmentUnited States131195727Fishing vesselSra. Boa ViagemAtlântica Companhia Portuguesa de PescaPortugal1,273195628Fishing vesselS. GabrielSoc. Luso BrasileiraPortugal1,307195629TankerShell TagusShell PortugalPortugal1,334195736Ferry boatAlentejenseSoc. Maritima TransportesPortugal82195737Ferry boatSesimbrenseSoc. Maritima TransportesPortugal76195842General cargoLobitoCompanhia Colonial de NavegaçãoPortugal9,975195947General cargoPonta GarçaCompanhia de Navegação Carregadores AçorianosPortugal2,739196048Ferry boatEstremaduraPortuguese Railway CompanyPortugal162196149Ferry boatAlgarvePortuguese Railway CompanyPortugal153196150Replenishment oilerS. GabrielNavy MinistryPortugal9,854196351Fishing trawlerVasco D'OreyEmpresa de Pesca de VianaPortugal1,819196152Fishing trawlerSta. Maria MadalenaEmpresa de Pesca de VianaPortugal1,825196158TugboatMonte CastroJAP Douro LeixõesPortugal196362Fishing trawlerM. Teixeira Vilarinho6413833José M. VilarinhoPortugal1,762196463WarshipAlm. Magalhães CorreaNavy MinistryPortugal196864Cement carrierCecil OutãoSecilPortugal944196465TankerRocasSacor MarítimaPortugal1,850196570TugboatAtomo ManSoc. Coop. dos Catreiros do Porto de LisboaPortugal196571General cargoPortoCompanhia Colonial de NavegaçãoPortugal12,969196873Gas carrierCidla6708692Sacor MarítimaPortugal1,841196674Gas carrierBandim6809599Sacor MarítimaPortugal1,841196777Ferry boatMinhoPortuguese Railway CompanyPortugal162196878Ferry boatTras-Os-MontesPortuguese Railway CompanyPortugal162196883General cargoMalangeCompanhia Colonial de NavegaçãoPortugal14,813197184Ferry boatLagosPortuguese Railway CompanyPortugal153197085Ferry boatAlentejoPortuguese Railway CompanyPortugal153197087Container shipErika Fisser7116781Zaanlandse Scheepsbouw MaatschappijNetherlands6,200197188Container shipImela FisserZaanlandse Scheepsbouw MaatschappijNetherlands6,200197189Container shipElizabeth FisserZaanlandse Scheepsbouw MaatschappijNetherlands6,2001972101Chemical tankerStolt Avance7416935Stolt NielsenNorway23,3001977102Chemical tankerStolt Avenir7416947Stolt NielsenNorway23,3001978103ROROFarman7619525R.R.R. Intern. LDA ItaliaItaly3,8901979104ROROFara7619537R.R.R. Intern. LDA ItaliaItaly3,8901980105General cargoLeninsky KomsomolSudoimportSoviet Union3,1461979106General cargoDruzkha Naradov7636755 SudoimportSoviet Union3,1461979107General cargoZnamia Oktiabria7636767SudoimportSoviet Union3,1461979108General cargoSovetskaya Rodina7636860SudoimportSoviet Union3,1461979111Fishing vesselMarUtver H/F OlafsvikIceland3701980112Fishing vesselJon BaldvinssonBaejarvigerd ReykIceland3701980114TankerGalp Sines8001103Sacor MarítimaPortugal18,7321982115TankerGalp Leixões8001115Sacor MarítimaPortugal18,7321983118General cargoXVII Syezd Profsoyuzov8035219SudoimportSoviet Union3,1341982119General cargoXI Pyatiletka8101422SudoimportSoviet Union3,1341982120General cargo65 Let Sovietskoy VlastiSudoimportSoviet Union3,1341983123Chemical tankerGlobal Rio8220589Global Transporte OceânicoBrazil15,0891985124Chemical tankerGlobal Maceió8220577Global Transporte OceânicoBrazil15,0891986125BargeRitaSocamarPortugal4,8321982126BargeRuteSocamarPortugal4,8321983127BargeRotaSocamarPortugal4,7121983128BargeRumoSocamarPortugal4,7121983129BargeRaioSocamarPortugal4,7121983169General cargoLinde IIPaphian Ship. FisserGermany6,3401993178Cement carrierKoralia8918409 Bambury Tank. Hold. (Nauru) COGermany8,5001995184Chemical tankerMultitank Britannia9114751Tankreederei Ahreinkiel GMBHGermany5,8461996185Chemical tankerMultitank Bahia9114763Tankreederei Ahreinkiel GMBHGermany5,8461996186Chemical tankerMultitank Bracaria9114775Tankreederei Ahreinkiel GMBHGermany5,8461997191Chemical tankerMultitank Brasilia9125645Tankreederei Ahreinkiel GMBHGermany5,8461997192Chemical tankerMultitank Bolognia9140815Tankreederei Ahreinkiel GMBHGermany5,8461997193Chemical tankerMultitank Badenia9140827Tankreederei Ahreinkiel GMBHGermany5,8461997194Chemical tankerMultitank Balearia9147461Tankreederei Ahreinkiel GMBHGermany5,8461997195Chemical tankerMultitank Batavia9154323Tankreederei Ahreinkiel GMBHGermany5,8461998204Container shipInsular9150420TransinsularPortugal6,7001998206Chemical tankerAurora9187497PCS Phosphate Company, INC.United States21,5002000211Chemical tankerFS Vanessa9231602Fouquet SacopFrance19,1172002212Chemical tankerFS Thais9262259Fouquet SacopFrance19,1172003213ReeferCarmel Ecofresh9267534Orizont Schiffahrtsgesellschaft mbGGermany15,0002003214ReeferCarmel Bio-Top9267546Orizont Schiffahrtsgesellschaft mbGGermany15,0002004215Container shipHeinrich J9157868MPC Munchmeyer, Petersen GmbH & CO. KGGermany6,7001998216Container shipMichael J9164421MPC Munchmeyer, Petersen GmbH & CO. KGGermany6,7001998224Chemical tankerKiisla9267558Fortum Oil OyjFinland14,0002004225Chemical tankerSuula9267560Fortum Oil OyjFinland14,0002005227Chemical tankerFS Philippine9310305Fouquet SacopFrance15,5002005234Passenger shipAlgarve Cruiser9329344Douro AzulPortugal902005235Passenger shipDouro Queen9329356Douro AzulPortugal902005237RORO/FerryLobo Marinho9267390Porto Santo LinePortugal8002003238WarshipNRP Viana do Castelo4610625Navy MinistryPortugal1,6002011254General cargoIndustrial Eagle9407574Schiffahrtgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG MS “APUS J”Germany10,0002008255General cargoIndustrial Egret9407586MS “BELLATRIX J” Schiffahrtsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KGGermany10,0002009
See also Shipbuilding EMPORDEF Martifer Viana do Castelo-class patrol vessel List of shipbuilders and shipyards Arsenal do Alfeite Portuguese Navy
References
External links ENVC, official website ENVC Subconcessão, EMPORDEF campaign website regarding the sub-licensing