Happy New Year 2024!

The maritime industry has built 2023 upon the foundations laid in preceding years and has consolidated the growing evolution with projects spanning different sectors including – among others: energy, cruises and cargo shipping. Reflecting on the past 12 months, SFT has made remarkable achievements, thanks to the collaborative effort of all our team and our extensive worldwide network of agents. Furthermore, both our manufacturing facilities have displayed exceptional expertise in delivering high-quality fender systems with unprecedented speed when it was needed the most to fulfil time critical projects.

Looking back on these achievements, we highlight the following:

… One of the most recent accomplishments was the delivery of the company’s largest-ever Ocean Guard Fenders to Indonesia. Each fender weighs over 16 tons and measures ø4000x6900 mm, ensuring the safety and stability of the Jawa Satu FSRU permanent mooring. They were meticulously designed to withstand harsh offshore conditions, showcasing our company's expertise, and contributing to the success of a sustainable energy project in the region.

… Early in the year, we announced the refurbishment of Port La Romana, located at the mouth of the Dulce River, Dominican Republic, an area experiencing significant growth in cruise tourism. We delivered 11 CSS Cell Fenders (CSS2000, G1.0) with steel panels measuring 3000x3805 mm, showcasing our team’s coordinated efforts to design the suitable solution and coordinate installation following the very short time windows between vessels arrivals.

… Another remarkable project was the expansion of Freeport in Texas, USA, aimed at accommodating even larger vessels, including those of Panamax and Post-Panamax class. SFT designed and manufactured 43 sets of SPC Cone Fenders Systems. Notably we made every effort to maintain the same fender design throughout the expansion, and we successfully addressed the challenge of dealing with a non-straight berthing line, which posed additional design demand.

However, we cannot conclude this review without mentioning another significant 2023 milestone – our Carbon Footprint Assessment project. This tool, exclusively developed by the independent Danish consultant Ramboll for SFT, provides product specific figures on CO2 emissions for each order of engineered fender systems upon request. We believe that customers have the right to know the environmental cost associated with an order and how they might reduce it. This initiative unveils a new era of transparency and accountability.

We extend to all of you our heartfelt gratitude for choosing to work alongside ShibataFenderTeam.

In 2024, we remain committed to continuous self-improvement to uphold our reputation as your firm and reliable partner and maintain our position as the leading fender manufacturer.

We wish you and your loved ones a peaceful and joyous holiday season, and a prosperous new year in 2024!