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Empresa Nacional Bazán

The people who were key in the history of the Spanish naval industry after the civil war, Juan Antonio Suanzes and Áureo Fernández Ávila, are closely linked with the creation of Empresa Nacional Bazán in 1947. The Empresa Nacional Bazán Construcciones Navales military SA was born late, because its creation was already provided for by the Act of 11 May 1942, which provide that industry could constitute a corporation for the purpose of executing naval programs and their complementary works. This ceded the factories in the hands of the Council authorising officer Construcciones Navales Militares.

Bazán nevertheless not was constituted until July 11, 1947. In that gap was wanted an impulse from the Ministry of marine, to aspire to place industrial functions in the hands of the Navy, and Suanzes, advocated the creation of a public company organically independent of the Ministry but closely linked to it. Suanzes won and sat on the Vice-Presidency of Bazán to his right hand, Fernández Ávila. Therefore Bazán took charge of the naval factories and works in progress. With regard to the Ferrol, the transfer took place on October 2, 1947. At the time were under construction in the Galician shipyard more than 51,000 tons displacement, i.e. almost 60% of the tonnage in construction in all establishments in the evolution of the activity in Ferrol empresa.Siguiendo can identify three different stages from its establishment until today. First, from start-up and consolidation, the period 1947-1960 and was marked by the construction of a large number of u nidades smaller barges, diverse barges and tugs.

As regards actual military ships, delivered 18 nor were excessively complex: Miner, gunboats Miner, minesweepers, guardapescas, gunboats and second torpederos.Un period of expansion and diversification, covers the 1960s and 1970s, and is marked by the construction of large and complex. Military vessel without a doubt, the stars are SDR frigates (Balearic Islands, Spain, Catalonia, Asturias and Extrem astiffnecked) delivered in the 1970s. It was the construction of these units, without a doubt, a milestone for Bazán, who had to undertake a deep modernization of facilities and processes trabajo.respecto merchant ships, continues the specialization in increasingly larger tankers. Thus, 1971 launched the Álvaro de Bazán than with their 169,000 deadweight tonnes was once the largest ship launched in Spain. Also highlights the introduction in the overall transport (freighters, bulkcarriers O.B.O.) segment. It is necessary to emphasize, moreover, that in this second phase takes place the opening of foreign markets thanks to the contract of two pe troleros for argentina YPF signed in 1960.

Logically, to perform these commissions was necessary to extend the industrial infrastructure, and among them the construction of a large dry dock and the enlargement of the factory of turbine. The latter breaks with great force on the market of electricity from 1961, when under licences Westinghouse gets contract to provide the equipment of the thermal Malaga, Almeria, and Penarroya plants. This enlargement process fits in the expansion of Bazán activities during the period, which will have its vulnerability in the committed financial situation that goes through the enterprise since the end of the sixty years expansion. Since the 1950s the company had specific problems arising from the military market and restrictions of the credit contraction.

However, the situation becomes more complicated in the 1970s, when the INI financing becomes essential to cover losses. When this funding fails or is delay forced to go to the bank credit in the short term with the consequent imbalance equity structure of the company. They are also the seventy period of intense labor and social conflict, with events that marked the life of enterprise and society ferrolana. The third period runs from the 1980s, and he is characterized by a growing specialization in military ships with an important technological component.

In addition, in recent years Bazán undertake a profound process of internal reorganization. As regards the military constructions, the period opens with the delivery of four corvettes from 1981 to 1982, the launching of the Prince of Asturias carrier and delivery of four frigates FFG (Santa Maria, Victoria, Numancia and Reina Sofía) that last year between 1986 and 1990. The carrier was enterprise not only venture into the construction of a vessel type hitherto impossible, but also the radical transformation of the applied methods of engineering, management, and information.

The 1990s shows fewer built ships, but they include the modern frigates FEG Navarre and Canary, four patrol tall, Chakri Naruebet for the Thai Navy, sat Patiño and ATS/LPD Galicia.Por carrier elsewhere should be noted that at this stage disappear gradually merchant constructions due to the decision not to compete with the rest of the large public shipyards engaged since the late 1970s in a serious crisis. In the same way aim efforts of diversification into lines related to dual use (civilian and military) technologies. Note, thus making (more de180% Spanish Park of turbines for power stations, conventional and nuclear), steam turbines the of wind turbines and cogeneration plants. They have also enhanced markets of repairs, which since 1993 are considered as LOB independiente.estos adjustment effort and technological development have been crowned in 2000 with the award of the contract of construction of five frigates for the Norwegian Navy.

A contract of more than 220,000 million pesetas that workload for the shipyard of Ferrol for ten years and shows that Bazan is leading firm in shipbuilding militar.En July the same year, the Government allows the integration of civil shipyards State, integrated into the Group Astilleros Españoles (EFSA), with the military (Bazán). Operation, which requires the explicit approval of the Commission, would lead to a company called Empresa Nacional Bazán of Construcciones Navales, headquartered in Madrid, which made up the tenth naval group worldwide and gave employment to 11,700 employees in 12 Centers work. For Galicia means the Union of the two large shipyard the Ferrol estuary Bazán, Astano, with a total of more than 4000 employees. Finally the agreement was adopted, and after a period of consolidation the company became redenominated IZAR, with which the emblematic symbol of the shipbuilding crane became a memory.