112 INTERVIEW Based in Valdivia, Chile, ASENAV is a private shipyard spearheading the industry across the Pacific Coast and the Caribbean, with exports to international markets including Norway and Canada. The company has more than 50 years of shipbuilding experience, delivering engineering, design and construction services. Germán Schacht, business development manager at ASENAV, discusses the yard’s role in the cruise and ferry sectors. How is ASENAV competing with long‑established shipyards in competitive global markets? Each operator has different routes and operational requirements, so there are no standard solutions. Our competitive advantage lies in being able to understand their needs and design tailor‑made vessels supported by advanced engineering. In other words, we optimise the shipowner’s business starting from the design stage. Today, the Chilean naval engineering sector is at the forefront of cruise and ferry construction, competing on equal terms with European shipyards. How does your approach to shipbuilding enable you to deliver vessels quickly and efficiently? We combine engineering excellence with fast construction schedules and in‑house designs. One example of this innovation is our double‑ended ferry design, which maximises efficiency by streamlining turnaround cycles and reducing fuel consumption. This approach has led us to develop more than 25 vessels, such as Pelee Islander II, a ro-pax ferry which operates in highly demanding waters in Canada. Among your recent projects is Magellan Discoverer, the new expedition ship for Antarctica21. What value does this new vessel bring to the market? This project builds on our experience in constructing expedition cruise ships such as Stella Australis and Magellan Explorer, which currently operate in Patagonia and Antarctica, respectively. Magellan Discoverer represents a technological leap forward: it is the first hybrid‑electric cruise ship built in the Americas, designed in compliance with International Maritime Organization Tier III regulations and Polar Class standards. This enables it to operate in Antarctica while reducing carbon dioxide emissions and underwater noise. In addition, it integrates monitoring systems that allow real‑time optimisation of vessel performance. What would you say ASENAV offers to potential clients? ASENAV positions itself as a strategic partner capable of redefining what the industry expects from a Chilean shipyard, delivering shipbuilding solutions that are competitive on a global scale. “ The Chilean naval engineering sector is at the forefront of cruise and ferry construction, competing on equal terms with European shipyards” Engineering excellence Germán Schacht speaks with Alex Smith about ASENAV’s approach to shipbuilding in competitive global markets ASENAV is expanding its expedition cruise ship portfolio by building vessels such as Magellan Explorer
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