Sedef Shipyard
Sedef Shipyard is Turkey's largest private shipyard, based in Tuzla, Istanbul. A wholly owned subsidiary of Turkon Holding, it designs and builds commercial vessels, naval defense ships (including the TCG Anadolu aircraft carrier), floating docks, and Powerships for governments and global shipping operators.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1972
- HeadquartersTuzla
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Sedef Shipyard does
Sedef Shipyard (Sedef Gemi Ýnþaatý A.Þ.) is a privately held Turkish shipbuilder founded in 1972 and headquartered in Tuzla, Istanbul, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Turkon Holding A.Þ. (controlled by the Kalkavan family). It is Turkey's largest private shipyard by area, with 230,000 m² of total infrastructure split between the 194,000 m² Tuzla main yard and a 36,000 m² Orhanlý support facility, including 63,000 m² of indoor production space. The yard runs two automated panel line systems (50,000-ton and 15,000-ton annual capacity), heavy-lift portal cranes up to 2x275 tonnes, a 310m x 50m dry dock capable of vessels up to 180,000 DWT, a 250m semi-wet slipway, and four climate-controlled mega painting halls. Annual newbuilding capacity is 600,000 DWT with 100,000 tons of steel-working capacity, and the company employs over 2,000 people.
The company's product portfolio spans naval defense vessels (the TCG Anadolu LHD / Turkey's first aircraft carrier, MILGEM Ýstif-class stealth frigates, and Landing Craft Mechanized), commercial vessels (LNG-hybrid and battery-electric Ro-Ro / Ro-Pax ferries, container ships up to 41,200 DWT, oil and chemical tankers, pelagic trawlers, live fish carriers, and offshore FPSO vessels), floating dry docks (9,000 to 23,500 tonnes lifting capacity), Powerships (floating power plants from 36 MW to 480 MW), and large-scale industrial steel constructions including bridge components for the Yavuz Sultan Selim and 1915 Çanakkale bridges. Sedef is a NATO-certified defense supplier (AQAP 2110, NATO Facility Security Clearance), an ISO-certified operator (9001, 14001, 45001, 27001, 50001, 10002, 3834-2, EN 1090-2 EXC4), and an Authorized Economic Operator.
Sedef generates revenue through one-time, multi-year B2B construction contracts with governments, navies, and commercial shipping operators; pricing is project-specific and not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales via direct contract negotiations, participation in government tenders (e.g., Presidency of Defence Industries), and industry exhibitions such as Nor-Shipping. Customer mix spans the Turkish Naval Forces, the U.S. Navy supply chain (Austal USA, Colonna Shipyard), the Saudi Arabian Navy, leading European ferry and Ro-Ro operators (Boreal SJO AS, Stena RoRo, Torghatten Nord, Seaspan, A2B-Online), and energy and infrastructure clients (Karadeniz Holding, bridge JVs), with over 200 projects completed since inception.
Sedef Shipyard firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sedef Shipyard
- Legal name
- Sedef Gemi İnşaatı A.Ş.
- Website
- https://sedefshipyard.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1972
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Sedef Shipyard is Turkey's largest private shipyard, based in Tuzla, Istanbul. A wholly owned subsidiary of Turkon Holding, it designs and builds commercial vessels, naval defense ships (including the TCG Anadolu aircraft carrier), floating docks, and Powerships for governments and global shipping operators.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sedef Shipyard industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Shipbuilding and Naval Construction
- NAICS
- Ship Building and Repairing (336611)
- SIC
- Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730), Fabricated Structural Metal Products (3440)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Aircraft Carriers & Large Deck Aviation Ships (IMAJABAC)
Keywords
Where Sedef Shipyard is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tuzla
Offices2 records
Markets served
Sedef Shipyard business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- New Ship Construction: Design and construction of commercial vessels including tankers, container ships, Ro-Ro vessels, ferries, fishing vessels, and offshore vessels. Projects range from individual vessel construction to series production.
- Naval Defense Vessel Construction: Construction of military vessels including the Multipurpose Amphibious Assault Ship (LHD) TCG Anadolu, Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM), and MILGEM frigates for Turkish Naval Forces.
- Floating Dock Manufacturing: Design and construction of floating docks for shipyards, including export to international customers such as Colonna Shipyard in the USA.
- Conversion and Lengthening Projects: Ship conversion and lengthening projects including the largest lengthening project in Turkey for Stena RoRo vessels.
- Industrial Steel Constructions: Large-scale steel construction projects including bridge components such as the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge and Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge anchor boxes.
- Powership Conversion Projects: Conversion of vessels into floating power plants (PowerShips) with power generation capacities ranging from 36 MW to 480 MW.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom vessel construction contracts with project-specific pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Sedef Shipyard product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sedef Shipyard designs, builds, and repairs a wide range of commercial and naval vessels, including container ships, tankers, Ro-Ro/Ro-Pax ferries, fishing and offshore vessels, frigates, amphibious assault ships, and landing craft. The shipyard also manufactures floating dry docks, converts vessels into Powership floating power plants, and produces large-scale industrial steel constructions such as bridge components.
Product overview
Sedef Shipyard is a full-service shipbuilding company operating under Turkon Holding. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of vessels and maritime solutions including commercial vessels (container ships, tankers, ferries, fishing vessels, offshore vessels), naval vessels (amphibious assault ships, frigates, landing craft), floating docks, Power Ships for mobile electricity generation, and industrial steel constructions. The product portfolio includes the flagship TCG Anadolu (Turkey's first aircraft carrier), MILGEM frigates, LNG-hybrid and electric ferries, and mega floating docks. The company operates from two facilities in Istanbul (Tuzla and Orhanlı) with 230,000 m² total area and annual capacity of 600,000 DWT.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Multipurpose Amphibious Assault Ship (LHD) - TCG Anadolu Turkey's first indigenous aircraft carrier and multipurpose amphibious assault ship. 230.8m length, designed to carry F-35B aircraft, helicopters, and landing craft. Features a flight deck with ski-jump ramp, hangar, and floodable dock for LCMs. Built for the Turkish Naval Forces.
- Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM)
Quantifiable outcome
- Localization rate of approximately 68% achieved on TCG Anadolu project
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sedef Shipyard
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sedef Shipyard technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Sedef Shipyard partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship/core and minor.
- Austal USA LLCcoreContract signed December 2021 for 9,000 tonnes lifting capacity floating dock. Austal USA provides newbuilding and repair services to US Navy vessels.
- Boreal SJO AScoreNorwegian ferry operator contracted Sedef for three Electric Ro-Pax ferries with zero emissions and total 2016 kWh battery capacity. First shipbuilding contract for Boreal in Turkey.
- Stena RoRocoreOne of the world's largest RoRo operators contracted Sedef for lengthening of Stena Lagan and Stena Mersey vessels - the largest lengthening project ever in Turkey.
- Turkon Holdingflagship/coreParent company of Sedef Shipyard since 2000. Turkon Holding provides strategic direction, financial backing, and synergies across shipping, logistics, and shipbuilding operations. Sedef is part of a vertically integrated maritime group with roots dating back to 1954.
- Karadeniz Holdingflagship/coreStrategic partnership for Powership conversion projects. Sedef Shipyard established the world's first and only Powership fleet through this partnership, converting vessels into floating power plants ranging from 36 MW to 480 MW capacity.
- Flensburger Shipyard (Germany)coreTechnology and Know-How Transfer Agreement signed 2001-2003 providing German shipbuilding expertise and technical capabilities that enhanced Sedef's production standards.
- FMV ShipyardminorContract signed for building a 4,700 m3 live fish carrier (NB 205) for Norwegian market. Strategic step in Sedef's presence in Norway.
- Turkon LinecoreSame group company (Turkon Holding) for which Sedef built series of 1900 TEU container vessels (NB 151-156). Intercompany synergies within Turkon Group.
- Colonna Shipyard (USA)coreUS shipyard contracted multiple floating docks from Sedef including 12,000 and 23,500 tonnes lifting capacity models. Exported to USA for ship repair operations.
- Daelim - Limak - SK - Yapı Merkezi JVcoreJoint venture contracted Sedef for 1915 Çanakkale Bridge Temporary Working Platform (NB 206), a 4,500 tonne steel structure as part of Turkey's landmark bridge project.
- Seaspan Ferries CorporationcoreCanadian ferry operator for which Sedef built world's first dual-fueled/hybrid (diesel, LNG, battery) Ro-Ro vessels (NB 179, 180) delivered 2016-2017.
- Fitjar Mekaniske Verksted ASminorNorwegian shipyard contracted live fish carrier vessel (NB 205) for fish transport operations.
- Torghatten NordminorNorwegian ferry operator contracted 75 PCU Car and Passenger Ferry (NB 225) with battery power and shore charging capabilities.
- A2B-OnlineminorDutch shipping company contracted environmentally friendly 650 TEU container vessels (NB 226, 227) with methanol-electric propulsion and battery systems.
- Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge ProjectcoreSedef manufactured anchor box segments for the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge (Third Bosphorus Bridge) with 4,000 tonnes of steel construction.
- Turkish Naval Forces Commandflagship/coreMajor defense partnership for construction of Multipurpose Amphibious Assault Ship TCG Anadolu (LHD), Landing Craft Mechanized vessels, and MILGEM frigates. Project officially commissioned September 2015.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves22 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sedef Shipyard competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Fincantieri: Italy's largest shipbuilder, building naval combatants (frigates, patrol vessels, support ships), cruise ships, and specialized vessels. Highly comparable on dual-fuel and green propulsion expertise, NATO-aligned defense credentials, and global export footprint.
- Navantia: Spanish state-owned shipyard building F-110 frigates, amphibious vessels, and commercial ferries, with comparable dual-fuel and electric vessel programs and NATO-aligned defense credentials in the European mid-tier shipbuilding segment.
- Naval Group: France's primary naval defense prime, builder of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, frigates, and submarines. Comparable expertise in large amphibious vessels and government naval export programs, and a direct competitor for allied naval contracts.
- Damen Shipyards Group: Dutch shipbuilding group operating dozens of yards worldwide across naval, offshore, and commercial segments, including frigates, patrol vessels, and LNG-powered workboats; directly comparable in multi-segment shipyard operations and European export reach.
- Kockums (Saab): Swedish naval shipyard within Saab, building surface combatants and submarines for the Swedish Navy and export customers. Comparable Nordic-aligned defense shipbuilding focus and niche specialty in naval prime contracting.
- Beşiktaş Shipyard: Turkish private shipyard focused on naval and commercial vessel construction — patrol boats, coast guard vessels, and ferries. Direct local competitor also based in Tuzla, competing for Turkish naval and commercial contracts.
- Cemre Shipyard: Turkish private shipyard specializing in offshore vessels, chemical/product tankers, and specialized ferries serving European and Norwegian clients. Directly comparable mid-sized competitor in commercial vessel newbuild.
- Yonca-Onuk Shipyard: Turkish shipyard focused on fast patrol boats, military craft, and naval vessels for Turkish and export customers. Overlaps with Sedef in the Turkish defense and fast-craft market segment.
Broad incumbents
- Hyundai Heavy Industries: South Korea's largest shipbuilder and global leader across commercial, offshore, and naval segments. A broad incumbent with structural cost advantages on standard vessel classes — competing with Sedef in commercial newbuild and offshore markets.
- Samsung Heavy Industries: South Korean shipbuilder focused on tankers, container ships, LNG carriers, and offshore platforms with a growing naval business. Broad incumbent competing in the same end markets as Sedef with materially greater scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sedef Shipyard social profiles
Digital presenceSedef Shipyard compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance12 records
Sedef Shipyard financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sedef Shipyard leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Sedef Shipyard funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sedef Shipyard M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sedef Shipyard
What does Sedef Shipyard do?
Sedef Shipyard designs, builds, and repairs a wide range of commercial and naval vessels, including container ships, tankers, Ro-Ro/Ro-Pax ferries, fishing and offshore vessels, frigates, amphibious assault ships, and landing craft. The shipyard also manufactures floating dry docks, converts vessels into Powership floating power plants, and produces large-scale industrial steel constructions such as bridge components.
Is Sedef Shipyard a public or private company?
Sedef Shipyard is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Sedef Shipyard founded?
Sedef Shipyard was founded in 1972. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Sedef Shipyard based?
Sedef Shipyard is headquartered in Tuzla.
How does Sedef Shipyard make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. New Ship Construction is the primary driver. The others are naval Defense Vessel Construction, floating Dock Manufacturing, conversion and Lengthening Projects, industrial Steel Constructions and powership Conversion Projects.
Who are Sedef Shipyard's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Fincantieri, Navantia, Naval Group, Damen Shipyards Group, Kockums (Saab), Beşiktaş Shipyard, Cemre Shipyard and Yonca-Onuk Shipyard. Broad incumbents are Hyundai Heavy Industries and Samsung Heavy Industries.
Does Sedef Shipyard have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sedef Shipyard.
What industry is Sedef Shipyard in?
Sedef Shipyard's product category is Shipbuilding and Naval Construction. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAJABAC, Aircraft Carriers & Large Deck Aviation Ships. Its NAICS code is 336611 and its SIC code is 3730.