Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) has signed a contract for construction of two mega-class liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers with an undisclosed Asian owner.
The ships have the capacity to carry 84,000㎥ of LPG and feature a length of 226m and 36.6m in width. The LPG carrier newbuilds are slated for delivery to their India.based owner in 2017 from DSME’s Okpo yard. The contract value has not been disclosed.
DSME said that it has USD 3.9 billion worth of ship orders so far, or the equivalent of 27 ships.
However, the shipbuilder has been struggling with liquidity issues having recorded a major operating loss of KRW 2.39 trillion (USD 2.1 billion) for the first half of 2015, confirming media predictions that saw the shipbuilder’s shares plunge by 30 % in July.
The company is undergoing restructuring process which is expected to include disposal of its six poor performing subsidiaries, and a switch of focus to its core shipbuilding activities.
World Maritime News Staff