Aker’s busy Helsinki yard misses Norilsk Nickel order

Norwegian shipbuilder Aker Yards said Monday it had signed a 320-million-euro deal with Russian mining giant Norilsk Nickel over four container/cargo ships for arctic operations and an option for a fifth newbuilding.

The newly contracted vessels are to be built by Aker’s German shipyards, not the Helsinki one that delivered MS Norilskiy Nickel, the prototype ship, in April

Mikko Niini, the chief executive of Helsinki-based Aker Arctic, said the Helsinki yard was kept busy thanks to a thick passenger ship order book.