Tulcea Shipyard, owned by Norwegian group Aker, forecasts triple turnover for this year, up to 120 million euros. The company's management is hiring more employees so as to be able to fulfill the unprecedented number of orders.
Aker Tulcea received an order worth more than 150 million euros, and is to build five gas-fuelled ferryboats, according to Aker representatives. As a result, the value of orders submitted to the Aker shipyards located in Braila and Tulcea has reached, in less than one month, 280 million euros.
"This year, Aker Tulcea will register a record-high turnover, triple the value logged in 2004, when turnover reached 40 million euros. Aker Braila will post a similar growth pace," Dumitru Ivanov, general manager of the company told Ziarul Financiar.
"We will deliver a record number of ships in 2005, about 16. I believe this boom will continue in 2006, even 2007. Now, the most delicate issue is to find workforce. We are in talks with subcontractors to hire more people for the shipyard. We have 2,350 employees, while our subcontractors have another 700. We'd need another 400-500 employees," says Ivanov.
Romanian ship producers have received an increasing number of orders recently, mainly triggered by the economic growth in Asia, especially China and Japan. This has led to an unprecedented growth of maritime trade and persuaded ship owners they need to supplement their commercial fleets.
Norwegian group Aker has signed a letter of intention with the Nordic ferryboat operator Fjord 1 for the construction of five ships in Tulcea and the contract will be sealed in mid-January.
At the same time, Aker Braila shipyard late last year announced it would build six oil tanks for several Cyprus-based companies, under a contract worth 130 million euros concluded by the Norwegian company Aker Yards, the owner of the shipyard. For 2005, the company anticipates net profit of 1-1.5 million euros against turnover standing at 40 million euros, compared profit worth 0.4 million euros and turnover of 25 million euros in the previous year.
Headquartered in Oslo, Aker Yards is Europe's largest naval constructor and the world's fifth. The Tulcea-based shipyards were built in 1975 and became part of Aker Yards in 2000, when Aker Brattvaag bought 70% in the company. The Norwegians own an almost similar stake, of 69.5%, in the Braila shipyard as well.
Stock of Aker Braila is traded on Rasdaq Electronic Market, with the company's capitalisation standing at 3.5 million euros.
adrian.mirsanu@zf.ro
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