Last month saw the naming ceremony for the 82,000 DWT Kamsarmax bulk carrier Nissaki, owned by St Michael Shipping of Greece. This vessel marked a significant milestone in the development of the shipbuilding capability of Vietnam, and is the biggest ship built to date in the country to Lloyd’s Register class.
The vessel was built at the joint venture yard, Hyundai Vinashin Shipyard (HVS), located in Khanh Hoa province. HVS is 30% owned by the Vietnamese Vinashin group and operated by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard; fusing the design, management and shipbuilding knowledge of their Korean yard, with a local Vietnamese workforce.
Speaking of the milestone event, Phong Lt, Lloyd’s Register’s Country Manager for Vietnam , said: “ This project has raised the profile of what is possible in Vietnam as a shipbuilding country but also is a demonstration of LR account management in practice across the regions with the owners in Greece, Korean influence and the local HVS project team working together to produce such a vessel. ”
This is the first vessel classed by Lloyd’s Register at HVS, under its developing capacity as a new construction yard, and it is hoped that this will act as the catalyst for more projects at HVS in the near future as the facility progresses.
[mappress] Lloyd’s Register, February 19, 2013