Denmark, S. Korea Seek Shipbuilding Contracts with Vietnam

Denmark and South Korea expect to seek more contracts with shipbuilders in Vietnam in the coming time, heard a conference held in Hanoi on February 20.

 

A group of 25 Danish firms, several South Korean firms and Vietnam’s largest shipbuilder Vinashin attended the conference, dubbed “Conference on Shipbuilding Cooperation Opportunities”. At the meeting, the Vietnamese side highlighted opportunities of cooperation and technology transfer from Denmark to Vietnam.

 

According to experts at the conference, Vietnam is in need of shipbuilding materials and equipment in the next 10 years and promises long-lasting and effective cooperation opportunities for Danish firms. Vietnam’s shipbuilding industry plans to reach a localization rate of 60 per cent by 2010 but the industry now reaches only 30-35 per cent.

 

At the end of the meeting, a tripartite contract was signed between Vietnam’s Vinashin, South Korea’s STX Co and Denmark’s Man B&W Diesel Ltd to build a 25,000-horsepower diesel plant in northern Haiphong City.

 

At present, Vietnam is building ships for many Danish shipping firms like Fabricius A/S Marine and Rederiet M.H Simonsen while importing engines for its ships from MAN B&W. In the meantime, Vietnam has developed close cooperation with South Korean shipyards.

 

The State-run Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Corp. (Vinashin) has set up the country’s largest shipbuilding joint venture with Hyundai Group in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province and sends its workers to acquire know-how at many shipyards in South Korea.
VNA