Basque yard gets LNG lifeline

Spanish shipbuilder Izar has signed a contract with Norwegian shipping concern Knutsen to build a LNG carrier at its La Naval-Izar shipyard in Sestao near Bilbao. This is the first order for this ship type the troubled Bilbao yard has won since 2000. La Naval has recently shed 578 workers, all of whom took the early retirement offered in the company?s re-launch plan.

Construction work on the 138,000 cubic metre vessel is to begin immediately and the yard has 36 months to deliver the completed vessel from the date the contract was signed.

Spain?s minister for industry said the gas tanker would be used to bring natural gas from Trinidad and Tobago, in the Caribbean, to Spain.

Similar to other ships built at Sestao, the new vessel is the largest that can be built at La Naval with a length of 284.40 metres, a width of 42.50 metres and a draught of 11.40 metres. The newbuilding will be powered by a 28,000 kW steam turbine.