Indonesia to build SE Asia`s largest shipyard

The Indonesian shipping business leader Oentoro Surya has said he will build a shipyard and heavy equipment factory at a cost of $230 million in Batam, just south of Singapore. “I want to build in Batam the largest and most modern shipyard in Southeast Asia,” Oentoro said last weekend. About 30% of the capacity of the planned shipyard to be built by his company, PT Surya Prima Bahtera, will be used to build and maintain the company?s own ships and the rest will be available for other shipowers. Completion of the project would reduce the country’s dependence on foreign shipyards to build ocean going vessels.