Aker wins Laeisz contract

Norway’s Aker Yards has won a ??¬245 million ($353 million) contract to build six container ships for the Rostock-based shipowner Reederei F. Laeisz GmbH which operates a fleet of about 50 freighters, tankers, and research vessels. The deal is contingent on financing.

The Oslo-based shipbuilder said the contract calls for delivery of six of its newly developed 225 metre container ships, called the Aker CS 2800, from the fourth quarter of 2009 through the third quarter of 2010. A statement said the new ships are designed to reduce pollution through efficient energy management, and have protected fuel tanks to reduce the risk of environmentally damaging spills in case of an accident.